WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, quoting Popeye – “I stands all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more” – wrote on his socials on Tuesday that he is “parting ways with WWE,” citing its cozy relationship with Donald Trump, and Trump’s “incredibly cruel comments in the wake of Rob Reiner‘s death,” which he said “is the final straw for me.”
“Last night, I informed WWE talent relations that I would not be making any appearances for the company as long as this man remains in office. Additionally, I will not be signing a new Legends deal when my current one expires in June,” Foley said.
“I love WWE, will always treasure my time with them, and I am deeply appreciative for all the opportunities they afforded me,” said Foley, a four-time world champ, with three of those title runs in WWE.
His tie to Waynesboro – since there is one, I am duty-bound to note it – Foley performed a comedy set associated with a pro wrestling show put on by Top Rope Promotions at Waynesboro High School in 2013.
From the AFP archives
- WWE legend Mick Foley to bring comedy show to Waynesboro (March 27, 2013)
Hard as it is for me to believe now, I was the promoter behind that Top Rope company.
We had Mick Foley in town to tell stories from his pro wrestling career at the Louis Spilman Auditorium.
I was so busy with everything else associated with the show that I didn’t get to be there to take it in myself.
Such is the life of somebody trying to do a million things at once.
Back to our story about Foley dissociating himself from WWE: he noted in his social-media post that he had been concerned about WWE’s close relationship with Trump, a fellow WWE Hall of Famer, if you can believe that, “for several months – especially in light of his administration’s ongoing cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants (and pretty much anyone who “looks like an immigrant.”)
Trump’s beyond the pale comments about the murders of famed film director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, in which Trump blamed Rob Reiner for his own death – “Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” Trump wrote on his own socials on Monday, hours after the murders – were the “final straw” for our guy.
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It’s heartening to see Mick Foley going out on a limb to criticize WWE for its embrace of Trump, though, allow me this quibble – it would have been nice if he (and others in the wrestling business, particularly those with skin in the game) would raise issue with the blood-money relationship that WWE has with the royal family of Saudi Arabia, which initiated its massive sportswashing campaign by inking a lucrative billion-dollar 10-year deal with WWE back in 2018.
The Saudi money is on the verge of achieving the unthinkable – “Wrestlemania 43” will be held in Riyadh in 2027.
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The Saudis are buying WWE’s goodwill to cover up their horrible record on human rights, though, yeah, it’s hard for us in the US of A to be too haughty about that right now.
Anyway, it’s all related – the Saudi money, the coziness with Trump.
To be fair, I shouldn’t criticize Mick Foley here. He stands to lose out on money – maybe big money – assuming he holds to his promise to distance himself from WWE for the next three years.
The criticism should be reserved for guys like Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, who have cultivated public personas that have them wanting to appear to be outspoken on immigrant, minority and LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms.
Both are making millions working as main-event stars in the Trump- and Saudi-affiliated WWE right now.
Mick Foley is showing backbone.
It would be nice to see more WWE stars follow suit.
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