Chicago Sun-Times: Expect fan favorite Foley to take WWE to the next level

When Mick Foley made his return to Raw" last week, you almost could feel the tide turning in favor of the WWE.

TV ratings are up. Attendance is rising. And for the first time in what seems like forever, Raw" was a surprise-filled show from start to finish.

Foley plays the role of co-general manager better than Stone Cold" Steve Austin did because he is trying to outsmart Eric Bischoff rather than intimidate him. Foley is all about the fans and will continue to put top matches on free TV -- and irritate Bischoff along the way.

His first order of business is a match between Goldberg and Kane on Monday. When the two hit the ring as part of a six-man tag-team match last week, there was a spark. The two most menacing forces were meeting toe-to-toe, and the rematch should be a classic.

But what the fans really got excited about was Foley's announcement that he is working on getting Austin back on the Raw" roster. He immediately began circulating a petition around the arena and launched an online version, too.

It will be interesting during the next few weeks, but Foley will change the direction of Raw."

AROUND THE RING: NWA/TNA postponed the Bound for Glory pay-per- view for a second time and will try to hold the event in the summer of 2004. Jeff Jarrett is scheduled to face Hulk Hogan when the event finally goes down, but Hogan's knee injuries are so bad that he is unable to fill any of the dates he already has booked in Japan. ... Chris Benoit deserved to win the SmackDown" title Thursday, but he no doubt will get another shot at Brock Lesnar in the coming weeks. ... The WWE has released the poster for the 2004 Royal Rumble, and John Cena is the featured star.

HOTLINE: Randy Savage and Vince McMahon come to an agreement. Get that and much more on the hotline. Call (900) 990-SLAM. The cost is $2 per minute.