Mick Foley is one of the most beloved WWE superstars of all time, and he played a huge part in the company’s success during the Attitude Era, which remains the hottest period in pro wrestling history to this very day. However, according to Jim Ross, Vince McMahon was against signing the legendary superstar after he recommended him to the chairman.
As quoted by Sportskeeda , Ross appeared on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho and recalled the conversation he had with McMahon when he proposed bringing Foley into the company. Ross was the head of talent at the time and had some serious influence when it came to hiring talent. However, Foley was one name McMahon couldn’t get behind at first.
“I go to Vince and say, ‘I want to hire Mick Foley.’ ‘Oh no, JR, we’re not doing that. I’m gonna go along with you on most of these things, but not that one.’”
Ross then went on to discuss how he managed to convince the chairman to come around to the idea, but it wasn’t because he became a fan of Foley. According to the Hall of Famer, McMahon expected Foley to join the company and fail tremendously, which would have taught Ross a valuable lesson about the downside of the business.
“He says, ‘Okay, here’s the deal. You hire him because I want you to know what it feels like to have your heart broken by a talent that you have great belief in. Just prepare for that. It’ll be a great lesson for you to learn, so hire him.’”
Ross also recalled how WWE needed a believable performer to feud with The Undertaker at the time. Foley immediately came to mind as he had a reputation for being tough, and had proven that he excelled at playing unique characters . In the end, the acquisition proved to be a smart decision, as the rivalry between Foley and The Undertaker was one of WWE’s defining storylines of the era.
Foley ended up winning the World Championship three times during his tenure in WWE. He was also part of one of the highest-rated segments in the history of Monday Night Raw , which saw him bring back important people from The Rock’s past for a trip down memory lane.
After retiring from in-ring action, Foley went on to serve as an authority figure on WWE television, and he still makes appearances on a semi-regular basis.