Mick Foley is reportedly nearing free agency for the first time in his post-retirement career, with All Elite Wrestling said to have genuine interest in bringing the wrestling legend into the company later this year.
According to The Takedown on SI, AEW’s interest in Foley is legitimate, although it remains unclear exactly what form a potential partnership could take.
The report noted that AEW could pursue anything from a one-off appearance to a more formal long-term ambassador or authority-style role similar to arrangements previously held by Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat.
Despite wrestling for nearly every major promotion throughout his Hall of Fame career, Foley has never appeared inside an AEW ring.
The timing is particularly interesting given AEW is currently building toward AEW Double or Nothing 2026 on May 24 in Flushing — located close to Foley’s Long Island roots.
Another Long Island native, MJF, is set to headline the show against Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship in a hair-versus-title match.
One source reportedly told The Takedown they had no direct knowledge of Foley being booked for the event but would not be surprised if AEW pushed to involve him should an agreement be reached.
Tony Khan has publicly praised Foley in the past, while Foley himself previously revealed that MJF once pitched him a six-week storyline program that nearly convinced him to come out of retirement.
MJF later confirmed those discussions during an appearance on Late Night Grin with Joe Hulbert.
“Look, he’s talked about it openly,” MJF said. “We sat down and we had a discussion of what that would look like. It was a very good talk.”
Foley ultimately declined due to concerns surrounding his physical condition following hip and knee replacement surgeries.
Foley has been operating under a WWE Legends agreement in recent years rather than a full talent contract. However, he confirmed in December that he would not renew the deal once it expires in June 2026.
The decision was reportedly tied to Foley’s objections to WWE and TKO Group Holdings maintaining business ties to Donald Trump.
Foley explained publicly that he no longer wished to represent a company connected to Trump following comments Trump made regarding actor Rob Reiner.
Foley has not wrestled since 2012 but has continued making occasional appearances for WWE over the past decade, including a run as Raw General Manager between 2016 and 2017.
His most recent WWE television appearance came in 2023 during NXT Deadline 2023, while he also recently attended The Sandman’s retirement match for Game Changer Wrestling during WrestleMania 42 week in Las Vegas.
