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Mick Foley is on the verge of making a decision that will define the latter stages of his career. It has been known for several weeks that Foley has been seriously considering leaving the WWE once his contract expires, but a report in the UK Sun has alleged that he will be signing with TNA in September.
Foley would be walking away from a profitable job. Indeed, one would think that he would be content doing commentary work with one of his best friends in the WWE, especially considering all of the punishment he took as an active wrestler. But Mick Foley has never been one to just shut up and collect his paycheck.
Foley's perhaps misguided love of the business was typified by an angle during his program with Randy Orton in 2004. In the build up to their match at Backlash, Foley suggested that Randy Orton legitimately hit him in the face, resulting in some nasty bruising around his eye. Foley, secure financially, had little to gain by taking that beating, other than adding an extra sense of realism to their feud. It's hard to believe that any of WWE's other millionaires would endure such physical punishment outside of a pay-per-view match.
Mick Foley treats pro-wrestling as an art form. That's not to say that he doesn't care about financial rewards, as it was an increase in monetary terms that persuaded him to reject a TNA contract to stay with the WWE in 2005, but it is difficult to cite moments in his career when he hasn't given his all both physically and creatively. His heel anti-hardcore promos from his ECW career remain an influence on today's roster, and his fall from the Hell in the Cell is one of the most famous moments in wrestling history.
However, the memorable moments of the last three years have been few and far between. His return match was a meaningless encounter with Carlito at Taboo Tuesday, and while Foley's promo work was excellent during his 2006 heel turn and alliance with Edge, his frustration at Vince McMahon's tinkering with the angle is documented in his book Hardcore Diaries. A disappointing feud with Ric Flair followed, and Foley's subsequent appearances have been treated with diminishing importance. He has not worked a meaningful feud since, and had not cut a memorable promo in two years before his angle with Edge on Smackdown Aug. 1. The WWE is a different environment since Foley was wrestling full-time; wrestlers have less control over their characters, and the shows are scripted from start to finish.
While not only feeling creatively unfulfilled, Mick Foley has expressed his disappointment in the lack of emphasis that his in-ring appearances have been given as of late. He was essentially an afterthought in his last two Pay Per View matches, appearing in the 30 man Royal Rumble match this year, and a six-man main event in 2007. This has lead to Foley publicly questioning his own importance to the company in a recent interview. Foley was a key player in the Monday Night War era, but he has not been treated as such.
As a noted talker who has developed a strong rapport with WWE fans over the years, a move to the commentary table seemed ideal for Foley. Yet a quick review of the treatment of Jim Ross reveals that Vince does not hold his announcers in high regard. If Foley felt that his in-ring work was undervalued, then the constant verbal abuse that the WWE Chairman gives to the broadcast team can't have sat well with him.
All of the above makes TNA seem a perfect fit for Mick Foley. He could wrestle as little or as often as he likes in matches guaranteed to be in the main event. Foley could also wrestle Samoa Joe, a prospect that was a major factor in his consideration of TNA's offer in 2005. He would have more creative freedom than he has in the WWE, and would instantly become the biggest star in the company. Foley, as one of the few people available to TNA who would have a positive influence on ratings and buy rates, would sign safe in the knowledge that his contributions would be appreciated.
However, the confusing booking that has plagued Impact casts doubts over whether the TNA bookers know how to effectively present a big star. Kurt Angle, the company's biggest name, is regularly involved in comedy skits that should reserved for wrestlers further down the card. Matches that could have drawn money on PPV, such as Angle vs. Sting and Angle vs. Samoa Joe, have been wasted by placing them on Impact with little build up. Not to mention that Kevin Nash walked out of TNA TV tapings last month because he was he was so frustrated with what was planned for him. Foley would come into TNA as their biggest ever signing from WWE with a lot of fanfare, but its questionable whether in a year's time he will have been used any better than he would have been in the WWE.
Mick Foley has a big decision to make and there is no easy answer. Going to TNA could provide the creative fulfilment he craves and the challenge of establishing a fledgling wrestling company. Foley would receive the admiration and respect of the management team, something that has been sorely lacking during his latest tenure with the WWE. Added to which, he would be able to get his teeth into meaningful matches and feuds in company full of hungry young wrestlers. However, not only would he be jeopardising years of good will built up with Vince McMahon, there are no guarantees that he will used any better in the long term. Alternatively, staying with the WWE may mean that his contributions continue to go unrecognised, and that his in-ring appearances are treated as non-events. But if he is wishing to extend his legacy with a series of matches, the WWE offers a far larger platform internationally than TNA, a company renowned for giving away big matches on free TV at the expense of PPV and DVD revenue.
Neither WWE nor TNA provide the perfect solution for Mick Foley at this stage in his career. The fact that he is even entertaining the idea of signing for TNA shows the he not only feels he has a point to prove to wrestling fans who have come to accept him collecting his paycheck in his cushy comedy role. He has a point to prove to himself. Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
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