Mick Foley is weeks away from being a free agent for the first time in his post-retirement career, and AEW has expressed real interest in working with him this year, The Takedown on SI reported today.
AEW’s interest in Foley is said to be genuine, though the form it could take is not yet known. It is also unclear whether the company is considering signing the 60-year-old to a longer-term ambassador or commissioner-style deal like those held by Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat, or whether it would simply be a one-off appearance. Foley has worked for nearly every major wrestling company on the planet across his career, but has never set foot inside an AEW ring.
AEW is currently building toward Double or Nothing on May 24 in Flushing, NY, an hour from where Foley grew up on Long Island. Another Long Island product, MJF, is the main event of the show, putting his hair on the line against Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship. One source told The Takedown they didn’t have direct knowledge of Foley being booked for the show, but wouldn’t be surprised by a push to use him on it if a deal could be reached.
AEW President Tony Khan has previously talked about being a fan of the former WWE Champion. Foley himself has publicly said that MJF pitched him a six-week program that nearly brought him out of retirement, which He turned down due to concerns about his hip and knee replacements. MJF also confirmed this while speaking on Late Night Grin with Joe Hulbert.
“Look, he’s talked about it openly. We sat down and we had a discussion of what that would look like. It was a very good talk,” MJF said.
Foley has been under a WWE Legends deal in recent years rather than a full active contract. He confirmed in December that he would not renew it when it expires in June 2026, citing WWE and TKO’s ongoing ties to President Donald Trump after Trump’s comments about the death of actor Rob Reiner. Foley made the call as a matter of principle, saying he no longer wished to represent a company connected to Trump.
Foley has not wrestled since 2012 and has been making non-wrestling appearances for WWE since leaving TNA in 2011. He served as the Monday Night Raw general manager from 2016 to March 2017. His last on-camera WWE moment came in 2023 when he announced the qualifier candidates for the Iron Survivor Challenge match at that year’s NXT Deadline. He recently appeared in person at The Sandman’s retirement match in GCW during WrestleMania 42 week in Las Vegas.
