“Speedball” Mike Bailey is now officially All Elite following the expiration of his TNA Wrestling contract at the end of last year. His final appearance for the company was in late October, and due to contractual obligations, he was unable to sign with any promotion until January 1st. Both AEW and WWE expressed interest in signing Bailey, but his AEW debut was delayed due to visa processing.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Bailey explained why he chose AEW as his next destination after his time in TNA Wrestling.
“It was time for me to step up and make it to the big leagues, and AEW is where the best wrestle. In my opinion, it’s where I belong. Right now, AEW is my focus. It’s where I want to be, it’s where I want to wrestle, but wrestling for New Japan and CMLL and going to those places to represent AEW would be a huge honor.”
Bailey is set to compete in a high-stakes AEW International Title eliminator four-way match against Orange Cassidy, Mark Davis, and Ricochet on tonight’s episode of Dynamite.
