[8.0] "He's a little to much of a generic babyface character-wise for my liking, but he's incredibly solid in the ring and mixes his martial arts style pretty solidly with other high flying and technical moves which makes him a truly unique style. His stamina is also incredibly underrated, he can ball out on longer matches for days as well. I don't always enjoy his matches as he needs his opponent to work certain style to truly click, but when his matches do work, they're some of the best out there."
[5.0] "A silly phony character having wrestler doing phony moves that requires the other guy to be as good as possible to prevent mortal injuries to either of the participants. Extremely unimpressive and another "comedy" wrestler pretending to be serious now. None of his matches look even remotely believable to someone who may not have already been a fan"
[9.0] "Cardio for days, a great look, fantastic strikes, very likeable and charming personality, and some of the most beautiful, fluid aerial work you'll ever see in a pro wrestler. In terms of an in-ring competitor I don't know what more you can really ask for. Put Bailey in the ring with pretty much anyone and you can expect something enjoyable. All that being said, his promos... eh... They're a lot better than they used to be but it's still his major weakness and something he struggles with, despite the apparent confidence he always displays. Because of that, and despite how much I personally love him, I'm going to round my 9.5 down to a 9."
[10.0] "Honestly one of my favorite wrestlers! He is one of the best in ring workers in the world in my opinion! And he connects so well with the audience! AEW needs to push him to the moon because he could really help them by great again! He always has match of the night everytime i watch him"
[9.0] "Top Mann aus Kanada seine Taekwondo Erfahrung bringt er sehr gut in die Matches mit ein. Bei PWG als Karate Kid so geil taucht in anderen Ligen mit Karate Outfit auf. Speedball beschreibt ihn auch sehr gut. Seine Kicks haben eine Wahnsinns Geschwindigkeit drauf und sind sehr hart. Auch kann er High Flying Moves zeigen da bleiben einem die Münder offen. Auch einer der noch sehr jung ist und von dem man noch sehr viel sehen wird. Edit 30. 03. 2017 hat sich viel beim ihm die letzten Jahre getan nun auch bei DDT in Japan auch trägt er nun mehr schwarz als weiß nach wie vor ein sehr starker Wrestler. Edit: 26. 12. 2018 Heißt übrigens nicht wirklich Mike Bailey dachte ich schon. Hat einen sehr langen Realnamen und sonst nach wie vor begehrt und sehr gut. Ist auch immer noch mit Veda zusammen vielleicht heiraten die 2019. Edit 17.09.2021 er hatte wieder Matches aber leider in Kanada. Corona hindert es ihm wieder zu reisen. Edit 25.05.2022 er hat nun Veda wirklich geheiratet. Beide sind nun ein Ehepaar und die passen einfach perfekt zusammen. Edit 22.11.2022 Mike ist sowas von einer meiner Top Wrestler 2022 was er dieses Jahr an Matches raushaute war unfassbar. Edit 06.06.2025 ist sofort bei AEW angekommen. Man wird bei AEW noch viel Freude an Mike haben. Nebenbei darf er auch weiter in den Indies auftauchen."
[10.0] "One of the few 10's I will ever ever give on this site. Speedball F'n Bailey. His combo of high-flying offense with quick and impactful kicks makes him one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the world. Also, extra points cause he's a hell of a nice guy in real life."
[10.0] "I'm so proud of Bailey, after being in the indies, TNA, DDT for some many years being the coolest purest underdog babyface that can bring a good match out of anyone and the one of the nicest guy at meet ang greet, i dont think i have fully understood the height that he is now in. The critiques about psychology and promo is valid but it really doesnt take anything away from speedball being my favorite wrestler now and maybe ever"
[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers in the world. Aew is lucky they are getting such an amazing Canadian talent like this kid. Every big match this man has had he has done phenomenal in. He also really knows how to put his opponents over like Gunther and has such a unique almost Japanese style of wrestling"
[9.0] "An incredible high-flyer with fantastic energy to match. His run in AEW has the potential to be great! I don't think I've seen a bad match from him and that extends into his matches on TNA and Maple Pro. Speedball is quickly becoming a personal favorite."
