Darby Allin is not trying to fight Mick Foley, even if Foley already called him a dream opponent. The AEW star made it clear that facing Foley one-on-one just does not interest him, but teaming with the hardcore legend is a completely different story.
While speaking to The Takedown on SI, Allin shut down the idea of wrestling against Foley. He said he has too much respect for him to turn a possible comeback into a singles match, especially when so many people already question whether Foley should step back inside the ring at all.
“I would never wrestle Mick. I would never wrestle against Mick.”
That does not mean Allin wants nothing to do with Foley in AEW. He said he would gladly stand beside him, comparing the situation to his legendary run with Sting, where the two became one of AEW’s most unlikely success stories and even won the AEW World Tag Team Titles.
“Would I team with him? Absolutely. I would team with him in a heartbeat. Just like I would never wrestle Sting. I would love to team with him. But that’s the thing for Mick to answer. What does he feel in his career that, if he would even need that, if there’s any questions unanswered?”
Allin also brought up Sting’s late-career redemption arc, saying Sting came to AEW with unfinished business after his career did not end on his own terms. Now he wonders whether Foley feels the same way, or whether there is really anything left for him to prove.
“I know for Sting, all those years ago, there were many questions unanswered about how his career ended and how it wasn’t on his own terms. Does Mick still have those questions as Sting did? That remains to be seen.”
As for why Allin is not interested in a singles match, he said the payoff just is not there for him. In his mind, there is more value in helping Foley than trying to beat him, especially at this stage of Foley’s life and career.
“I don’t feel like I’d get out of it what we want, I feel like there’s a lot more meat on the bone with me teaming with him. I just don’t think I’d get out of it what I would think I would.”
Allin then made his stance even clearer. If Foley does return, Darby wants to protect the moment, not turn it into something that feels uncomfortable or forced.
“I wouldn’t want to go out there and have that with somebody like Mick that a lot of people are saying he doesn’t need to be in the ring. If he’s gonna be in the ring, I wanna do everything to help him, like, by his side. It’s just not something that interests me.”
This comes after Foley recently admitted he has at least thought about one more match. While speaking with Going Ringside, Foley said the stars would have to align, and he would need to be in good enough shape to give fans something worth watching.
“I had this great 30-minute conversation with Ariel Helwani and he asked me about the possibility of one more match. You never know. I did say if the stars were aligned, but we have to see how the stars align. And I’d have to be in really good shape and feel like I could have a match that wouldn’t disappoint people.”
Foley also named Darby as someone he had already pointed to as a dream opponent, which is why Allin’s response matters here.
“Hey, you know, I pointed out to Darby that I am on record of saying he would be a dream opponent. So, you never know. You never know what the future may bring.”
Still, Foley knows he is not exactly ready to roll tomorrow. He admitted his conditioning remains a major hurdle before any comeback talk gets serious.
“I’m down a lot of weight, but my cardio is suspect at best, and I’d still have to lose another 30 lbs just to hit poor conditions. So, we’ll see if there’s some changes in the next year.”
So there it is. Foley may be open to one more wild ride, but Darby Allin is drawing a hard line at being his opponent. If Foley does show up in AEW for something physical, Darby would rather be the guy standing next to him than the guy trying to put him through another war.
What do you think about Darby Allin refusing to wrestle Mick Foley but offering to team with him instead? Would a Foley and Darby tag match work in AEW? Let us know in the comments below.
