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Speedball Mike Bailey, who at age 35 has found himself in the world title picture for AEW ahead of AEW’s Dynasty this Sunday April 12th, is quickly becoming a favorite for the ‘sickos’ known as AEW Fans. The Canadian wrestling force has captured AEW gold despite losing the AEW World Trios Titles last night on Collision, Speedball has got the aura from Beyonce inspired ring gear to the five star ratings from Dave Meltzer while wrestling in AEW (multiple times). Before signing with AEW Bailey made waves in the United States with TNA, runs with AAA, New Japan Wrestling, and independents throughout Canada and Europe.
Mike Bailey was arguably the best signing AEW made in 2025 and with MJF defending his world title against Kenny Omega at Dynasty, Bailey is on the cusp of opportunity with the possibility of Kenny Omega defending his AEW World Title against Speedball as his first defense. Bailey joined Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez to discuss a wide variety of topics including his stance on wrestling promotions working together and exclusive contracts for professional wrestlers being harmful to the business and development for talent.
“This is my hot take when it comes to professional wrestling but exclusive contracts are bad for pro wrestlers, for their development,” said Bailey. “I understand there is a need for them. The ecosystem, the companies, it doesn’t work without them, and that makes sense. But if everyone in the world could wrestle absolutely anyone else regardless of contracts, just imagine the match-ups you would see. Well, we can’t really have that, but the closest thing we can have is what AEW is doing, partnering up with CMLL and New Japan Pro Wrestling and working together to showcase the best wrestlers from all over the world.”
Bailey continued by saying one of the biggest things he doesn’t like in wrestling is the lack of diversity. The star noted that he finds the idea that most champions from big promotions need to speak English as a first language “completely ridiculous and extremely counterproductive.”
However, he expressed optimism over the change in these ideas over recent years. “It’s been a problem in professional wrestling for a long time, the lack of diversity in terms of seeing champions from different cultures and races,” Bailey said. “And I think the fact that in order to be considered eligible to become a champion in pro wrestling, you need to speak English, especially as a first language, is completely ridiculous and extremely counterproductive. And I’m glad that it’s become less and less of a thing, and I think it’s due to partnerships like that and opening up the playing fields to literally letting anyone who is the best at pro wrestling wrestle at the very top, as it should be. And I think putting any kind of barrier on that is absolutely ridiculous. So I think that what AEW is doing right now, I mean, you can see it, because other companies are following suit, is exactly what needs to happen in professional wrestling.”
Despite that five star ratings from Dave Meltzer and the 20 year journey to get to AEW please don’t tell Bailey he’s reached his professional peak because he doesn’t believe it.
“It’s weird because I want to say I’m at the same place that I have been my entire career, which is I’m the best I’ve ever been. But strangely, that was never not the case, but also my biggest accomplishment in my life and my pro wrestling career is continued progress and never regressing or slowing down. I’ve just been getting better and better throughout the years and I don’t think I’m anywhere near my peak, which is a great thing because I’m going to be in the ring with Kevin Knight every week, I’m going to need to keep pushing and getting better and better otherwise I will be left in the dust because Kevin Knight is undoubtedly a man with absolutely no ceiling on what he can accomplish in professional wrestling.”
Watch the full episode of "Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez" with Speedball Mike Bailey here.