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Amid her battle with ALS, Rebel (Tanea Brooks) got to spend time with a couple of visitors on Friday.
New AEW signee Mick Foley shared a photo to social media saying he was having the “best” time spending the day with Rebel and Britt Baker. All three were wearing the “Rebel Heart” bracelets that AEW recently released to raise money for ALS support organizations.
“REBEL HEART!,” Foley wrote. “Having the BEST day, visiting with @rebeltanea & @realbrittbaker – who are FORCING me to watch [Love Island]….which I’m kind of addicted to now!”
Rebel announced this week that she has joined the group I Am ALS as an ambassador. It’s a patient-led organization that is looking to accelerate a cure for the fatal disease by “mobilizing collective power to drive urgent policy and systems change.”
The profits raised from AEW’s “Rebel Heart” bracelet and T-shirt sales will be donated to I Am ALS and Team Gleason, another charity that helps support those suffering from the progressive neurodegenerative disease.
The 47-year-old Rebel announced her ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) diagnosis last month after going through a long period where she was having serious health problems but doctors could not fully figure out what was wrong. She is best known to AEW fans through the partnership she once had with Baker on screen.
Baker has been off AEW television since late 2024 with no official explanation. Tony Khan has left the door open for her to return when asked about her status in media interviews, but there have not been any developments despite his comments.
The legendary Foley debuted for AEW as a broadcaster at Double or Nothing 2026 and could end up getting into the ring eventually for one final match.
An update is available regarding Mick Foley potentially wrestling again.
WrestleVotes Radio and Fightful Select reported on Thursday that, according to AEW sources, Foley “had his mind made up that he would wrestle once more” and that it would take place in AEW.
The report also noted that if Foley is cleared to wrestle, AEW president Tony Khan would be eager to book him in a match.
Foley also addressed the possibility of wrestling again during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show earlier this week.
During the interview, Foley noted that if he were to have another match, he would need to avoid anything that could potentially lead to a head injury.
Foley said:
“I think that clearly if I had a match, it would have to be a match that would avoid trauma to the head. Luckily, there’s a whole lot of me to traumatize below the neck. So I think I have one last good match in me. I just believe — all the stars would have to align. All the stars would have to align. It would have to make sense.”
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Since being acquired by Endeavor and put under the TKO umbrella, Mick Foley feels WWE has lost some of the magic it once had.
Foley appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show yesterday to discuss the news that he has signed with AEW. Though Foley loves WWE and is not going to disparage them, Foley said one thing that stands out between the two companies is the feeling of love that goes into the AEW product due to it not having corporate ownership. Foley said he once took a break from watching wrestling for a couple of years and, when he came back, gravitated more toward the AEW product than what was happening in WWE.
As a huge theme park fan, Foley said he’s seen some establishments go from being family run to corporately owned. The parks might get more money put into them and some nicer rides when that happens, but the feeling of magic that once existed is reduced. Foley believes the same is true for WWE.
“What I feel from watching the two shows is that AEW has that little bit of magic, and WWE has kind of lost it,” he said. “I think when you’re part of a corporation, and the bottom line is everything, you take away from your midcard by making it clear that what you’re selling is more important than the product in the ring.”
Foley said younger fans will often come up to him and want to talk about his matches, even though they weren’t even born when the bouts happened. He wonders if older WWE matches resonate more with fans because the broadcast was more focused on what was going on in the ring instead of treating matches as a means to an end.
“Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were locked in on the matches. There weren’t so many things they had to go to that would take people out of that suspension of disbelief,” Foley said. “That’s just a theory on my part, but I think 10-20 years down the line, the matches that JR called, whether it was with The King or whether it was with Jim Cornette in WCW, they’ll stand the test of time, I think, better than the current matches in WWE because it seems like the matches are a means to an end instead of something to be enjoyed for themselves.
“So I just feel like at this point, AEW has — the personal ownership shows, and a love and a feeling of magic, that I don’t think the corporate ownership of WWE displays nearly as well.”
The 60-year-old Foley made the decision not to renew his WWE Legends contract due to the “close relationship” he feels the company has with President Donald Trump. In AEW, Foley is open to a variety of roles including broadcasting and helping to promote the product through media appearances. He could see himself becoming a manager and isn’t even ruling out the idea of getting back into the ring for one more match.
The midcard scene is one area where Foley believes AEW really thrives, and he thinks he could help out some of those wrestlers if he served as their manager.
