WWE Changed Their Mind On Signing New IMPACT Star 'Speedball' Mike Bailey
WWE's change of heart turned out to be IMPACT Wrestling's gain when it came to Mike Bailey.
IMPACT Wrestling effectively confirmed the signing of sought-after independent star 'Speedball' Mike Bailey this past weekend, as the Canadian freelancer ceremonially signed a contract on former World Champion Josh Alexander's back at a Destiny World Wrestling show.
This came after everything had gone silent on the Bailey front despite heavy speculation that he was heading to WWE in May. 'Speedball' has now shed light on what happened between the two parties, doing so in a new interview with Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso.
Going by Bailey's account, it sounds like terms were pretty much agreed upon until WWE changed their mind:-
“We went through a process and we had some pretty in-depth discussions. I didn’t sign a contract. It pretty much went up to that point of me accepting an offer and going through the proceedings that would lead up to me signing for several months, and them deciding they were going in a different direction.”
The last time Bailey has wrestled in the United States was back in March 2016. This is owing to the hefty five-year travel ban he was slapped with upon trying to enter the US from his native Canada, forcing him to operate primarily in Europe, Canada, and Japan. Fortunately, that ban has now expired.