WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has long been an advocate for those with autism, a cause that’s near to his heart as his son Mickey is on the autism spectrum. During her time in AEW, Brandi Rhodes also made moves to help the neurodivergent community when she brokered a partnership between All Elite Wrestling and KultureCity, a partnership Mick Foley helped bring about with a single text message.
According to KultureCity’s website, the group aims to help those with sensory sensitivities to enjoy activities such as wrestling shows that might be too overwhelming without accommodations. AEW’s partnership with the organization involves providing kits that include items such as headphones and fidget toys to help make wrestling shows more inclusive and accessible.
Mick Foley Connected Brandi Rhodes With KultureCity During Her Time In AEW
Speaking to Brandi Rhodes on her 2 Lies and 1 Truth podcast, Mick Foley spoke about how he aided in connecting Brandi with KultureCity, leading to an AEW partnership that remains in full swing despite Brandi having exited the company back in February.
“It was so easy. It was Julian Maha, who had founded a group, KultureCity, to help people living on the spectrum, or who might suffer from other disorders basically reach their fullest potential and life. Julian wanted to make wrestling venues safer.”
Continuing, Mick Foley revealed that KultureCity’s founder asked for his help in contacting AEW about a potential partnership, and the text message the Hardcore Legend sent to Brandi Rhodes ended up being one of his biggest contributions to wrestling.
“He asked if I had any contacts at AEW. I just reached out to you and the rest is history. You can give me credit but I basically said — I think I texted you and said, ‘Brandi, Julian Maha is a guy I’ve been working with for a while. He would like to see if he could speak to you by making AEW sensory-inclusive.
“Within a week, I’m like reading about a press conference and the announcement. It could be, in some ways, one of the biggest contributions I’ve made to wrestling, but all it was was one text message. So you can give me credit if you want. I was just setting him up with the right person at the right time.”
Despite not joining her husband Cody Rhodes when he returned to WWE at WrestleMania in April, Brandi has expressed interest in helping broker a similar partnership between WWE and KultureCity.
h/t Fightful