[7.0] "His finisher is very contrived and I'm not really a fan of it nor am I fan of his jumping kicks which are barely making contact. His promos are meh everything else is good enough to not rate him lower. He's rarely, if ever, in a bad match."
[8.0] "I'm excited that he has a bigger platform to shine because this guy has megastar babyface written all over him. His personality, look and talent in the ring is EASY for the casual viewer to get behind. This guy has all the assets to be one of the biggest wrestling stars of all time."
[9.0] "Speedball is someone I was familiar with, but never really gave a solid chance. I remember watching his match with PAC in revpro and seeing absolutely nothing in mike. I thought he was just a completely generic high-flyer with nothing remarkable about him. I felt the same way about swerve for a long time. Fast-forward to 2025 and this GUY puts on an absolutely classic performance with Kenny and Ricochet, and he ends up being the stand out of the three men, which shows how much he has grown as a wrestler. I also found his YouTube channel and how humble he is, always answering everyone's comments. This guy fucking rocks no 2 ways about it. This might just be my opinion, but holy shit it's a strong opinion."
[9.0] "This guy is the perfect example of an elite level wrestler with amazing in-ring skills but lacking in charisma. He's a great spectacle to watch but only because he's just that good in the ring."
[10.0] "Speedball Mike Bailey is one of the most entertaining and most talented people out there right now. He's the reason I'm watching AEW again. As a black belt in Taekwondo myself, Speedball is so amazing to watch. I always thought that if I were a wrestler, I would want to have a similar style to what Mike Bailey does. There are very few strikers in wrestling (outside of Japan I should say) that are as convincing as speedball. I won't forgive AEW for not paying royalties to the Beastie Boys and letting Speedball use Brass Monkey as his theme, but I'll let it slide. Speedball is the man, and I can't wait to see him thrive in AEW. If the company doesn't mishandle him, he could really improve their overall product. Also, if you haven't seen his work in C4 Pro or Deadlock Pro, I highly recommend."
[8.0] "Mike Bailey is such an amazing wrestler. I've only watched a few of his matches and I immediately became a fan of his. When I heard he signed with AEW, I wasn't sure how his run was gonna go, but so far, it's not bad."
[8.0] "From being a breakout star in PWG to multiple time X-Division Champion & Superstar, Bailey is a definite workhorse capable of putting on some banger matches utilizing his furies of kicks/striking along with aerial offense to a great degree! His only setback for me is no defining character & minimal promo-skills, which some don't need but would benefit Bailey in the long run as he leads to more prominent Promotions."
[9.0] "I love you Mike Bailey. He's so talented and engaging, he makes his opponents look cool and strong. He does things I've never seen anyone do. MOTY 2024 is his match against Takeshita and it's not close for me. One of my favorite active wrestlers."
[9.0] "A phenomenal wrestler who should have had a much bigger spotlight on him in tna. He is finally gonna get the chance now with the news of him leaving the company for aew"
[10.0] "Mike Bailey is one of the best in the world. His style is very unique, its more of a fast pace with a lil mixture of striking and flying. His kicks are really good. He's kinda been the face of the X-division for a couple years now. He's been making his name on the indies since he came back to the United States. His matches are exciting to watch."
[9.0] "Speedball has continuously proved he can put on an absolute classic with any wrestler. From his matches in NJPW with Zack Sabre Jr, to his awesome match with Will Ospreay in TNA, and his match against Konosuke Takeshita in MLP. So overall Mike Bailey is a fantastic pro wrestler who works perfectly for the X-Division."
[8.0] "Jécris ce commentaire en français car Mike est lune des fierté de la communauté catch francophone. Jadore Mike Bailey il est impressionnant a chaque fois que je le vois passer sur un show je sais que son match va être très cool et va me faire passer un bon moment. Il a cette manière de faire qui parait tellement simple, il est trop à laise dans ses mouvements ça rend à la perfection ses performances. Il est extrêmement sous-coté cest un des meilleurs de la scène aujourdhui et mérite bien plus."
[7.0] "Not his biggest fan, but Speedball definitely has the capacity to work some good matches, I think he's that guy to put into a match when you want a nice workrate and a great reaction from the crowd... his moveset is unique, I'm a huge fan of the kicks and the MMA stuff... however, he still lacks quality in several areas, like the selling and the psychology."
