A “Funky Monkey” has officially landed in AEW.
Indie wrestling star “Speedball” Mike Bailey made his official AEW debut on Wednesday night, defeating The Beast Mortos in an opening round match of the International Championship Eliminator Tournament.
It has been rumored for weeks that Bailey would sign with AEW. Their arrival in the promotion was confirmed on a February episode of Collision, where a video tested his eventual debut.
Bailey has wrestled all around the world, touching down in some of the most prominent wrestling brands. They have competed in TNA Wrestling, GCW, DPW, DDT, RevPro, PWG, among dozens of other notable spots over the years.
He wasn’t seen on the indies earlier this year, although it came out recently that Bailey, a Canadian citizen, was in the process of securing a work visa in the U.S.
Bailey took out Mortos with a spinning heel kick on Wednesday, advancing them in a tournament which will determine who will face AEW International Champion Kenny Omega at Dynasty. He will compete in a four-way match on next week’s Dynamite to determine who will be #1 contender.
If Bailey wins the #1 contender’s tournament, he’ll be set to face Omega in a rematch nearly a decade in the making. Their past meeting dates back to PWG All Star Weekend 11 at the American Legion Post #308 in 2015.
