When news broke that Mick Foley was looking to get back into ring shape for one final match to celebrate his 60th birthday in June of 2025, it turned heads around the professional wrestling business.
Now sure, Foley has never been known for pulling off athletic feats that dazzle fans with death-defying feats, with the former Cactus Jack opting to instead get his business done with barbed wire bats in hardcore bloodbaths. Still, after spending the last 12 years on the shelf, with his final official match taking place at the Royal Rumble in 2012, would he really be able to get it done in the ring as a sexagenarian?
Discussing his desire to get in the ring once more and the rationale behind it in an interview with Casey Hopkins, Foley explained how his health goals have always been wrestling-bassed, so why not continue that trend into his 60s?
“One day, when I was really struggling, I realized that what used to be the best motivation for me was another match. I always got in shape with the goal of having another match, another match, another match. Fast forward, my wrestling days are over. I’ve spent, with two small occasions, since 1999, well over 300 pounds. I got down on three different occasions below 300 and then as I saw my weight really get away from me, I thought, maybe I need that same kind of motivation and along the way I can appreciate the lifestyle changes, eating differences, exercise,” Mick Foley explained to Casey Hopkins via WrestleTalk.
“There is no reason for somebody, at my age and weight, to not be exercising for three straight years. It’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing when you’re asked in the airport if you need a wheelchair. It’s embarrassing to be the guy who is bigger than the chair on the airline. It’s something of a paradox that by competing in a Death match, I will have a much better life. That day, or night, is going to be tough. It’s going to be tough, but the lessons I learn leading up to that match are lessons I intend to carry forward for the rest of my life. To me, it’s the difference between being a grandfather someday, or can crawl on the ground and play with their grandchildren or a grandfather who sits and watches from the sidelines. I don’t want to be that guy sitting on the sidelines. I know having a wild match involving barbed wire and thumbtacks… we’re going to bring in a bed of nails. These are going to be tools of life for dad.”
Alright, all things considered, a pretty good thought process indeed, as this is much more about Foley getting in shape to spend time with his family than any pursuit of grandure. Still, considering there is a match at the end of the tunnel, what does Dude Love hope to accomplish with the match? Well, Hopkins asked Foley that question too and his answer was equally facinating.
Mick Foley hopes to find peace in violence.
Asked by Casey Hopkins about what he hopes to earn or learn from this final Deathmatch, Mick Foley noted that he simply wants the catharsis of one last match, as there's something oddly peaceful about working such a violent style.
“Catharsis. I'm just looking for catharsis. In Japan, the fans are described as being oddly peaceful when they would leave because they had seen something. When it's done right, it can be a work of abstract art,” Mick Foley explained. “Some people will just see human beings putting each other into terribly inhuman situations while others will see two human begins working together to create surreal art. I'm hoping when it's done there will be a sense of peace among the fans and a sense of inner peace for myself, even as my wounds stick to the sheets that night and for a few nights. I'm pretty sure I'm going to come out of that situation in worse shape than I was, but I believe I will pick up habits that are going to lead to a longer, better life.”
While some fans may quibble with the concept of Deathmatches being “abstract art,” as there's a reason why WWE and even AEW – on television at least – rarely resort to the sort of violence that will likely take place in Foley's final ‘Bye Bye,” if he does get his wish and earn a chance to mix it up with someone like John Moxley or Matt Cardona in the ring, it's safe to say the match will be a masterpiece de la Foley, as few performers have ever done it better and few performers have a better mind for the match type to this day.
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