[7.0] "Great workrate wrestler. However, lacks his character / gimmick lacks any real depth to get behind and as such his matches all feel fairly low stakes."
[7.0] "This guy is super great at what he does and it's a very unique style, but good god, he really needs to learn some selling. What should've been an 8 is dragged down to a 7 by frequent long sequences of taking offense, taking offense, taking offense, then BAM it's like he's suddenly a cat on crack. Makes no sense. The rest of what he does is fantastic, however."
[9.0] "One of the best (in my opinion, the absolute best) kick masters of our time. He has a fast and powerful kick, but also very strong technique and high flying skills. He can have a great match with anyone. This is probably why independent promotions use him against their young stars. The sad part is that he loses a lot on independents. I was expecting a stronger looking Bailey after his great independent run in 2022, but apparently the promoters don't think so. Hopefully TNA will break this "loser" image and give him a nice X-Division reign this year. Let's go Speedball!"
[5.0] "Embodies a lot of the issues that plague certain corners of modern wrestling with woeful psychology and selling. However, hes one of the few who does enough well executed and cool stuff to make that somewhat bearable so I cant completely bury him. Nonetheless, hes still a very one dimensional and incomplete wrestler so cant heap praise on him either. Going straight down the middle with a 5 seems fair."
[3.0] "Showed a lot of promise in his younger days when working with veterans like Chris Hero. However, as he became a veteran himself he has developed bad habits that bring down every match he is in. Bailey admits to sacrificing realism for coolness and it shows. Nothing he does means anything as he never consistently sells. His wrestling psychology is trash and nothing exhibits that more than one of his signature spots being a move he consistently misses. He also has the annoying trait of making a shocked Pikachu face whenever his opponent kicks out. A lot of young wrestlers look up to Bailey and his poor mind for wrestling is toxic to pro wrestling."
[9.0] "I enjoy Speedball Mike Bailey. He is best as a face but I think he does well in either role. He can wrestle several styles but he is best in a fast paced matchup using his athleticism. He has charisma and connects well with the crowd. Never been disappointed in any of his matches."
"Speedball is truly spectacular. Works just as fluidly as a face as he does as a heel. His work on the indies stands out, but it's been such fun to watch him in Impact (now TNA again). He's prolific, wrestling hundreds upon hundreds of matches every year, yet he manages to make each one fun and unique. I'll travel to see him before almost anyone else (Will Ospreay being the other; if you haven't seen his match with Speedball in Chicago I definitely recommend seeking it out! )."
[10.0] "Mike Bailey is one of the top stars on the indies right now and is an absolute workhorse having excellent matches with anyone and everyone. It's honestly criminal WWE or AEW didn't sign him when they had the chance but Impact is extremely lucky to have him. If I was TNA I'd make him the center piece of the x-division for a while and then make him heavyweight champ they could make him the next big tna star going into their return to their old name."
[8.0] "I like Speedball. I wish I had known about him before his match with Ospreay. Very innovative, it's interesting how he's taken well known aerial maneuvers and made hybrids of the original and a knee drop. As another comment mentioned, Bailey has the look of a quintessential indie guy so you can't really picture him in a major stage like WWE or AEW, because he fits in Impact just fine. But regardless, this guy is awesome."
[9.0] "Every time I see this persona compete I become more of a fan than I was previously. I've only seen their matches recently but I wish I started earlier. The 60 match with Josh Alexander was one of TNA's all time best. I can only imagine what I can see from this kid in the future."
[10.0] "Speedball is among the best workers with such a consistent quality of in ring performance that I find astounding. Able to do things day in and day out, having more matches than just about anyone out there and having many of them be among the best you will see on the indies or smaller promotions. It does help he is also incredibly great as an underdog babyface and is a real treasure of a person. Still find it amazing he can do a dozen ultima weapons a weekend and have his knees work. Outstanding performer and I hopefully hope the best for his future."
