With a new home, comes opportunities to wrestle new opponents for "Speedball" Mike Bailey. Last week, the recently-signed AEW star went toe-to-toe with Mark Davis along with a pair of fresh faces in Orange Cassidy and Ricochet in a four-way match in which the winner earned the right to challenge International Champion Kenny Omega at AEW Dynasty on April 6. During a recent interview with "The Takedown on SI," Bailey shared his thoughts on a competitor almost who made it into the four-way, that being former ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe.
"Mark Briscoe, another living legend that I've never shared the ring with, but of course, he commands respect," Bailey said. "He is a veteran; he is an icon. I think he's doing some of his best work in AEW right now. His main events with Kyle Fletcher have been some of my favorite matches that I've watched."
Over the last year, Briscoe and Kyle Fletcher have battled each other on a handful of occasions, three of which were centered in the main event of a show. Firstly, Briscoe successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Fletcher on a June 2024 episode of "ROH on HonorClub." Briscoe and Fletcher met again in the closing of "AEW Collision: Winter Is Coming," followed by the February 8 episode of "Collision."
Recently, Briscoe took on Davis in the first round of the International Championship tournament. Due to outside help from Brian Cage and Lance Archer, Davis picked up the victory to advance. In the subsequent four-man match, Bailey and Ricochet were declared the co-winners after simultaneously pinning Davis.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Takedown On SI" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
