Triple H Reportedly Against WWE Utilizing Mick Foley On Television

[Chrome]

Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer was asked by a reader during his radio show (available here) why WWE has not utilized Mick Foley on television more frequently since his return to the organization last November. He said this is due to wrestler/executive Paul 'Triple H' Levesque's lobbying, who is resentful of "The Hardcore Legend."

Meltzer reports Levesque deprecates Foley whenever his name is broached in creative meetings. While Brian Gewirtz, WWE's Senior Vice President of Creative Writing, feels Foley is creative and a good performer, Levesque thinks otherwise. He says Foley 'doesn't look tough' and can't be taken seriously as an in-ring performer.

A former WWE creative writer told Power Slam in 2008 under the condition of anonymity that Levesque would disparage Foley whenever he appeared for the company, and in the process, diminished his value in the eyes of Vince and Stephanie McMahon.

"Foley is an out-of-shape nobody," Levesque was reported as saying by the writer. "No one cares about him at all. Funaki puts more asses in the seats than Foley does. He should pay us for coming on our shows."

Meltzer believes the real reason Levesque still holds Foley in contempt is because he gets irritated over the consensus of his closest co-workers that his memorable matches with Foley in 2000 'made him a star.'

Foley has criticized Levesque in the past; he took several veiled shots at 'H in his 2007 autobiography The Hardcore Diaries. He also took issue online with Levesque belittling ring announcer Lilian Garcia with a remark he felt was hurtful during an April 2010 episode of Raw. Foley acknowledged then that he may have cost himself professionally for speaking out against Levesque, but felt he had to stand by his principles.

Is he for real?!?!?!

"Funaki puts more asses in the seats than Foley does" ??????



He doesn't look tough? The man has half an ear, a ton of scars and barely any teeth. That's pretty badass if you ask me.

Triple H needs to remember that Foley made him, Edge and Orton look like main eventers, Hunter.... And I believe that a man who fell of a Hell in a Cell onto the announce table cannot only look "tought", but is indeed tough.

Undertaker I think said himself that Foley was the toughest person he wrestled. Foley took chair shots after chair shots after chair shots to the head, he fell off the cell, fell on thumbtacks, hit by barbed wire, and he put asses in seats when he beat Rock for the WWF championship. HHH is jealous that Mick Foley is respected by everyone and HHH will be known as the greedy SOB who buries people and still thinks he's in his 20s

If this is true(what Triple H said about Foley) then I just lost a HUGE amount of respect for Paul Levesque.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I do believe that it was Foley's matches with HHH that put him over most completely as an in-ring threat. Although Foley often loses and takes bumps, the type and size of bumps he took against Hunter made him look brutal and savage in the ring. The groundwork for the cerebral assassin ideology.

I think it's a bit shitty if true for Foley giving HHH that rub, when at that time Foley was probably more over than HHH, and since his end to weekly in-ring action he's done nothing but successfully put guys over like Edge, and Evolution including Orton on two separate occasions. Whether you think he looks like a tough guy or not, he's got plenty to offer to the company on and off screen as a former wrestler and one of the most innovative and original competitors of his time.

That, 'looks like a tough guy' thing is a McMahon ideology (noting his interaction with Daniel Bryan on Raw), and the sort of thing they ought to be shying away from in the future. You ought to have the opportunity to prove how tough you are by what you can do in the ring. It's the same reason why Austin Aries is so highly touted these days, and why he'd never have got a look in 10 years ago. I call it's advancement in thinking, but HHH does have that sloping brow..

 

[bigbootydaddyV]

HHH is as big a bully as McMahon is... while both are accomplished and have done a lot, neither gets the respect they think they deserve and they take it out on those they can. McMahon built an empire, but to the rest of the entertainment world he's a joke, and not trusted. He's never been able to crack into other areas as his XFL, bodybuilding, and movies have all bombed and so what does he do to feel secure, he takes it out on those beneath him like JR and others. Triple H will NEVER be in the same league as Rock and Austin and have his name in history like those guys will. In fact, I think at times Foley's name rings louder than H's and he must resent it as seen by those comments. So what does Trips do? He can't say shit to Austin or Rock so he bullies guys he can, like Foley. It's disgusting how those two are, it really is.

 

[klunderbunker]

This is absurd if true.

