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Mick Foley recently revealed that he wants to be the referee in a dream match between Japanese deathmatch wrestling pioneer Atsushi Onita and Jon Moxley.
Onita had recently expressed his desire to wrestle Moxley in a deathmatch after being impressed by his violent clashes against Kenny Omega at Full Gear 2019 and AEW Revolution 2021.
Moxley, too, is a self-proclaimed fan of Onita, as he uses the Japanese legend's theme song "Wild Things" for his entrance as a homage to him. We don't know when, or if, the two will ever collide inside the squared circle. But it seems we already have a candidate to officiate the match.
Mick Foley recently tweeted that he would love to don the official's dress for the clash whenever it goes down. Foley also wrote that he was humbled when the Japanese media dubbed him the "American Onita" back in the day for his exploits in the deathmatch genre of wrestling.
"If an Onita vs Moxley match were to happen, I’d like to be the referee. I always felt the “American Onita” label given to me by the Japanese press and fans was a huge honor," Foley tweeted.
Mick Foley revolutionized hardcore wrestling in the '90s
One of the few hardcore wrestling specialists who has achieved major success in mainstream pro-wrestling, Foley found his footing in ECW, where he wrestled several memorable death-defying contests against other veterans. After signing with WWE, he had the opportunity to showcase his brand of wrestling to the widest section of the fanbase.
His match against The Undertaker at King of the Ring in 1998, and his series of bangers against Triple H in 2000 are still fresh in fans' memories for their sheer violence. Foley's late-career clashes against Edge, Randy Orton, and his performances in IMPACT Wrestling, are also no less influential.
Do you want to see Mick Foley become a referee for a match between Jon Moxley and Atsushi Onita? Sound off in the comments section below.
