Jim Ross Shares His Thoughts on “Speedball” Mike Bailey – During a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast, WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW commentator Jim Ross gave his thoughts on “Speedball” Mike Bailey, confirming the high-flying striker.
Ross revealed that he had recently seen Bailey backstage, saying, “He showed up at catering a couple of weeks ago.”
Bailey, widely respected for his dynamic offense blending martial arts and fast-paced athleticism, has made a name for himself in TNA/Impact Wrestling, NJPW, and numerous top independent promotions. With his AEW debut anticipated by many, JR’s confirmation adds legitimacy to reports that Bailey is officially under contract.
Ross also noted Bailey’s relationship with fellow wrestling personality and commentator Veda Scott, who has worked previously with AEW. He said, “Isn’t he the boyfriend of Veda Scott? They’re together, so that’s good.” Ross added humor to the remark by observing, “It’s nice to have a sane wrestling couple, as we both know that those are not mutually exclusive terms, quite frankly.”
When evaluating Bailey’s potential in AEW, Ross didn’t hold back praise. “He’s a talented kid, no doubt about that.” However, he also brought up an old-school critique about Bailey’s physical size.
“He’s just not very big. He’s not got a lot of size to him,” Ross noted, before stepping back to assess the importance of that observation in today’s wrestling industry. “If that matters. It may not matter a damn bit, and if it doesn’t matter a damn bit, then so why did I bring it up?”
Ross’s comments reflect both his decades of wrestling insight and an understanding of the shifting priorities in the modern era, where size is less emphasized than charisma, skill, and crowd connection.
Bailey has yet to appear in a prominent televised AEW match, but with backstage confirmation and praise from veterans like Ross, expectations are high for what “Speedball” might deliver in an AEW ring.
Stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude, WA.Com On Facebook, Twitter/X, Bluesky and Google News for more.
Jim Ross Shares His Thoughts on “Speedball” Mike Bailey
