Opinions

Foley Is Missed – By Wrestle G

Wrestle G

How are we all NoDQ.com readers? The Sun is threatening to start coming out in the UK for Summertime and thoughts of Beer Gardens, trips to the beach and of course live pro wrestling at Wembley and the O2 are dancing in my head. We moan a lot about pro wrestling as fans, but honestly, we haven’t had it this good in a while. We’ll miss it when it’s gone…

But hopefully we don’t have to worry about that for a long old time. But what we do need to worry about is getting a column out here on NoDQ.com this week. Before we get stuck into the main topic some wrestling thoughts from me from around the week.

– Jacob Fatu is on some ascension right now. We have always seen the potential we have always been told how high on him people who work with him are, but we are now finally seeing that translate to a main event programme. Kudos to Roman who is really selling Jacob as an out-of-control threat to him. My only hesitation here is how do we keep this feud interesting without giving Jacob the belt? It seems far too soon for a Roman transitional title reign. But then maybe that would make Jacob? We saw with Drew McIntyre that waiting too long can curtail your momentum. Interesting times ahead.

– Danhausen is entertain as hell and over as hell. That is all I need to say. I stuck up for him when people trashed his debut and I’m going to smugly ride on the fact that at the moment I was right to do so.

– Will Ospreay and the Death Riders is a storyline I’m really really struggling to get on board with. Why will listen to them after all they did to him? The only saving grace here is that Will is set to win the Owen tournament and maybe this is setting the table for a more grounded version of his ring style which is needed after his neck surgery. It’s still a wait and see from me on this angle, just get that man to the main event of All In is all I beg of you.

– Darby Allin has had a crazy title reign thus far taking on all comers in a variety of wild matches. I genuinely can’t see him sustaining these matches for much longer the guy’s body must be severely beaten up already. But the matches have been entertaining. There needs to be a little bit of discretion here though as the more you do it the less impact it has. I wasn’t thrilled with the way Darby won the title, but he’s gone full tilt on his reign so far and I’m intrigued to see where it leads.

Ok time for the main event of this week’s column….

Foley Is Missed

The last time we saw Mick Foley on wrestling TV he had The Fiends fingers stuck in his mouth in a passing of the torch of the mandible claw as a finishing move from Foley to Bray. (His NXT appearance in 2023 and Iron Survivor announcement don’t really count, ok? It’s not dramatic enough haha) It’s hard to imagine that Mick hasn’t been anywhere of note since that time and that he hasn’t been contributing to wrestling since then.

He did have his short-lived podcast with Conrad Thompson which I found fun but that has been the extent to which one of the greatest minds and one of the most entertaining performers of all time has allowed himself to be around.

There have been rumours of a few different comebacks in recent years, the first was a discussion about having a deathmatch on his 60th birthday. Thankfully doctors put paid to that comeback idea as Micks health was never going to sustain such a match. There was also then another idea where Mick was going to wrestle MJF in what would have been promo heaven. Again, I believe on doctors’ advice was the reason this didn’t happen.

So, while I don’t want to see Mick in a match as I want him to preserve his health as much as possible given all that he gave for the fans during his career, I have greatly missed his presence on TV. Yes, while not quite as sharp as he was at his peak there is something about a fired-up Mick Foley promo that you just don’t get from many other performers. When Mick is in an angle the logic is usually sound and he has an uncanny knack of locking into the emotion of the story.

Quite frankly I miss Mick Foley on my wrestling shows on TV.

So, it’s safe to say my interest was very peaked when it was reported this week that AEW is interested in bringing Mick into the company. Obviously this will be in a non-wrestling capacity (I know there are some people like Sting and Saraya who have been resurrected in AEW but I think Foley is too far gone sadly) But I think there are some really interesting ways Foley could be input into AEW storylines and act as a beneficial presence on camera.

  • As an anti AEW figure – now I know we’ve had Dan Lamberts Cornette cosplay angle in the past. But I’m thinking with Foley you can offer a different kind of legitimacy. Foley knows what the pit falls are of having an all-action style and taking risks. A Foley who talks up MJF as someone who doesn’t do that style and talking down to a roster who does could be an interesting pairing. Both Long Island boys so there would be a certain respect there. MJF is usually a loner, and I wouldn’t see it as long term, but the interactions Foley could have with Darby Allin in particular would be fun. It would also give us an excuse to have another Mick Foley and Sting confrontation on camera….
  • Foley Doubles down on his legacy. Mick Foley can rock right into AEW and start putting the crazy stuff over. Talk about how he influenced so many great wrestlers and how AEW captures the spirit of Foley in so many. This could lead to what was a scrapped idea from years ago, where Jon Moxley while in the WWF was going to have a feud with Foley over how Foley’s wreck less style had caused so many to emulate them and end up hurt. Given How Moxley and the Deathriders are much more grounded, it could give them even more legitimacy as the bad ass submission-based group. This would probably work more as a one-off interaction. But I feel like Foley could bring out something different out of Moxley on the Mic.
  • Foley is the spokesperson for the Owen Hart Tournament. It is Owen Hart tournament season and given how Mick is such a great talker and ambassador I would be cool for him to turn up to the tournament matches and help in crowning the winner.
  • Foley joins the conglomeration – I don’t know why. But this just feels like it fits, I want to see Foley interacting with Orange Cassidy, Willow and especially being a hardcore legend mentor to Mark Briscoe. Socko would fit in well here too. I know I can hear the groans from multiple people about this. But shoot me, I’d find it entertaining. I think it would be worth at least one interaction.

    • Look I’m not a booker and these are just some rough initial ideas of areas I think Foley could contribute to AEW. There are others as well, I think it would be interesting to see him challenge the dynamics of the Don Callis Family and have interactions there for instance. The only place I wouldn’t want him is in the authority figure role, that role is so overdone and Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis do it so well. I just think the well is dry with that one.

    But I am very excited at the prospect of Mick returning to TV. But what say you? Do you want to see Mick back? Or has he had his time? Any ideas for an angle you would like to see him in?

    Let me know in the comments below.

    Until next time,

    Cheers,

    G

    Click here to add NoDQ.com as a Preferred Source on Google. Follow NoDQ's Instagram account for wrestling news updates, memes, and opinions!