Mick Foley has given his thoughts on The Rock’s Final Boss persona.
Returning to WWE on New Year’s Day, Rock once again received the reaction he was accustomed to in previous cameo appearances. With the crowd in the palm of his hand and responding to his catchphrases, it was exactly what everyone expected.
Fast a couple of months and things took a dark turn for The People’s Champion. Irate that Cody Rhodes ruined his plans for a dream match with Roman Reigns, Rock began cutting expletive-filled promos on social media and slapped Rhodes for insulting his family and inserting himself into Bloodline business. Cementing himself as the heel in Rhodes’ story, fans initially thought that this would be the long-awaited return on Hollywood Rock. However, following a Rock concert and subsequent promos that promised violence and bloodshed, it was apparent that this was a new iteration of The Great One that fans had never seen before.
Later claiming he would bloody Rhodes and making good on his promise in a beatdown angle on Raw, The Final Boss added a new layer to Rock’s character and was a risk when he could have played it safe with a nostalgia run, something that one of his greatest rivals is appreciative of.
Discussing the heel turn on his YouTube channel, Foley praised Rock for his Final Boss run when it would have been easy to play the greatest hits. Additionally, Foley was complimentary of the violent and bloody beatdown:
“I like that other side of The Rock. It would have been really easy for him to just lean back into what was comfortable. That’s like an EasyChair for The Rock right? Like a great Barcalounger because he knows that character so well.
“To sort of put a twist on it, come out with a harder edge, a little blood in the right place never hurt anybody. I think it was really good and only is going to pique interest. It certainly piqued mine.”
Foley and Rock have battled on a number of occasions, including The Hardcore Legend’s famous WWE Championship victory over The Hollywood star in January 1999.
Mick Foley Provides Update On One More Match
Approaching 60 years of age, the Hall of Famer recently admitted that he would love to step back inside the squared circle one final time in what would be his first match in 2012. During a recent interview, Mick Foley revealed when he will make the final decision in regards to his comeback match.
H/t to SEScoops.