WWE: Mick Foley's Return Has Been a Huge Disappointment so Far

When Mick Foley left TNA Wrestling earlier this year, hopes were the “Hardcore Legend” would return to WWE, the company that made him a star, and re-establish himself to wrestling fans. 

Certainly, Foley himself must have been glad to return to America's No.1 company after his disastrous spell down in Orlando. While Mick undoubtedly joined TNA with the best of intentions, during his time there he was unable to rise above bad booking, toxic politics and the astounding incompetence backstage (in one interview, he even compared TNA to WCW in its lack of organization), and his whole image took a knocking.

Not that Foley should be beating himself up too badly: this is essentially what happens to many ex-WWE/WCW stars in TNA. But, credit to him, unlike everyone else who phones it in and sticks around purely for the paycheck, Foley simply walked away.

For their part, the company were more than happy to see him go, having been annoyed greatly by the negative remarks the frustrated veteran had made about them in a variety interviews and/or on Twitter.

So, after an acrimonious parting of ways with TNA, Foley returned to his boss Vince McMahon, who welcomed his prodigal employee back with open arms (hey, WWE is pretty short on established stars these days and need everyone they can get). Sounds great, right?

Except it hasn't been. Not at all.

Foley's televised return segment to the company (he'd been a guest referee at a house show in Ireland a week earlier) came on the three-hour November 13th Raw.

Curiously, the company did not promote his homecoming at all, and Foley's presence on the show was presented as a huge surprise—although many figured this was because Hollywood star The Rock was also returning on that night, and that was enough to tantalize potential viewers with.

After a backstage interview, Foley then came to the ring for a lengthy skit with WWE poster child John Cena for a rehash of his infamous “This is Your life” skit with The Rock in 1999.

This segment was something else. First, there was the cheesy music video to a sickly, sugar-sweet ballad, which left everyone cringing. Then there was one catastrophic guest appearance after another: Cena's old coach who told a very embarrassing about his former student; his disgruntled former tag team partner Bull Buchanan who lambasted Cena for wrecking his life; and the WWE star's emotional dad, John Cena Sr., who berated the ungrateful fans for booing his beloved son so vociferously.

Mercifully, The Rock stormed out and Rock Bottomed Foley, ending the segment and possibly making himself the biggest babyface ever.

Of course, the skit was obviously designed to be bad, something a shell-shocked Cena made clear with his various comments as the skit went on, but acknowledging it was awful didn't make it any less awful.

And Foley, who surely needing rehabilitating after his lackluster TNA stint, emerged from it looking lame, old and woefully out-of-touch with the times.

Things haven't been much better since. At last week's SmackDown Christmas special (which took place in November, by the way), the bulbous Foley dressed as Santa Claus for a variety of wacky backstage skits involving Hornswaggle, Teddy Long and others.

Granted, none of these segments were overly offensive, and the kids at home probably liked them, but are they really befitting a legend like Foley?

Of course not. He should be mixing it up with the main events and, ideally, helping to get over new stars.

Foley's treatment at the hands of the booking team has been deeply perplexing. Is it possible that the company is too clueless to know what to do with him? Or, and this may be more likely, is there still some lingering resentment over Foley joining TNA, and it is this that is at the root of all the terrible and embarrassing skits? Who knows?

But one thing is for sure: Foley's comeback has been a complete flop.