"You've just had your last match" – Vince McMahon's reaction to major star suffering from memory loss
Mick Foley recently revealed that Vince McMahon told him to end his career after informing the boss about his apparent memory loss.
The first episode of Foley is Pod revolved around the Hall of Famer's run during the tail end of the Attitude Era. Foley recalled a match where he teamed up with Al Snow to face Crash and Hardcore Holly on SmackDown in 1999.
The former WWE Champion experienced a few forgettable moments during the match and decided to speak to Vince McMahon backstage after the bout. Mick Foley was candid with Vince McMahon and said he couldn't even remember where he lived due to the innumerable bumps he'd taken over the years.
The former WWE Champion wanted to retire, and as expected, Vince McMahon, too, was concerned about his talent's well-being:
"I talked to Vince; I was so embarrassed that night," revealed Foley. "I said, 'Vince, I think I've got to hang up the boots.' (...) I said, 'Vince, I can't remember where I live anymore.' He was like, 'What's that?' I said, 'I drive past my house, and I can't remember things, and he said, 'You've just had your last match.'" (from 35:16 to 35:41)
Despite his desire to hang up his wrestling boots, Mick Foley continued to wrestle for WWE for a few more months. He was involved in an epic storyline with Triple H before taking a break from in-ring action in 2000.
Suggested: Mick Foley as Mankind was involved in one of the most brutal matches in the history of WWE:
It was more important to him that I be healthy: Mick Foley on Vince McMahon's response
The WWE Chairman has a reputation for being a rather unforgiving wrestling promoter. Foley said that while there are "elements" to the notion, he stressed that Vince McMahon has always prioritized a wrestler's health.
The hardcore legend stated that McMahon wasn't just focused on making more money for WWE. The 76-year-old veteran also ensured that "his guys" were safe, as Foley briefly explained below:
"When people talk about Vince being selfish and grinding people too hard, I counter with, 'okay, maybe there are elements to that,'" Foley continued. "But when push came to shove, and he heard one of his guys was having trouble with memory, it was more important to him that I be healthy than I continue to make money for the company." (from 35:42 to 36:00)
Foley also made an interesting revelation about his feud with The Undertaker on the debut episode of his AdFreeShows podcast. You can read more on that here.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit Foley is Pod and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.