34-year-old star unlikely to sign with AEW anytime soon [Reports]

In a potentially disappointing update for AEW fans, former TNA X Division Champion Mike Bailey is reportedly unlikely to join Tony Khan's promotion anytime soon. This is because the 34-year-old is still allegedly under contract with TNA.

Speedball signed a contract with TNA in 2021 and made his in-ring debut for the company in 2022. Bailey also performs in NJPW and the independent circuit.

Fightful Select recently reported that Mike Bailey was still under contract with the Nashville-based promotion. Therefore, he won't likely be part of Tony Khan's roster, at least in the near future. It was also noted that he was present backstage at an All Elite Wrestling show earlier this year to visit his friends.

"He's still under contract. I don't believe they'd had any conversations, as his deal extends through the end of the year. Speedball was backstage at an AEW show this year visiting friends, and WWE has had interest in him a few years ago before he went to TNA," the report stated.

TNA's Mike Bailey is set to face AEW's Shelton Benjamin

Although fans may not see Mike Bailey in the Tony Khan-led company for now, he will face AEW star Shelton Benjamin later this month. After the upcoming Full Gear event, The Gold Standard has a match scheduled for WrestleCade's SuperShow at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on November 30, 2024.

At the event, Mike Bailey and Shelton Benjamin will lock horns in a singles match. WrestleCade announced this matchup via its X (Twitter) account.

"MATCH ANNOUNCEMENT: See Shelton Benjamin vs. 'Speedball' Mike Bailey at the #WrestleCade SuperShow 11/30/24 at 5 p.m. Benton Convention Center, 301 West 5th [sic] Street, Winston-Salem, NC!'' the post read.

Expand Tweet

The Standard of Excellence made his debut in the Tony Khan-led company on the fifth-anniversary edition of Dynamite on October 2. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Mike Bailey later this month.

About the author

Monika Thapa is a journalist at Sportskeeda, covering AEW and WWE news. A big fan of pro wrestling since childhood, she stumbled upon sports content writing in 2022. She has a ton of experience and has worked for prominent platforms like EssentiallySports.

Monika is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in English and loves creating pro wrestling content at Sportskeeda. She proofreads her work numerous times before submitting her work and relies only on trusted sources for information.

Monika is a big fan of Rhea Ripley, as she admires her fearlessness and strength. If she were to change a WWE storyline, Monika would have had Lita return and combine forces with Becky Lynch in the latter’s 2023 feud with Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark.

When not covering the latest pieces of pro wrestling news, Monika likes to read books, spend time with dogs, and learn new cooking recipes.

Know More

Edited by Yash Mittal