Big news hit during the February 22 edition of AEW Collision. "Speedball" Mike Bailey is AEW-bound and the fans rejoiced as the promotion picked up a major free agent who is perfect for this company. He will fit right in "where the best wrestle."
Fightful Select reported that expectations were for Bailey to end up in AEW. His deal with TNA Wrestling ended in 2024 and he was unable to work for any other organization until January 1. According to Fightful, his deal became official in January and it is a multi-year contract. There was also interest from WWE, but he opted to go with the Tony Khan-led organization.
During AEW Collision he was introduced as being "All Elite" via a vignette that was well-recieved by the fan base. The delay in his debut came due to visa issues that are being worked out.
"Speedball" Mike Bailey brings a lot to AEW's roster
Mike Bailey is one of the best performs in the business today. He's someone who AEW's viewership will be familiar with. Cagematch has him sitting at an 8.72 average match score, which is among the top in the industry. His resume boasts some of the best matches in recent memory including his 2022 battle against Josh Alexander, his 2023 match with Will Ospreay, and his October 2024 match against Konosuke Takeshita. The best part is two of those three matches can happen again now that he's a part of AEW.
It will be interesting to see where Bailey fits in the roster. Is AEW's roster getting packed with top stars? Yes, and that's becoming more of an issue. Names like Miro, Ricky Starks, and Malakai Black have departed, but they were not being used on television so they aren't creating any vacancies. The women's division is packed as well. As signings like Megan Bayne further boloster that strong roster.
Still, there should be excitement about Mike Bailey coming to AEW. He's one of the names who truly represents all the good things in professional wrestling. This is a moment to see him get featured in a major promotion, which will further elevate his brand. Here's to looking to see what he does as a part of the All Elite Wrestling roster.