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Gregg Mixdorf

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GREGG'S RANT

Mick Foley will be at WrestleMania. He will be in the main event and he will win. Why does everybody that I read today think that this is really over for Mick Foley? Why all these premature tributes? His career is not quite over.

The WWF has only been building up to this moment since the original interview segment a few years ago when Cactus Jack said it was his dream to main event at WrestleMania. Then a few months ago when Triple H fired Foley they reiterated that sentiment in another interview with Jim Ross. In this interview Foley said that the way he wanted to retire was by winning the WWF championship belt in the main event at WrestleMania and then giving his farewell retirement speech on Raw the next night.

Don't believe me yet? Consider the following. Foley never really gave a shoot like retirement speech. Sure he thanked all of his fans on Smackdown in case he didn't win but it didn't come off as a real retirement speech. Lately the WWF has been acting with a certain class towards its employees. I find it hard to believe that the whole locker room wouldn't come poring out surrounding the ring in an expression of gratitude towards this very beloved wrestler with a standing ovation from a very pumped up crowd, the type that is reserved for legends in the business. It would be an electric night, a night that people would never forget. What do we have now? A very forgettable speech to his fans one that didn't do justice to what his career has meant to the business. A man who put his body on the line night in and night out for his fans and helped to put the WWF back on top this is not a way to go out, with a loss.

This is a man who will not go out with Stephanie McMahon mocking his retirement. This is all part of the story line. The classic story line, Baby face has had the dream of winning the WWF championship in the main event at WrestleMania since high school. Heels attempt to get rid of him many times each time he manages to come back. Finally the bad guys manage to seemingly get rid of him for good at the great anger of the fans. Everybody thinks its over but the fans persist in chanting his name during matches where he should run out and save his fellow Baby face. He comes back just a week or two before WrestleMania in grand fashion; he ends up being more over than ever. Fans of the WWF rejoice at their conquering hero coming back to destroy the hated heel in the biggest show of the year. This is money.

This will be one of the greatest baby face blow off moments of all time in the big year ending and feud ending show. Mick somehow works his way back into the main event (I don't know how they will do it so don't ask), Triple H is furious and thus the feud is back on big time and the crowds are going apeshit. This is what they want. The people want Cactus in the main event, they want him to win his final match, and they want him to walk off into the sunset with the WWF title wrapped around his waste or his arm or however he wants to wear it. That is why Mick comes out of retirement, this is his dream and nothing would stop him from achieving his dream, not even his word. If his fans want it Mick will deliver and this is no exception he will deliver.

This has got the biggest buy rate ever written all over it. Vince McMahon will not screw this up. He knows what he has with this story, the best one since his feud with Austin. This is beautiful storytelling getting everyone emotionally involved. Everyone loves Mick Foley, Marks and Smarks alike. Right now everyone thinks that the dream is over for Foley. They fully believe his words that if he lost this would be his last match. Even well respected columnist Rick Scaia claims that Mick "has to much tied up in this to come out of retirement." People this is wrestling, this is a living, breathing fairy tale being written in front of our eyes. Fairy tales don't end like this, just when the dream seems to be over the hero amazingly conquers all.

Let's consider another facet of this argument. Mick Foley is the only one of the four main eventers (Austin, Michaels, Undertaker, and Foley) that helped bring back the WWF into prominence in the late 1990's to not main event at WrestleMania. Austin main evented twice, Shawn Michaels main evented three times, and the Undertaker once, Foley never. They will reward him with a main event to end his career.

You can tell me that I'm just denying the fact that Foley will never wrestle again. Trying to make myself feel better about the way he went out. I tell you that if the WWF doesn't do this they are missing a great money making chance. I also will tell you that none of the other story lines point to a main event a WrestleMania. Triple H vs. Big Show? Please, two heels do not a main event make. Rock vs. Triple H? A little bit better but these two haven't been directly feuding between each other this year. The culmination of the year ending show has to be the current overriding story line. Cactus against Triple H, Cactus Jack/Mankind has been involved with the Title reign of Triple H since Helmsley won the title the first time from Foley. Their feud is rich in great matches it is a shame to see the heel win this feud for good.

Also if you have Cactus Jack win the title at WrestleMania and then retire the next night, you can set up a hot tournament for the now vacant title. This can be the first chapter in the new book that heads towards WrestleMania XVII. The story lines that could come out of this are amazing and diverse. Especially with the in ring talent of the WWF being at an all time high.

Foley winning the main event at WrestleMania makes sense money wise and story line wise. It is what they have been building up to and they will pay off. If the WWF doesn't do this they will miss a golden opportunity. I'm almost positive they will nothing else makes sense.

Gregg Mixdorf
freelance

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