Mick Foley sees his influence in an AEW star, but with a “whole lot of athleticism.”
Due to his hardcore style and ability to absorb more punishment than many could imagine, Darby Allin has earned comparisons to Mick Foley. Allin has made no secret of being inspired by Foley’s career, although the Hardcore Legend admits he didn’t realise that was the case.
Speaking to The Sportster, Foley said he told Allin he had “no idea” how much of an influence he had been, only for the former AEW World Champion to ask, “how could you not know?” He went on to explain that on his first night in the company, he saw Allin as a quiet kid, and it was Jon Moxley who told him how talented Allin is.
“So, I mentioned on my first night in AEW that I remember him being the quiet kid who didn’t speak up much, and then it was only Jon Moxley saying ‘You have to see this kid. He can do anything’, that I began to see an image of Darby Allin as a younger fan, maybe not quite fitting in and seeing someone A. who made it cool to not fit in and B. who took chances.”
Mick Foley Believes Darby Allin Is One Of The Biggest Stars In The New Generation
Foley says that Allin has drawn inspiration from his most violent persona, Cactus Jack, and added his athleticism to the mix. This hybrid style has helped him become one of the biggest stars of the new generation of wrestlers.
“I see Darby as someone who took the inspiration from Cactus Jack and had a whole lot of athleticism to it, did things that I could have never done, and he’s created a hybrid style that borrows from me a little bit and from others who were far more athletic than me, and he’s made it his own. In the same way that I basically took one part Bruiser Brody, one part Tommy Billington and made it my own, he’s created a hybrid style that works for him and has made him one of the biggest stars of this new generation.”
While Mick Foley gears up for All In: London, he might be trying to forget his last AEW pay-per-view appearance at Redemption, where a misunderstanding led to him barking like a dog in a backstage segment.