[10.0] "Speedball Mike Bailey's career was slowed down due to his US ban, and when he was finally available again he fired up the whole indie scene and got an Impact contract. Extremely athletic and can make perform the craziest moves in the ring, he is actually very good in terms of ring psychology as he puts a lot of effort into constructing his matches. Bigger companies should throw money to him asap."
[10.0] "possibly my favorite indie wrestler today. He has the work ethic of god himself and he doesnt slack in matches. He just never seems to get worse with time only better and better. he should of won the super jr but its whatever bc he made even impact good, a very impossible task if im being honest. speedball gets a 10/10 for me"
[9.0] "Mike Bailey is a definition "indie guy" you can't imagine him on a huge stage like WWE or AEW like you would other guys on the indie but he has a charisma about him. His wrestling is really good. He can make anyone feel Important. He can make dud cards a tad bit better. My best example is the IWS vs GCW show. The card is abysmal but Mike Bailey vs Gringo Loco is a highlight of that show. Bailey is a variety guy meaning he can do any style you want. Spotfest? Bailey vs Gresham Super Jersey Cup Round 1. Epic? Bailey vs Takeshita BOLA finals. Technical? Bailey vs Garcia BOLA 2022 Finals. He can do it all . Long live Speedball"
[9.0] "Just a very good and very unique wrestler. He does have some charisma to him but his in-ring work itself justifies this rating. Very innovative and painful looking stuff and the best thing: It makes sense. It just looks like it would hurt and his ultima weapon is a believable and great looking move. His kicks are up there with prime KENTA if you ask me. Lacks promo-skills and character development tho"
[4.0] "I just don't get the appeal of this guy. He has a corny gimmick, a corny look, his speed kicks from side to side look silly as hell. Even his little karate poses make me cringe. His only redeeming quality is, he is a surprisingly capable catch wrestler."
[10.0] "The Bruce Lee of wrestling, it's like watching the character from an 80's action movie, but his ability in the ring is real and his talent is unquestionable, an authentic individual."
[10.0] "Probably my favorite Wrestler in the industry right now, as someone who formerly did Karate, those stiff kicks are some of the most real kicks in the industry. Canada's most recent hidden gem, and really should be in NJPW soon enough. As proven with his recent 32 minute brawl with Nick Gage, he can put on a decent match *with anyone* which is a skill that is very rare, thus elevating his 10/10 for me."
[4.0] "He can't talk to save his life, can't do character work, his look is terrible (really, a non-comedy taekwondo attire? what's the point? ), he lacks muscle definition (and muscle in general, he looks like a 15 year old) and only really offers movez with no grasp of psychology and mediocre selling. Absolutely zero interest in watching him wrestle."
[4.0] "Leider ein typischer Fall von "kennste eins, kennste alle". Er bringt eine feine Dringlichkeit mit, hat Druck & Dynamik am Leib, aber er wiederholt stets seine Sequenzen, bringt eigentliche keine Persönlichkeit mit und hat sehr wenig Ausstrahlung. Das mag in einem begrenzten Rahmen unterhalten, aber das ist keine wrestlerische Leistung, die ich langfristig irgendwie okay oder gar ordentlich finde. Wundert mich daher auch nicht, dass er seine Matches vorher übt. Ausreichend."
[9.0] "Very fun MMA based style, great kicks that catch your attention. Perfect person to lead the X-Division forward and a true pleasure in regards to Impact."
[9.0] "MIke Bailey is absolutely on of my favoritter wrestlers of all time. I have seen him live ONCE and it was the best match i have ever witnessed in person. He is just good at so many things. Bothe the high flying fast paced action and the more technical wrestling. And also his ultima weapon and flamingo driver are both such things of beauty."
[8.0] "An enjoyable, serviceable high flyer. Mike Bailey has a lot of things about him that make him entertaining, one of them being the combination of martial arts stiffness and fluid aerial antics, and another showing a lot of personality through his unique hybrid style of wrestling. Great shit all around from Mike Bailey."
[8.0] "Mike Bailey is doing great things in impact. He's such a awesome wrestler in the ring. He wrestles very speed and very athletic. My current favourite in the Impact."
