Mick Foley has praised AEW for giving wrestlers across its roster a sense of purpose, saying the company’s approach helped draw him back into wrestling after a break.

Speaking with Kofi Kingston on The Mick and Kenny Show, the WWE Hall of Famer explained why AEW’s programming began to connect with him more than WWE’s. Foley singled out the attention given to wrestlers in the middle of the card.

“I took a break from wrestling for a while. And then I found the AEW show was speaking more to me than the WWE show. One thing I marvel at was, like, ‘wow, they really make the middle of the card meaningful.’”

Foley said he had shared that praise directly with AEW President Tony Khan. While stressing that he did not want to disparage anyone, he felt AEW had done a stronger job of making its wider roster feel important.

“When I started talking to Tony [Khan], I was like, ‘I don’t know how you do it, but everyone who goes out there plays a role and has a sense of importance.’ Whereas elsewhere, it’s like these 10 guys are where they are, and then all the others, I don’t want to say they’re an afterthought, and again, I don’t want to disparage anyone, but I do think this company has done a better job of making everyone meaningful.”

For Foley, that approach also gives AEW a deep pool of wrestlers who can step into the world title picture.

“So, with such a deep roster, on any given night, a guy can step up and battle for the AEW title. I just think it’s a marvel.”

Do you agree with Mick Foley’s assessment of AEW and WWE? Share your thoughts in the comments.