WWE Hall of Famer and new AEW on-screen personality Mick Foley recently discussed his history in hardcore wrestling. Speaking on Something To Wrestle With, Foley recalled the time that he made Sabu ‘cry’ from a chairshot.
“I’ve seen Sabu get what would have been 100 stitches for anyone else [during matches]. But he’s super glus it, and instead of stopping the match, he just comes back out. It’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen, his genie pants are torn to shreds.
“But I remember hitting him [with a chair], and Sabu had tears coming down his eyes. And he goes, ‘am I bleeding? Am I bleeding?’ He did a moonsault and overshot me, he just flew over my head and impaled himself in the guardrail. And he was just going, ‘give me time, give me time, give me time.’ And then he came back [like nothing happened]. So we’re talking about a tough dude…and I kind of brought him to tears.“
Foley didn’t confirm which match this happened in, but it was likely in ECW.
Foley and Sabu have 7 official matches against each other listed on Cagematch, and they are as follows:
| # | Date | Promotion | Match fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.09.1997 | Terry Funk’s WrestleFest | Mankind vs. Sabu |
| 2 | 29.12.1995 | ECW | Cactus Jack vs. Sabu |
| 3 | 21.10.1995 | AAA | Cactus Jack, Psicosis & Sabu vs. Rey Misterio Jr., Super Calo & Winners |
| 4 | 13.01.1995 | National Wrestling Conference | Cactus Jack vs. Sabu |
| 5 | 29.10.1994 | National Wrestling Conference | Cactus Jack vs. Sabu |
| 6 | 30.09.1994 | ECW | Cactus Jack vs. Sabu |
| 7 | 24.06.1994 | ECW | Cactus Jack vs. Sabu |
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Mick Foley isn’t closing the door on the idea of having one last match, but it would have to be the perfect scenario where all of the stars align.
The 60-year-old Foley appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show today to discuss the news that he has signed with AEW. He debuted as a broadcaster at Double or Nothing and views himself as a “Swiss army knife” who can help in a variety of ways. Foley could see himself as a manager — and he has even thought about the possibility of wrestling one more time.
“It’s definitely crossed my mind. You know, the cinematic matches have opened up the door for guys whose cardio may be suspect,” he joked. “But I’ll tell you what, this loss of 100 pounds has made my life so much easier. Like, I used to have to stop a couple times just walking up a moderate hill. And now I don’t even realize I’m walking up hills when I do them because I’m not really getting winded, not like I used to.
“I don’t know. I think that clearly if I had a match, it would have to be a match that would avoid trauma to the head. Luckily, there’s a whole lot of me to traumatize below the neck. So I think I have one last good match in me. I just believe — all the stars would have to align. All the stars would have to align. It would have to make sense.”
Along with losing 100 pounds, Foley has undergone hip and knee replacements that have greatly improved his quality of life. He does not want to do anything that would risk that. If he does wrestle again, he would need to come up with enough moves to have a good match without putting his health in too much jeopardy.
“If I can come up with enough of those type of moves that allow me to risk a little bit less while still giving fans a good match, and if I feel like I’m up to it, then maybe a couple of years down the road we will look into that,” Foley said. “Stranger things have happened.”
Back in 2024, Foley started the process of coming out of retirement for one last match in celebration of his 60th birthday in 2025. But he suffered a concussion while doing light training and quickly called off those plans.
AEW World Champion MJF was in strong consideration to be Foley’s opponent when he was planning that comeback. At Double or Nothing, while hosting the pre-show, there was an angle where Foley took a low blow from MJF. That would make sense as the matchup if Foley does wrestle for AEW, though his comments on The Ariel Helwani Show made it seem like an in-ring return is more of a possibility down the line rather than something that is particularly imminent.
Tony Khan has said that, if Foley does feel physically up to wrestling, he would love for Foley’s last match to be in AEW.
Mick Foley made the decision to cut ties with WWE so he could feel comfortable when looking at himself in the mirror.
Back in December 2025, Foley announced that he would not be renewing his WWE Legends contract when it expires this summer. He cited WWE’s “close relationship” with President Donald Trump as the reason and said Trump’s “incredibly cruel” comments about the death of director Rob Reiner (a frequent Trump critic) were the final straw.
Foley has now signed with AEW — and the 60-year-old Hardcore Legend appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show today to discuss that news. He also went into more detail about his WWE departure, saying he would have felt complicit in his silence if he continued representing WWE while Trump is in office.
