Speedball Mike Bailey Opens Up About AEW Dynamite Debut

Following months of rumors and speculation, former TNA star "Speedball" Mike Bailey debuted on "AEW Dynamite" last week, serving as a surprise opponent for The Beast Mortos. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Bailey offered some insight into how he was feeling after his debut.

"I'm still on cloud nine," Bailey said. "It's been a wild ride. ... My phone has been buzzing non-stop since the match happened, with people saying congratulations, and I'm doing my best to respond to every single message and every single tweet, and I can't — there's been too many. It's been impossible to say thank you to everyone, but I want to."

According to Bailey, the past 20 years of his wrestling career all led him to his big moment last week. Bailey went on to defeat Mortos in the match, advancing in the ongoing AEW International Championship Eliminator tournament. He'll now take part in a four-way match tonight against Orange Cassidy, Ricochet, and Mark Davis. The winner of that bout will go on to challenge Kenny Omega for the AEW International Championship at next month's pay-per-view, AEW Dynasty.

"I've been literally chasing Kenny Omega for 10 years," Bailey continued.

Bailey stated that he's found himself in many of the same promotions that Omega once frequented, but the two have actually only crossed paths in the ring one time, when Omega defeated Bailey in a 2015 PWG match. The recently-debuted AEW star also took inspiration from Omega's finishing move, the One-Winged Angel, when coming up with his own, the Ultima Weapon. Both monikers are references to the Final Fantasy video game series, and Bailey hopes to pay off the homage with a match at next month's show.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Sports Illustrated with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.