[10.0] "Mike bailey schon seit Jahren einer der besten High Flyer Sehe ihn immer wieder gerne und freue mich das er endlich mehr Aufmerksamkeit bekommt"
[10.0] "Schon 64 Matches in der ersten Jahreshälfte 2022 und er gibt bei jedem einzigen 100 Prozent und hat meistens das MOTN. Mike Bailey ist auf einem unglaublichen Run seit seiner Rückkehr in die USA. Bisher mit Abstand mein Indy-Wrestler des Jahres."
[9.0] "Since his US ban was lifted, he came to deliver more and more amazing matches. Very skilled wrestler. IMPACT making Speedball shine is freaking amazing."
[10.0] "Bailey has always been amazing and even during his US ban he was doing great things but lord have mercy he came back to the states on a mission. Every match has been must see and incredible. Genuinely one of the best in the world in 2022 and a treat on every card he's on. Not to slander impact because they've done good things the last few years but man I wanted him signed elsewhere"
[10.0] "He been delivering nothing but amazing matches during his career and he is finally getting recognized for it thanks to Impact, he has been there for only 2-3 months and already had one the best matches of the past 5 years"
[8.0] "The very definition of fun. It is a real shame he got banned from the states for so long which meant he did not get to go all the places he should have but it meant we got to see plenty of him in Europe."
[10.0] "Mike Bailey is so much fun to watch. Every match he wrestles ends up being the match of the night. His kicks sound absolutely disgusting to take and he can more than hold his own against bigger wrestlers. Now with his US ban being lifted, Impact or AEW might pick him up. No doubt he will be the MVP of whatever promotion he goes too!"
[9.0] "Mike Bailey is a really talented wrestler. He can work a match in a number of styles, and is a pleasure to watch. Hopefully one day he will get picked up by a bigger company and get the recognition that he deserves."
[4.0] "Mike Bailey can deliver some nice looking kicks, but the way Bailey carries himself means that he doesn't come off like a professional wrestler, but rather like a kid playing at being a professional wrestler."
[10.0] "A wrestler with a unique gimmick. I really like these types of wrestlers. No one other than Bailey can play this character more realistic. According to me, the skills of acting in wrestling are very important. There is no difference between wrestling and the theater to me. I am not someone who can only watch wrestling as a wrestling. Every wrestler must have a story and a background. When I look at Bailey, I can see that he's a well-trained athlete. He plays a person who is very respectful and fits the rules. He is a wrestler who gets very angry and turns into another monster when he being treated disrespectfully by his opponents. I think he's very successful. The only wrestler in the ring who can show us Taekwando in the most beautiful way. Bailey is a wrestler who must be taken seriously. I hope everything will be good for him."
[9.0] "Spektakulärer Wrestler der immer super Performance abliefert. Mach Spaß im zu zu gucken und er gibt immer sein bestes. Ist sich für nichts zu Schade. Ich finde er könnte sein Moveset noch etwas anders gestalten. Das ist jedoch der einzige negative punkt den ich habe. Auch privat ein sehr netter Kerl."
[10.0] "This guy might be the most underrated guy in wrestling today! Every time i see him he wildly impresses me with his ability. His selling, his movement, all tremendous. Go watch some Speedball!"
[10.0] "Mike Bailey is a high flyer who has found a good balance in his look to seem like an underdog, but still believable as a wrestler. His high flying and look is good, he can work any match well and feels like a action star wherever he goes!"
[6.0] "Talentierter Junger Mann und auch wenn ich die Shooting Star Double Knees blöd finde, muss ich zugeben das er eine rosige Zukunft hat wenn er am look, Charisma und Feinheiten arbeitet"
[8.0] "Harte Tritte, High Flying aktionen und Technik. Das beschreibt Mike Bailey einfach total. Er ist einfach ein Komplettes Allround-Paket. Jung ist er auch noch.... Also da kann noch einiges von ihm kommen."
[7.0] "One of the few wrestlers who successfully mixes his martial arts experience with wrestling. I really can't wait to see him getting an opportunity on the big leagues."
