Darby Allin has made it clear that a dream match between himself and Mick Foley is one he has no interest in, no matter how much sense it might make on paper.
Foley’s AEW debut at Double or Nothing seemed to set the wheels in motion for a program with Allin. The hardcore legend gave Allin a pep talk ahead of his AEW World Championship match with MJF, and Allin paid tribute to Foley’s Cactus Jack persona during the bout. But while a future pairing was teased, Allin would prefer it not be an in-ring rivalry.
“I would never wrestle Mick. I would never wrestle against Mick,” Allin told The Takedown on SI. “Would I team with him? Absolutely. I would team with him in a heartbeat. Just like I would never wrestle Sting. I would love to team with him.”
Allin drew a direct comparison to his real-life partnership with Sting, who came out of retirement to team with him in AEW, a run that saw the pair capture the AEW World Tag Team Championships. He suggested that whether Foley should lace up his boots again comes down to how Foley feels about his own career. “That’s the thing for Mick to answer. What does he feel in his career that, if he would even need that, if there’s any questions unanswered?” Allin said. “I know for Sting, all those years ago, there were many questions unanswered about how his career ended and how it wasn’t on his own terms. Does Mick still have those questions as Sting did? That remains to be seen.”
For Allin, the decision is rooted in personal fulfillment rather than simply honoring one of his idols. “I don’t feel like I’d get out of it what we want, I feel like there’s a lot more meat on the bone with me teaming with him,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to go out there and have that with somebody like Mick that a lot of people are saying he doesn’t need to be in the ring. If he’s gonna be in the ring, I wanna do everything to help him, by his side. It’s just not something that interests me.”
Foley, for his part, has been more open to the idea. Speaking on Going Ringside, he confirmed that Allin sits atop his wish list should he ever step back through the ropes. “I pointed out to Darby that I am on record as saying he would be a dream opponent, so you never know what the future may bring,” Foley said. However, the WWE Hall of Famer admitted he has physical hurdles to clear first. “I’m down a lot of weight, but my cardio is suspect at best, and I’d still have to lose another 30 pounds,” he said.