 

[Danger Burger]

To be fair though, focusing on the now and tomorrow, foley CANNOT compete to the level he once did! The guy can barely walk comfortabley, he has said himself he has one bump left in him and then he will die of concussionitis and no bones.

How long can he appear on TV without getting into a curfuffle, or shoutting BANG BANG and jumping off something onto his head. The guy doesnt look tough anymore, he looks unhealthy and can barely move, i dont know how much good it would do to have him put someone over at the cost of his health.

I hated triple H for maybe a year when i was young for the punishment he put foley through... How do you think others will feel about the guy that ends his career, or leaves him in a wheel chair.

As for trips attitude backstage and opinions towards mick... who knows? The intention may be wrong, but the result may not.

 

[ABMorales787]

"Funaki puts more asses in the seats than Foley does" ??????

If they're going to make up stuff couldn't they try a little harder than spinning a quote by Tony Schiavone that was totally proven wrong?

 

[Nate DaMac]

If they're going to make up stuff couldn't they try a little harder than spinning a quote by Tony Schiavone that was totally proven wrong?

That quote alone completely disproves anything else said in the article.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Triple H is such a jackass, what the fuck is he thinking, he must have a sledgehammer stuck up his;... oh, wait, what? Dave Meltzer said this on the spur of the moment without even quoting a source or a "reliable source" despite the fact Mick Foley has appeared on WWE television about six times since he left TNA and even has a book coming out which is to be promoted by WWE? Wow, must be true.

 

[Danger Burger]

Funaki's entrance music was great!! Good atmosphere, then smush... No wait, Taka, taka had great music!! Those guys were EEEEEVIL, they had me tuned into HEAT every weak, not foley! Asses in the living room seats!

 

[The Crock]

SEEMS LEGIT.

 

[Unsold Bacon]

Don 't underestimate the drawing power of Funaki!

 

[Self High 5]

If this is true - and that's a big if - then it just goes to prove what an absolute fucking jackass Triple H can be.

Sure he is a bit old, soft and past-it now. But Mick Foley is one of - if not THE - greatest storytellers, both in and out of the ring in wrestling history. Foley has proven time and time again what a creative, legitimately tough, giving, unselfish, kind-hearted son of a bitch he is. All things Mr Levesque is not. He deserves nothing but the utmost respect and admiration from the 'WWE Universe' and the wrestling world as a whole. He's done more than his share over the years. Not least his early 2000 series with Triple H. Two of the best built and executed matches in wrestling history as far as I'm concerned. Did you fucking see what risky shit Cactus went through to put Hunter over, in the twighlight of his full-time career, when he really didn't have to. Pedigree in thumb-tacks? Another drop through the cell roof? Triple H is an ingrate c*nt. (can you say that on WZ Forums?)

Triple H is a bitter old hack who got lucky and I despair that he is the future godfather of the wrestling world. While it's hard to disagree that putting Foley in any kind of wrestling match isn't a great idea, if he's on the books, for fuck's sake use him! He's still more entertaining than everyone on that shitty god forsaken roster put together. Fuck Johnny Ace. We need Commissioner Foley back. And that's... FINAL! *hits Pat Patterson's hand with a gavel*

 

[Alastor]

The way some people find new reasons to hate on HHH is astonishing.

 

[MrHashasheen]

Enough bullshit in that article to fertilize my family's farm.

 

[SD619]

I find it highly surprising that every article about HHH is always negative. It always is "HHH jealous of ..." or "HHH buried ..."

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Yes, because we should buy that Meltzer, who's clearly never, ever shown any resentment towards Triple H, is completely telling the truth because he's got that insider knowledge man. He's so cool on the internet and tings...

 

[justinsayne]

This might be one the most bullshit ridden articles I've read by Meltzer in some time. The sure lack of sources should be a clear indicator that Meltzer if full of crap.

 

[Lowdown]

Like most articles, without proper sources I take it with a grain of salt.