[10.0] "This rating is fraud. 71 votes, 14 comments. 48 votes for 9 points, zero for 10. This is like facebook competition over likes and shares, at least between 9 and 10, predeterminated result, everybody lazy to write a comment, so hooray we have semblance of consensus. Bailey is unique grappler on all fronts, combining different techniques delightfully, great future definitely ahead of him"
[9.0] "Richtig starker junger Wrestler mit riesen Potenzial. Super Technik und spektakulären High-Flying Moves, im großen und ganzen einer meiner lieblings Wrestler aktuell."
[6.0] "Bin ja ungern der Pessimist, aber von "Speed" sehe ich nix in ihm, auch sonst eher Farblos! Dieses Gimmick passt auch so gar nicht zu seiner Musik. Durch den Kampfsport, durchaus Technik, aber da fehlt noch einiges, wie es besseres Gimmick und vielleicht ein Don Johnson-Gedächtnis-3-Tage-Bart! So leider zu unscheinbar, da hilft auch die beste Technik nix!"
[9.0] "Ein sehr talentierter junger Mann. Kann ziemlich starke Matches worken und einer der großen Hoffnungsträger des Indy-Wrestlings für die nächsten Jahre"
[8.0] "By no means the finished article, but has a great natural talent for high-flying. I like that he does not look like a wrestler, I don't think every wrestler should look like him, but he works so well in the role of the ultimate underdog. He has that mixture of strong style, technicality and flippy-dippy which is hot on the indies right now. PWG are pushing him on his crowd reaction and match quality, which is how things should work everywhere. His look might well hold him back but I think he's exciting and enjoyable to watch. I for one hope he goes far."
[5.0] "Licht und Schatten gehen Hand in Hand beim Speedball. Er kann ein gutes Underdog Match worken, das hat er etwa gegen Galloway beim BOLA '15 gezeigt. Er besitzt ein gewisses Charisma, kann gut sellen und hat innovative Moves im Repertoire. Dann kommen aber leider Sachen dazu wie sein extrem schlechter Look, der nur so nach Indy schreit. Sein lappiger Körperbau mit etwas zu viel Bauch ist da nur das geringste Übel. Ohne Schuhe anzutreten ist ja schön und gut, hat bei anderen auch funktioniert, aber dann die Kickpads drüber ziehen? Sieht nicht nur scheiße aus, sondern macht auch null Sinn. Außerdem, er hat eigentlich richtig schön brutale Kicks drauf, wenn er allerdings gegen Ende des Matches anfängt bei seinen "Signature" Rapid Fire Kicks rumzuhüpfen wie ein besoffener Russe beim Polka wird mir relativ schnell klar, dass Wrestling fake ist. Manchmal sollte man in Sachen Innovation halt nicht zu weit gehen, vielleicht gibt es einen guten Grund, warum noch niemand auf diesen oder jenen Move gekommen ist. Bailey hat also noch einen weiten Weg vor sich, dem bisherigen Rating hier gerecht zu werden."
[4.0] "Really don't understand all the overwhelming love for this dude. He's alright by all means, but with his stature and physique I am always drawn away from his matches. Yeah his martial arts looks pretty cool, but when he's facing another wrestler a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier it should be no contest. Too much resiliency for the way this boy carries himself."
[9.0] "I enjoy Mike Bailey and Kitsune's style part high flyer, kicking, and submission wrestler. I enjoy the gimmicks Mike Bailey (Martial Arts Gentleman) and Kitsune (A masked fox tail and all). He is also a great tag team wrestler as Kitsune with Shynron in the Ninjas With Altitude."
[7.0] "Very talented wrestler, especially for his age. Has the ability to steal the show, no matter what the card is. Excellent array of high flying moves, decent mat wrestler and good in ring psychology. Very good at selling babyface comebacks. His look is unfortunate though. Hopefully he can get in better shape in the years to come. So much potential."
[9.0] "Bailey is an incredible wrestler. He use impressive highfly moves and really nice martial art kicks in the ring. Too small right now for the big leagues, but difinetly have the talent. He is still young and can improve his already mindboggling skills. Would love to see what he can do in japan."
[9.0] "Mike Bailey is a very great wrestler. He is a great high flyer, but he has also a great technique. I think that right now "Speedball" is one of the most underrated guy in the indipendente scene, because all of his matches are very entertaining and spectacular. In PWG, , EVOLVE and SMASH he would be perfect."
