Mick Foley on the WWE opponent he didn't want to face

Mick Foley recently recalled how he had no interest in facing Marc Mero in a WWE WrestleMania match.

Former creative team member Jim Cornette wanted Foley to face Mero at WWE's biggest show of the year. However, the three-time world champion was strongly against the idea.

On the latest episode of his podcast, Foley said he only wanted a WrestleMania spot if the match meant something:

"I do know that we talked about the fact that Corny said, 'I know, Cactus [Cactus Jack, Foley's alter-ego], it's not great. We just wanna get you a spot at WrestleMania.' I said, 'Hey, if it's between getting a spot and having a spot that's not good, I'd rather not be on the show,' and that's still the way I felt. I still feel like you get to create your own WrestleMania moments." [51:37 – 52:00]

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Foley was envious of Mero's WWE contract at the time. Both men joined the company in 1996, but Mero received more money as part of his six-figure downside guarantee.

The 2013 Hall of Famer later apologized to Mero. On reflection, he realized that the former WCW star was right to accept a good financial offer from WWE.

WWE's initial plans for Marc Mero vs. Mick Foley

In September 1996, Mick Foley unsuccessfully challenged Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship at In Your House 10: Mind Games. On the same night, Marc Mero lost a dark match against Faarooq.

Foley added that WWE's higher-ups wanted his feud with Mero to begin at the Mind Games event:

"Sable [Mero's valet] was red hot. We probably could have made it work (…) I'm going back to the September match with Shawn Michaels, which was originally slotted in as me and Marc." [51:10 – 51:29]

Foley and Mero crossed paths sporadically on WWE television between 1996 and 1998, but they never feuded in a long-term storyline.

Do you think Marc Mero vs. Mick Foley would have been an entertaining rivalry? Let us know in the comments section below.

Please credit Mick Foley's podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart