The Way Mick Foley Described AEW’s Backstage Environment After One Night There Should Make WWE Pay Attention

Mick Foley has praised AEW boss Tony Khan and officially said goodbye to WWE after making his AEW debut at Double or Nothing, comparing the current locker room energy to the Attitude Era while drawing a pointed contrast with how Vince McMahon ran the company.

Speaking in a post on social media following the event, Foley was effusive about what he found backstage.

“There is nothing wrong with getting a nostalgia pop. I’ve received plenty of those and they feel good, but the reaction I received in New York was different. It was a reaction of, ‘We’re glad you’re here,’ and that I could still make a difference. In no way am I here to throw stones at WWE. I love the company, always will. I will always be deeply appreciative of every opportunity they afforded me, but there is something unique about seeing the owner of the company just so obviously happy and excited.”

He elaborated on what sets Khan’s approach apart from McMahon’s.

“Mr. McMahon had a different way of doing things, but it wasn’t with that type of joy. It seems like, to me, the AEW wrestlers are out there and they are playing to win because it is understood that failure is part of the process. I’ve seen so many people over the years, almost petrified to walk through the curtain because they didn’t know if they’d get the thumbs up or thumbs down. Tony is excited and loves what he’s doing. The energy backstage reminds me of the way WWE felt during the Attitude Era where we were all actively pulling for each other, but we also understood that striking out was part of the process of hitting monumental home runs.”

Foley is expected to appear at all AEW pay-per-views and several television shows going forward, per Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Fightful Select. Tony Khan has said there is a high likelihood Foley hosts AEW Redemption in July. Foley declined to renew his WWE Legends deal last December over WWE’s association with the Trump administration.