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• Updated May 20, 2026 at 9:38pm

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Mick Foley poses with fans during New York Comic Con 2022 on October 07, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ReedPop)

Former WWE icon Mick Foley has officially been announced to join AEW in a surprising new role for the Double or Nothing 2026 PPV. Fans were shocked when Foley made news about letting his WWE contract expire. Foley had no interest to return to the company due to WWE’s public association with Donald Trump as the polarizing President of the United States. Rumors circulated about Foley joining AEW for months after this came out.

AEW revealed that Foley will be joining Renee Paquette to host the Double or Nothing PPV pre-show in a broadcasting role. Foley shared the following message on social media:

“FOLEY IS ALL ELITE! I am extremely happy to be making my debut with @AEW – joining @reneepaquette on the #DoubleOrNothing pre-show. Looking forward to seeing @tonyrkhan for the first time in many years (we had lunch fifteen years ago) and meeting up with AEW’s amazing roster.”

Foley will be giving his insight into the big matches of the night, including Darby Allin vs MJF for the AEW World Championship. Comparisons between Allin and Foley have been made when looking at Allin’s shocking world title reign. Foley referenced his excitement to contribute to the show and to meet many new wrestlers on the AEW roster for the first time.

Will Mick Foley Wrestle For AEW?

A recent story featured both Foley and MJF confirming that they were in talks about having a match years ago. Foley viewed MJF as a potential realistic candidate to come back for a final retirement match to give his career some closure.

However, health concerns blocked Foley from competing and saw him deciding to give up on the plan. MJF still received a huge honor that a legend like Foley believed he was safe and good enough in the ring to lead him to an effective final match.

Foley competing in an AEW ring remains extremely unlikely due to his older age and various health concerns. AEW could convince Foley to get involved by doing damage to others in the right spot, but don’t expect the legend to wrestle any matches. Broadcasting work and his general star power are the areas where Foley will help AEW.

Why Mick Foley Joining AEW Was A No-Brainer

Foley is one of the most beloved names in the wrestling industry to many longtime fans. The incredible success of Foley in the Attitude Era saw him only behind iconic names like Steve Austin and The Rock.

Wrestling fans will appreciate AEW bringing such a familiar and beloved face back to an on-screen role. Foley has chemistry with various names on the AEW roster, like Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, and Chris Jericho from their previous WWE tenures.

WWE has benefited from having so many legends under contract and appearing whenever they want to give the fans a dose of nostalgia. Foley gives AEW an automatic live pop whenever he appears and can create entertaining talking segments with others on the roster. WWE’s loss is AEW’s gain in this case, as now Foley joins Sting among the retired legends working with AEW.