In pro wrestling, you’re never really retired. Terry Funk wrestled at 73 years old, three decades after his first retirement. It’s no wonder that his protege, Mick Foley, has struggled since retiring at No Way Out 2000. After all, he was back a month later to headline WrestleMania! Nonetheless, many health-related setbacks have prevented any plans for a last Mick Foley match from ever taking place. Now with AEW, Mick Foley is toying with the idea of a final send-off. In fact, the WWE Hall of Famer named his dream AEW opponent if that final match were to happen.
Tony Khan Open to Mick Foley Wrestling
AEW has been a safe haven for wrestling legends to have a respectable last match. Tony Khan’s booking of the undefeated Sting is a case in point. Sting went out on top, holding the Tag Team Titles with Darby Allin. Now, one of Sting’s arch-rivals is considering one last match in AEW.
Mick Foley’s last match was in 2012, as an entrant in the WWE Royal Rumble. Since then, the former Cactus Jack has undergone hip and knee replacement. In addition, the Hardcore Legend has suffered numerous concussions over his career. In fact, the one-eared warrior is donating his brain to studying CTE after his death.
All of these health setbacks aside, Mick Foley is still very active on the wrestling scene. Even though the Mickster was recently under a Legends Deal, he’s performed his one-man show all over America. From time to time, Gool Ol’ Saint Mick pops up at indy shows for a “cheap pop” or two.
The 3-time WWE Champion decided to let his current deals with WWE lapse due to their political affiliations with Donald Trump. As soon as Mick Foley was available, Tony Khan signed the former Mankind to a deal with AEW.
Shortly after, Mick Foley made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing: Buy In, getting physical with MJF. During the post-show media scrum, the AEW President noted that he would love for Mick Foley to wrestle in AEW if the legend wanted to. Now, Mick Foley seems to be teasing one more match as he named his AEW dream opponent.
Mick Foley’s AEW Dream Opponent is Darby Allin
If Mick Foley were to wrestle one more match, his dream opponent in AEW would be Darby Allin. Much like the man behind Cactus Jack, the former AEW World Champion, Darby Allin, is known to be a daredevil.
However, he is also a devout company man. When Darby Allin climbed to Mount Everest’s summit, he brought the AEW flag with him. It’s that kind of “intestinal fortitude” that Mick Foley loves in wrestlers.
That’s why Mick Foley revealed Darby Allin as his AEW dream opponent:
“I pointed out to Darby that I am on record of saying he would be a dream opponent. So, you never know.”
Could Mick Foley’s match against Darby Allin be more than just a dream? It seems like Mick Foley is putting in the work to make it a reality.
Mick Foley Cutting Weight for Dream Match with Darby Allin
While many wrestlers always dangle the carrot of potentially wrestling one more match, the former Dude Love is fanning the flames. Instead of leaving it with, “Never say never,” the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion shared what it would take for this dream match with Darby Allin to happen.
A somewhat hopeful Mick Foley shared,
“You never know what the future may bring. I’m down a lot of weight, but my cardio is suspect at best, and I’d still have to lose another 30 lbs just to hit.
So, uh we’ll see if there’s some changes in the next year.“
It seems like Mick Foley hyping up Darby Allin and taking a Low Blow from MJF could lead to something bigger. It’ll be interesting to see if Mick Foley gets in the ring one more time. Having a Hardcore Match against Darby Allin would be an excellent send-off for Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy.