3-time WWE Champion on Vince McMahon telling him to retire aged 34
Mick Foley recently opened up about the issues that caused him to retire from WWE in-ring competition.
In 1999, Foley's physical condition deteriorated due to dozens of injuries throughout his career. He also suffered memory loss after receiving steel chair shots to the head.
The latest episode of FOLEY is POD revolved around the Hall of Famer's match against Triple H at the 2000 Royal Rumble. He recalled a conversation he had with WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon about his health issues three months before the event:
"That was a time when Vince and I had decided that I was retiring in October [1999]," Foley said. "My knees were shot and I'd been leading with my head [to receive unprotected steel chair shots] when my body slowed down, and that was having an effect. When I explained that to Vince, he said, 'You've just had your last match.'" [36:04 – 36:28]
The final straw came after Foley made some uncharacteristic errors during a tag team match alongside Al Snow against Crash Holly and Hardcore Holly. The WWE legend raised concerns after the match, prompting Vince McMahon to advise him to retire at the age of 34.
How doctors reacted to Mick Foley's WWE injuries
Although Vince McMahon wanted Mick Foley to retire in late 1999, Steve Austin's neck surgery left a void in the main-event scene. McMahon agreed to let Foley continue wrestling in early 2000 to feud with Triple H.
The three-time WWE Champion retired again after WrestleMania 2000 before making several comebacks over the next decade.
On the back of Mankind’s book, (Have A Nice Day) it showcases all of the brutal injuries Mick Foley has had https://t.co/DdrDwp9FCm
Foley added that doctors were taken aback when they assessed the state of his knees toward the end of his full-time in-ring career:
"I didn't even wear kneepads for most of my WWE run, and I was always, even in those wild brawls outside, I'm dropping to my knees, even if it's just on the floor, doing a lot of damage to the point where when I had my knees looked at by an orthopaedic surgeon, he gathered all his colleagues around to marvel at this 34-year-old man who had 80-year-old knees." [40:04 – 40:34]
On this week's podcast, Foley also reacted to reports about two major returns that could potentially happen ahead of WrestleMania 39.
What is your favorite Mick Foley moment? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit FOLEY is POD and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.