“Speedball” Mike Bailey is proud of all of the stories told in his Slammiversary match with Mustafa Ali.
The X Division title match between Bailey and Ali was highlighted in a new episode of TNA’s Immersed docuseries. The “Bailey vs. Ali” episode packs a lot into its 25-minute runtime, and the current X Division Champion reflected on it in a new interview with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard.
Bailey was asked if there was a big takeaway he hoped fans would have after watching the show, but noted it’s hard to narrow it down to a singular thing. However, Bailey praised TNA, and modern pro wrestling in general, for being able to tell a complete story in and out of the ring.
Mike Bailey on Immersed
“What you see is the actual match, the actual 20 minutes or so that Ali and I spent in the ring, [that] really is just the tip of the iceberg. And that’s what the audience gets to see [in Immersed]. And beyond that, there was the month-long feud. The build-up, the matches, the storylines that led up to the match. But even further behind that is two very complete human beings that put so much effort and hard work, and this is their career culminating,” Bailey explained.
“The story behind the match runs so much deeper — not to go back to the cliché, but, [it’s deeper than] two men without pants fighting for the golden belt. It’s really two human beings with their own paths that have taken them there.”
Bailey noted how he and Ali shared their respective stories about representing their culture and overcoming struggles. It also features a redemption story for Earl Hebner, a central figure in the “Montreal Screwjob” in WWE.
“This is just a wrestling match,” Bailey continued. “But [Immersed] allows you to see lives being actually changed by this fight.”
Mike Bailey on sharing the ring with Earl Hebner
Hebner came to the ring towards the end of the match, appearing to side with Mustafa Ali. However, Hebner turned babyface and “redeemed” himself in Montreal after being hated for his role in the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” back in 1997.
Bailey walked away as the champion and Hebner raised his arm in victory. Despite being a native Quebecer, Bailey explained how the “Montreal Screwjob” almost felt mythical to him. However, he saw how much Slammiversary meant to Hebner, calling it a celebration of two eras of wrestling.
“The Montreal Screwjob to me didn’t feel like a real event, if that makes any sense. It feels mythical,” Bailey explained. “Especially coming from Montreal and hearing that talked about so much all the time. And it being such a big part of professional wrestling culture and history. There is no wrestling fan that’s been watching for more than two years that doesn’t know what it is, what happened, who was involved. And in a weird way, I felt very removed from that.”
A celebration of two eras
‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey noted he’s studied many different eras of pro wrestling, but that was not one of them. Bailey cited early X-Division, and early American and Japanese independent wrestling as his concentrations, but still feels honored to be part of such a surreal moment.
“So, for those to intersect, right? For me and Mustafa Ali to have the match that we did, which looks entirely different than what pro wrestling did at the time the Screwjob happened. But still have those stories overlap and come together,” Bailey said. “I think it was a celebration of both periods and a huge moment for everyone involved.
“The reaction from Earl Hebner himself and getting to interact with him and speak to him about the moment. His feelings on Montreal as a city and how he felt being there made it all the most real,” Bailey continued. “Of course, it was a huge moment for him. Which again, I would not expect. Literally the most famous professional wrestling referee in history, Earl Hebner to still have [such strong] feelings. I wouldn’t expect him to care. But he absolutely did.”
Watch our full interview with ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey below:
