"I forgive him" - Mick Foley's former tag team partner says the WWE legend broke his heart
Maxx Payne would like to work with Mick Foley again, 28 years after their last match together as a tag team in WCW.
The two men performed as tag team partners between November 1993 and April 1994 before Foley began teaming up with Kevin Sullivan. Foley and Payne’s five-month alliance is best remembered for their hard-hitting matches against The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags).
In a recent interview on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast, Payne said Mick Foley’s decision to end their tag team “broke [his] heart.” He added that he is open to appearing alongside the WWE Hall of Famer at one of his stand-up shows or autograph signings:
“I f***ing love Mick. I adore Mick with all my heart," said Payne. "It was Mick that decided he didn’t wanna work with me anymore. I’ve told that story, I’m not gonna tell it a bunch. Mick kind of broke my heart, but I still love him. I forgive him. I have no qualms with him and, to be quite honest with you, I would love to do an event or two with him. I would be just out of my mind.” [1:28:33-1:29:00]
Foley and Payne’s last match together ended in defeat against The Nasty Boys in a Chicago Street Fight at WCW Spring Stampede 1994.
Maxx Payne reflects on Mick Foley changing his tag team partner
This double-team cannonball by Maxx Payne & Cactus Jack was so cool. https://t.co/ZZ1ZN8kZZO
Mick Foley won the WCW World Tag Team Championship with Kevin Sullivan just one month after his partnership with Maxx Payne ended.
Payne, later known in WWE as Man Mountain Rock, was not made aware of the tag team’s demise until shortly before a WCW event:
“If I remember right, I think I got told the night of the show I wasn’t working that night. I think he told me, ‘Kevin’s coming out, you’re gonna come out and smash a guitar over Sags’ head.’ ‘What?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna switch partners and go with Kevin.’ I’m like, ‘What did they do?’ I never found out until years later when Mick called me and explained it,” added Payne. [1:31:08-1:31:37]
The former WCW star also dismissed suggestions that he was to blame for Brian Knobbs suffering a shoulder injury during a tag team match. According to Payne, Knobbs was a reckless in-ring performer who regularly hurt his opponents.
Please credit the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use quotes from this article.