Jim Ross says Vince McMahon had no issues with WWE star no-showing RAW
Former WWE executive Jim Ross recently revealed that Vince McMahon had no issues with Mick Foley walking out on the company in 1997.
In the main event of Survivor Series 1997, Bret Hart believed he was going to retain his WWE Championship against long-term rival Shawn Michaels. Vince McMahon feared that Hart could appear with the title in WCW, so he booked Michaels as the winner without informing The Hitman.
Ross recalled on his Grilling JR podcast that Foley no-showed the post-Survivor Series episode of RAW due to the way Hart had been treated. He added that Vince McMahon did not have a problem with the legendary superstar failing to show up for work.
“Vince had no issues with it whatsoever,” Ross said. “Vince said, ‘If others want to go, JR, there’s no harm, no foul. If they want to go home and sort through this stuff, whatever, let them. We’ll have TV with whomever’s here. We can make that happen.’ Because Vince had the most powerful weapon in all of pro wrestling: the old eraser. Somebody goes up, somebody goes out, they’re not available, put somebody else in the game.”
Mick Foley only missed one episode of RAW following Survivor Series 1997. Two days after the pay-per-view, he competed in a match against The Rock (then known as Rocky Maivia) at a RAW television taping.
Vince McMahon welcomed Mick Foley’s return to work
Some WWE Superstars have received punishments for no-showing events in the past. Steve Austin, for example, was hit with a $650,000 fine (later reduced to $250,000) for walking out on WWE for several months in 2002.
Given the circumstances of Mick Foley’s walkout and quick return, Vince McMahon did not punish the three-time WWE Champion in any way.
Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.