Mick Foley On Criticism For How WWE Books Heels
Mick Foley's last professional wrestling match was the Royal Rumble 2012, where, in the match, his 'Mr. Socko' had a staredown with Santino Marella's 'Cobra'. During a sitdown for Tacos With Thunder Rosa, Foley discussed which wrestlers he would be interested in wrestling if he was a young guy coming into the business.
"I'd love to wrestle (Jon) Moxley, Bray Wyatt in whatever incarnation he comes back. But I also loved wrestling the small guys. The small guys did the flying. Although I could not work every style, I could adapt to just about any style and I could incorporate aspects of what anyone else did and then put my own personal stamp on it," Foley explained. "So coming out of the gate when Ricochet came into WWE, you need a great opening feud and I thought if I was that guy in my prime, with someone who can do anything, but was also small enough to me to come across as a power wrestler, and that isn't easy, I think we really could've made an impression."
Mick Foley has been critical of WWE in the past, stating that he would not be sure that he would sign with them if he was a young talent. Foley explained part of what he believes WWE is doing wrong and one AEW wrestler he would have loved to face.
"Darby Allin, if I could, if I was in my prime, I would've got my hands on Darby Allin," Foley continued. "The one thing I say sometimes that's missing, and this is, I guess, a knock on Mr. McMahon, he wants every heel to look like they're trying to win at every moment. He's real big on covering for everything. That's great for some people, but Abdullah the Butcher didn't, he didn't go for covers. He looked like he was there to end your life. And so sometimes what's missing is that aspect that the babyface is that he isn't fighting for a win, he's literally fighting for his life."
Mick Foley, prior to AEW, had never seen Darby Allin wrestle, always leaving independent shows before his matches. Foley recalled seeing Allin wrestle for the first time.
"He (Darby Allin) was such a quiet kid, so withdrawn, that I guess, I guess I didn't actually stick around to see his matches. Then after Moxley left WWE, I see him and Renee (Paquette), this is June of 2019, so not too long ago. He tells me he's wrestling Darby, or he did the night before and he's wrestling him again and he raves about how he can do anything. So I watched that match and I was like 'oh here's a kid putting new twists on original things or putting new twists on tried and true things."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Thunder Rosa with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.