AEW Dynamite featured a major debut as “Speedball” Mike Bailey finally made their debut for the promotion. They stepped into the tournament to become the next title contender to Kenny Omega’s International Championship. Bailey was already mentioned by AEW as an upcoming arrival, but this was a welcome surprise to an already stacked roster.
All Elite Wrestling announced the Dynasty International Tournament heading into this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite with Beast Mortos facing a “Wild Card” opponent. Tony Khan is good for using these spots to introduce new names to the company or fill them with surprises. For example, he used a tournament to welcome Keith Lee to AEW and bring back Maki Itoh in a surprise role.
“SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY IS THE WILD CARD! They face The Beast Mortos RIGHT NOW in their debut for a chance to challenge AEW International Champion Kenny Omega!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 13, 2025
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & Max@SpeedballBailey | @BeastMortos | @KennyOmegamanX pic.twitter.com/Dgprye30V6
With this victory, “Speedball” is set to face either Orange Cassidy or Hechicero in the next round.
Mike Bailey is one of the best performers in the world
“Speedball” is one of the top performers in the world and perhaps the biggest free agent available early in 2025. On Cagematch they boast an 8.71 rating, as their catalog features a series of banger matches that could hold up to anyone in the industry today. Go back and look at examples like the 2022 match against Josh Alexander, the 2023 match against Will Ospreay, and the 2024 match against Konosuke Takeshita. Note that all of these matches could potentially happen again under the AEW banner.
Bailey has held championships in several promotions across wrestling. For example, they are a former TNA X-Division Champion, DPW World Tag Team Champion, and DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Champion.
All Elite Wrestling boasts one of, if not the best roster in all professional wrestling. Adding a name like “Speedball” Mike Bailey only furthers the notion that this company is “where the best wrestle.” They are an excellent addition, and there are several potential big matches to come.