Canadian wrestler “Speedball” Mike Bailey have revealed where the name Speedball came from, as fans question where his famous nickname originated. The Canadian star now wrestles for Impact wrestling, where he recently revealed he would wrestle in for a good few years into the future, debunking any theories of him signing for AEW or WWE.
He was poised to become a break out star but suffered a setback after trying to enter the country in 2016. He was detained for illegally entering the United States from his home country of Canada and was banned from America for a further five years. It was reported by Dave Meltzer that he was in the process of obtaining a visa to work in the country through Combat Zone Wrestling, but a delay in the process caused him to be banned for the US for half a decade.
Now back in the United States, Speedball looks set to make it big in the former TNA, but recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet to reveal some interesting truths behind his career and his wrestling style.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet in a recent podcast interview, Mike Bailey revealed the origins of his “Speedball” nickname. He confirmed that it came from the piece of boxing equipment used to train speed and agility and that it was given to him by a former wrestler who compared his style to the aforementioned “Speedball”
“So the Speedball is a piece of boxing equipment that you just hit and it rebounds. And the reason that I was nicknamed Speedball Mike Bailey, is because there was a, his name was Michael Ryan, he wrote about Montreal wrestling, he since passed away. But in one of my early matches, he described my enduring style as bouncing around the ring like a speedball. And a big part of the reason I love that nickname is because I didn’t give it to myself, which is very rare in these hard times.”
“Yes, [people usually pick names that sell merchandise] and it sounds pretty badass. Usually it’s like ‘the monster’ … and Speedball I like, because it begs the question, ‘What is a Speedball?’ It’s more interesting.”
In the same interview, he also revealed the state of his current Impact contract and talked about the dream matches he has had since his return to the country, including bouts against top stars like KENTA and Jon Moxley.