10 Wrestlers Who Retired Too Young-8

8. Mick Foley

Now, to be totally honest, Mick Foley probably retired from in-ring competition at the right time. His injury list is legendary and his knees are in such bad condition that just the thought of having to walk down stairs is a terrifying experience for him. Anyone who’s seen Foley’s “smash my knees violently into the ring steps before launching my body over them” spot won’t find that hard to imagine.

Outside of the ring though, Mick left far too young. He was always so much fun in the authority roles. His initial run as “Commissioner” in 2000 was joyous, made famous by his run-ins with Edge & Christian or Kurt Angle and his make-shift offices. Choosing to play the role with heart instead of appearing macho was a masterstroke; put simply, nobody plays the authority figure quite like Mick Foley. He was even great as the General Manager of Saturday Morning Slam last year.

Now however, a dispute about royalties and the benefits of signing a “legends deal” has seen Foley sever ties with WWE completely. Even though this was an amicable split, it’s still too early and a real shame. Foley’s acting ability and his gift for selling a story can be useful in so many ways. Just recently a legends panel comprised of Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair fumbled their way through the story on Raw, unable to really get any kind of point across regarding John Cena’s rematch against Brock Lesnar. Even in a role as limited as this, Mick Foley’s presence would have definitely been felt.