“I just think WWE had a very cozy relationship where there was definitely the illusion of a relationship there — the perception, rather,” Foley said. “I think when five different people are posing in the Oval Office and they’ve all received Stone Cold Stunners, that’s a little cozy. And I felt like even though I wasn’t technically employed by the company, but because I had a Legends deal, because my name’s been associated with WWE for over 30 years, that I was complicit in my silence.
“And so I did speak up. I reached out to the head of talent relations, who I consider a friend, who I still write handwritten letters from Santa to every year… Basically, I give up the Legends deal. It runs out at the end of this month. I realized that by giving up two really easy, very high paying jobs at WrestleMania week for WWE that I had to work 24 hours on my own to make what I could’ve in six, and I’m okay with that.
“So I’m good with my decision. Everyone I think has to make a decision that’s right for them. And in my case, I just didn’t want to be in a position where my grandchildren are asking what their grandfather was doing when things were really, you know, tough. And I want my children to be able to say, ‘This is what grandpa did.’ So I made the move that I thought was right for me. I love that company. I’m not going to disparage them, but it didn’t seem like a good fit. Didn’t seem like a fit that would allow me to look at myself in the mirror before I went to bed.”
Foley said the head of talent relations told him that he respected his decision and would inform the people in charge. Though Foley did not hear from Paul “Triple H” Levesque or any members of the McMahon family, he did speak with an unnamed higher-up in WWE who tried to tell him that Levesque is only a member of Trump’s fitness council and that Linda McMahon, though a member of Trump’s cabinet, is not part of WWE. Foley did not fully agree with that, and he and the person he spoke with ended their conversation on respectful terms.
“I didn’t close the door forever,” Foley said. “I said in my announcement, you know, as long as [Trump’s] in office.”
Foley said he’s always been friends with independents and conservatives whose politics aren’t as progressive as his own. He believes it’s important to have two strong political parties in the United States, but Foley feels Trump is a different type of person who has acted in ways that are cruel and selfish.
Mick Foley opens up about his decision to distance himself from WWE due to their association with President Trump:
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 2, 2026
"I felt that because I had a Legends deal, and because my name's been associated with WWE for over 30 years, that I was complicit in my silence.
I realized that by… pic.twitter.com/8tYRwon79s
In the Helwani interview, Foley said he first met AEW boss Tony Khan 15 years ago and had a really good lunch with him long before Khan ever got into pro wrestling. Foley took a break from watching wrestling for a couple of years but then became a fan of AEW and would direct message with Khan some. But talks about Foley signing with the promotion didn’t start until months after he announced his decision to cut ties with WWE. The “nostalgia world” of conventions and one-man shows has been very kind to Foley financially, so that had been his focus.
Foley views himself as a “Swiss army knife” in AEW who can work as a broadcaster, help with publicity, and maybe even serve as a manager. He is not ruling out the possibility of having one last match in AEW but says the stars would have to align perfectly.
Mick Foley is excited to join an environment in AEW where everyone is encouraged to take risks and swing for the fences.
In a video posted to his social media accounts on Monday, Foley reflected on now being more than a week removed from his AEW debut at Double or Nothing. Foley thanked everyone who made it a special night, including the fans who gave him more than just a nostalgia pop. To Foley, the reception felt like fans truly believe he can make a difference in AEW.
The 60-year-old hardcore wrestling icon, who chose not to renew his WWE Legends contract due to political differences, expressed how grateful he is for every opportunity WWE has given him. He then looked toward the future by sharing why he thinks Tony Khan is such a unique boss.
“In no way am I here to throw stones at WWE. I love the company, I always will. I will always be deeply appreciative for every opportunity they afforded me,” Foley said. “But there’s something unique about seeing the owner of the company just so obviously happy and excited. Mr. McMahon had a different way of doing things, but it wasn’t with that type of joy [laughs].”
Foley said AEW feels like WWE felt in the Attitude Era — everyone is pulling for each other and knows that failure is inevitably going to happen sometimes when you’re trying to hit a home run.
“It just 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,” he said. “I’ve seen so many people over the years almost petrified to walk through that curtain because they didn’t know whether they would get the thumbs up or the thumbs down, figuratively speaking. Tony’s excited. Tony loves what he’s doing. He’s happy to be there, and I think that type of enthusiasm makes me feel enthusiastic.”
At Double or Nothing, Foley co-hosted the preshow alongside Renee Paquette. He has officially signed an AEW deal for that broadcasting role but considers himself a “Swiss army knife” who can help in a variety of ways.