I'm gonna try to respond to this accusation as if it were proven true. Trips was already a star on the rise before he won his first HW title in '99. But, and I don't have the sources to this notion, supposedly at the time he wasn't really viewed as "championship" caliber by the fans and WWF bigwigs. Now between August '99 and January '00, he had lost the championship twice, with one of those losses to Vince McMahon of all people. I'm gonna veer off for a sec on this. First, it could be complete bullshit that he wasn't taken seriously as a champ, especially if he was supposed to go a run that was halted by the MSG incident. Second, for at least the beginning of the summer of '99, the was no bigger heel in WWF than Trips; he drew better heat then than Bully Ray is doing now for TNA (no knock on Bully, btw). Getting back on track, towards the end of '99 folks were already tired of Trips, including the storyline where him and Steph were running the entire company, and he got the strap back from Big Show on the first Raw of 2000. Now according to Mick himself in his "Foley Is Good" bio, he was contemplating retiring from wrestling, and advocated that he wanted to go out with his last feud against Trip, while putting him over as a credible champ in the process. This lead to the classic Street Fight at the Royal Rumble, and thereafter the HIAC match at No Way Out. And Mick went on to state that things were all good between the two of them immediately after that retirement match. You'd have to read the book for full details. But Trip got one hell of a rub because of Mick.

Now keep in mind I'm going off if the Meltzer was telling the truth in the article. I think that Mick probably wouldn't be much of a draw today if he were in a match. However, factor in his literary work, contributions to charities and politics, and to a lesser extent his stand up comedy tours, I'm sure fans of his would tune into Raw if he puts it on Twitter for his followers to read; they might tune in just to see him if they're not into wrestling. I'll go further to say that Foley might be more world renowned than Trip given that he's been around wrestling circles globally since the 80's. Now, again Trips was established to a degree when he fought Mick in 2000, but Foley put him over further as a kayfabe badass in the ring and kickstarted his popularity as being able to hang with some of the best talent on the roster. Or to sum it up, he reached Austin and Taker's level alongside the Rock. I'm not gonna say that he owes his career to Mick, but some of the elevation.

But truthfully, I think the article on the surface is bullshit. It could be true, but I doubt it. I'd like to think that being that Mick probably has his share of supporters in WWE, including guys like Taker who respects him, it wouldn't be wise of someone in Trip's position to come down on someone that can help garner more potential revenue. Keep in mind that Mick is usually golden on the mic and can put someone or a match over with just his words. If it is true, then shame on Trip. Yet the wrestling biz is dog eat dog, and sadly a lot of talent do get pissed and shitted on.

 

[JGlass]

I hope Triple H hears about this article and decides to hire Mick Foley as his legal council for his lawsuits with Lesnar and Heyman just as a "fuck you" to Meltzer.

And also because that would be awesome. Foley would come to the ring in a beaten up brown blazer with a plaid tie. He'd open up his briefcase which would be full of WWE merchandise that Triple H would pitch, and then he'd pull out Mr. Socko, who happens to have a degree in law from Columbia University, Bogota, Columbia.

 

[jmt225]

I don't know why people are doubting the article. Do they know word for word what HHH has said about Foley? Most likely not, but it's a known fact that Foley doesn't like HHH and HHH doesn't like Foley, so it's not far fetch to believe that WWE doesn't use Foley more because of HHH's disdain for him. In fact, it's the only possible explanation I can think of.

 

[Lee]

Or the fact that he can barely walk?

 

[jmt225]

Or the fact that he can barely walk?

Foley's perfectly fine.

No one expects Foley to be used as a wrestler, but he could definitely bring value to the program as a personality, especially with the injuries and suspensions as of late. WWE could use all the known names they can get.

 

[Lee]

I went to see him in November doing stand up, he was struggling to walk side to side on stage. He's not fine.

 

[ABMorales787]

I hope Triple H hears about this article and decides to hire Mick Foley as his legal council for his lawsuits with Lesnar and Heyman just as a "fuck you" to Meltzer.

And also because that would be awesome. Foley would come to the ring in a beaten up brown blazer with a plaid tie. He'd open up his briefcase which would be full of WWE merchandise that Triple H would pitch, and then he'd pull out Mr. Socko, who happens to have a degree in law from Columbia University, Bogota, Columbia.

I do believe he played a lawyer in the Eric Bischoff court skit in '05. He had a Batman lunch box with cookies inside instead of a briefcase.

 

[DANIELBRYANrealwrestler]

Mick Foley is one tough SOB and HHH putting their personal issues first just makes him look like an ass. For him to make fun of his looks is stupid because doesnt matter what u look like no1 can take the punishment that Mick took in his days. HHH wouldnt dare to get thrown off a cell or get put through a table in flames. Foley EARNED his respect to get to where he got whst did HHH do? he married the bosses daughter...