“Speedball” Mike Bailey talks his progress in TNA (Impact) Wrestling.
The former X-Division Champion spoke about his work over the last few years during a recent interview with Denise Salcedo. Bailey looks back on some of the marquee matchups he has had this year, including showdowns against Konosuke Takeshita in the PWG BOLA finals and his recent Bound For Glory bout against Will Ospreay.
I make a real effort, and I remember, honestly, if you tell me a match from this year, I can probably tell you most of it, at least the structure and how it went down and the moves and everything. But my memory is very good. So I got to wrestle this year once again, some of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time, and I don’t say that lightly. I think that pro wrestling right now is the best it’s ever been. I got to be in the BOLA Finals and beat Konosuke Takeshita, who also, much like me, was the greatest wrestler in the world. I said it about him in 2016, I think, and now people are finally starting to believe it. I got to have another match with Will Ospreay. I got to wrestle Alec Price. I got to wrestle Bryan Keith, and he is also someone who hopefully it doesn’t take much longer, and very soon people will be saying he is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. But that match with Will Ospreay really stands out. According to Dave Meltzer, at least, it is the greatest match that I’ve ever had.
After discussing the Ospreay bout, Bailey speaks on the momentum he has gained over the last year and how it is good news for him as 2024 is a contract year.
A lot of people value his opinion, and I think that IMPACT right now, going into TNA, is in a great place, and I think that I am closing off this year, I just finished my second year with IMPACT, end it on such a high note that’s good for myself, but good for the direction in which IMPACT is going and what’s coming up next. It is the highest-rated match in IMPACT/TNA history since Joe/AJ/Daniels in 2005. That is the year, 2005, I was 15 years old, and j had just started going into pro wrestling. That match, I saw it and I was like, ‘Oh, this is the kind of wrestling I want to do.’ Now to have an official marker of, the wrestling you wanted to do and the level you wanted to be at, you’re it. That’s it. Time to go. I’ve been in IMPACT for two years now, heading into my third year. We’re TNA, we’re back. Things are changing. This is momentum, I think is the word I can use, that describes it the best. I’m going into my contract year with all the momentum in the world, and I am ready to do big things with IMPACT in 2024.
You can check out Bailey’s full interview below.
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)