“I consider myself a Swiss army knife, and I can be used in a lot of different ways,” he said. “I’m excited about the future. And I’m excited about wrestling in a way that I haven’t been in a few years. And I want to thank AEW fans and the AEW product for helping me fall in love with wrestling all over again.”
It remains to be seen how physically involved Foley will get in AEW. He did take part in an angle at Double or Nothing where MJF gave him a low blow.
Mick Foley is All Elite, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be making an appearance on Dynamite this week.
PWInsider reports that, due to a “pre-existing responsibility” from before he signed with AEW, Foley is not scheduled to be at this Wednesday’s Dynamite/Collision episode in Philadelphia. The show is being held at The Liacouras Center and will feature the fallout from Double or Nothing.
“We are told he will be around regularly,” PWInsider wrote about Foley’s status. “I am told he won’t be in Philly this week as he has a pre-existing responsibility that was locked in before he signed but the impression I have been given is that he’ll be a regular part of AEW programming.”
Foley made his AEW debut on Sunday as co-host of the Double or Nothing pre-show. At the end of the pre-show broadcast, Foley took part in an angle where he was given a low blow by MJF, who went on to win the AEW World Championship from Darby Allin later in the night.
After Double or Nothing, Foley made a social media post expressing how happy is to be part of AEW.
It remains to be seen how physically involved Foley will get, though Tony Khan would welcome Foley wrestling in AEW if the 60-year-old Hardcore Legend does decide to compete again. Foley had been planning one final match for his 60th birthday but called off those plans a couple years back when he suffered a concussion while doing light training.
While announcing July’s Redemption pay-per-view for Montreal, Tony Khan said it’s likely that Foley will also be handling hosting duties for that event. As of now, Foley does have a convention in Raleigh, North Carolina listed for that July 26 date.
“There’s a good chance Mick could come. He’s doing a lot of the AEW events, and I’m sure he’s going to want to be there,” Khan said. “I can’t say 100 percent for certain, but I think there’s a very high likelihood that Mick will be attending and hosting the event in Montreal.”
Wrestling hardcore legend Mick Foley made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing, and had nothing but words of appreciation for the promotion following the event.
He took to Instagram to express gratitude for being involved with AEW and contributing to what he described as an ‘amazing’ night of wrestling .
“ALL ELITE I am so genuinely happy to be part of @AEW, and to have contributed in a small way to such an amazing night of wrestling.”
Foley co-hosted Zero Hour with Renee Paquette, focusing on coverage leading into the pay-per-view. He addressed the AEW World Championship match set to main event the program, offering words of advice before tensions escalated.
MJF interrupted the hardcore legend during his comments about the AEW World Championship match. He eventually struck Foley with a low blow. Allin then rushed out to make the save.
Later, in the post show media scrum, AEW President Tony Khan discussed the vision he had in mind for Foley and Paquette’s roles on the promotion.
Tony Khan addressed QT Marshall’s status following AEW Double or Nothing. He also talked extensively about Mick Foley’s future contributions to the promotion.
In the post show media scrum, Khan discussed Foley’s addition to the AEW roster and stated that Marshall was ‘going to be okay’ after the fall during the pay-per-view.
“It was great to have Mick Foley come into AEW and be a part of the show now hosting with Renee, somebody who’s a true icon of wrestling and certainly in Philadelphia, one of the great icons of wrestling. Thank you for asking. QT’s gonna be okay. Thanks for asking.”
Khan elaborated on Foley’s presence and plans to pair up with Renee Paquette in terms of duties and responsibilities in AEW.
“Well, let me tell you, Renee, something I take pride in is pairing up great pairs, whether it’s Sting and Darby (Allin) or so many other great ones along the way. And I think a great team is going to be you and Mick. Yeah. And I’m really excited about it. You got off to a great start hosting the show tonight with Mick and I’m excited that you’re both going to be here doing it for a long time to come. Obviously he got into a bit of an altercation before the show started, but all in all, I think it was one of the best nights in the history of the company.”
In the Double or Nothing pre-show, Marshall teamed up with ‘Big Boom’ AJ and The Conglomeration against Shane Taylor Promotions. During the match, he slipped off the top rope amidst the tower of doom spot. He had a scary landing outside the ring and had to be assisted backstage.
On the other hand, Foley officially signed with AEW. The announcement was made shortly before the PPV. He also confronted MJF and Darby Allin at the beginning of the event. He hyped Allin ahead of his AEW World Championship match.
