23-time champion breaks silence after AEW officially confirms blockbuster signing

A 34-year-old veteran opened up about joining AEW after the company aired a vignette to confirm his arrival. Fans have been anticipating the star's arrival ever since the rumors started.

The 23-time champion, 'Speedball' Mike Bailey has finally opened up on his AEW signing after months of rumors. In the most recent episode of Collision, Tony Khan's promotion officially confirmed Bailey's signing by airing a vignette during the show which said he will be coming on TV soon.

After the vignette on Collision, fans are waiting to see 'Speedball' Mike Bailey on All Elite Wrestling. Mike took to X to share a heartfelt message thanking fans and stating that he is excited about his AEW move:

"I have been blessed for my whole career with unlimited support from all over the world. I can't thank you all enough. My biggest accomplishment in life has been making every year my best year yet, and I am extremely excited to keep that going in," Bailey wrote.

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AEW's new signing revealed he almost got signed by WWE

AEW's newest signing, Mike Bailey disclosed last year that he was going to be signed by WWE in 2021 but the process was stopped. Speaking on Talk is Jericho, Bailey revealed the following:

"They’re letting go of people and the person that [SIC] had hired me; there were rumors that they had gotten released, so I texted them, and I was like, ‘Hey, is everything okay? Are we good?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, no problem! Contract’s [SIC] in the mail. We’re sending it tomorrow,' and then the next day, I got an email saying, ‘Hey, due to new hiring guidelines, we’re gonna have to stop your hiring process!'''

An official debut date for Bailey has not been announced yet. Fans will have to wait and see when he finally appears for the promotion.