Mick Foley is officially All Elite.
As the multiple time world champion joined Renee Paquette in the ring as part of the AEW Double or Nothing pre-show, Tony Khan announced that Foley had officially joined the promotion.
“He’s co-hosting The Buy In at AEW Double or Nothing tonight, and now it’s official: the legendary Mick Foley is ALL ELITE!!,” he wrote.
After making his entrance, Foley said that being at Double or Nothing was one of the biggest nights of his life, as AEW is the reason he fell in love with pro wrestling again. He said he considered Tony Khan a friend and is glad to be part of the family.
Towards the end of the Zero Hour pre-show, MJF interrupted Foley has he was sharing his predicton for the main event. The two exchanged words until MJF gave Foley a low blow. Darby Allin came out for the save but MJF fled before anything more could take place. Foley recovered enough to give Allin a pep speech, asking him to win tonight for the weird kids.
Foley’s AEW debut was announced earlier this week after reports surfaced that the company was interested in bringing him in.
Last year, Foley made headlines when he chose to cut ties with WWE, declaring he would not be renewing his Legends contract due to the company’s ties with President Donald Trump. He called Trump’s comments regarding director Rob Reiner’s death “incredibly cruel.”
With Mick Foley joining the pre-show broadcast team for this Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing comes questions as to what other tasks AEW head Tony Khan has in store for the former Cactus Jack in the future.
Foley will be partnered up with Renee Paquette this Sunday during the Buy In which Khan said Foley thought was a great idea.
Khan was asked during Thursday’s traditional pre-PPV media call (available below) about if Foley will wrestle in AEW, something that will cause concern with some given Foley’s medical history and past comments about his attempts to perhaps do one more match.
“I can’t speak for Mick Foley as to whether he’d want to wrestle or if he’s going to wrestle anytime soon but if he ever does, I would love for him to do it in AEW. But I also don’t want to put him in a situation in which he’ll be uncomfortable. I want him to feel good about this and I know he’s taken so many big hits and had such an amazing career with so many spectacular moments. Physically, I would ever only ask him to wrestle if he felt up to it and that he could live up to the physical demand,” Khan said.
Khan was later asked if Foley is strictly under a deal for broadcasting. Khan didn’t give an specific answer, but said Foley “is a brilliant wrestling mind” and will be at all the pay-per-views and some TVs as well. He said Foley also could be a brand ambassador and that he could be influential to the AEW roster in a variety of ways. He said Foley will work with the wrestlers and will have ideas on the show, contributing in a lot of ways.
Foley parted ways with WWE last December due to TKO’s relationship with U.S. president Donald Trump. The WWE Hall of Famer has been on a health journey, losing over 100 pounds which has given him a “new lease on life.”
Mick Foley is looking forward to reconnecting with Tony Khan for the first time in more than a decade.
This afternoon, it was announced that Foley will make his AEW debut at Double or Nothing as one of the co-hosts for the event’s Buy In pre-show. Foley sent out a brief social media post reacting to the announcement and said he’s “extremely happy” to be making this appearance. He praised AEW’s roster and said he’s looking forward to meeting up with them, his co-host Renee Paquette, and Khan on Sunday.
“FOLEY IS ALL ELITE!,” the Hardcore Legend wrote on Facebook and Instagram.
“I am extremely happy to be making my debut with @aew – joining @reneepaquette on the #DoubleOrNothing pre-show. Looking forward to seeing @tonyrkhan for the first time in many years (we had lunch fifteen years ago) and meeting up with AEW’s amazing roster.”
There has been no confirmation as to whether this is a one-off appearance or if Foley is signing a contract with AEW. When revealing the news, Khan referred to Sunday as being Foley’s “first night” in the promotion. The 60-year-old Foley is still under a WWE Legends contract until next month.
The Buy In portion of Sunday’s event begins at 7 p.m. Eastern time and will air for free on AEW’s social media channels, in addition to platforms that are carrying the pay-per-view. No matches have been announced for The Buy In yet, but that will likely change on Dynamite/Collision tonight.
Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York is hosting Double or Nothing. The card is headlined by a hair vs. title match with MJF challenging AEW World Champion Darby Allin. It remains to be seen if Foley will appear during the main card, but MJF hasn’t been shy about playing up issues with him.
…….great. https://t.co/mgqIosHiwL
— Maxwell Jacob Friedman™️ (@The_MJF) May 20, 2026
