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Photo Credit: AEW

‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey Pays Tribute To The Karate Kid And Chrono Trigger At AEW Dynasty 

By Bill Pritchard

‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey tried to prove he was the best around, and nothing’s gonna ever keep him down.

Bailey and Ricochet challenged Kenny Omega for the AEW International Championship at AEW Dynasty in Philadelphia. During the match, Bailey sold an injury to his left knee and favored it as the match went on. During the closing moments of the match, Bailey stood on his right leg and lifted his left foot in the air, assuming the “Crane Kick” position made famous in the classic 1984 movie, The Karate Kid. Bailey ended up connecting with the kick, cracking Ricochet right in the face. The move was not enough to score the win, however, as Omega ultimately left with his title.

‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey also paid homage to another revered brand, as his entrance attire and ring gear was inspired by Frog from the Chrono Trigger video game.

Catch up on everything that went down at AEW Dynasty here.

‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey explains his mindset behind paying homage to other brands

Bailey’s two Dynasty “Easter eggs” are just the latest forms of media that he’s paid tribute to in his work. Bailey confirmed the name of his finishing move was inspired by an episode of Adventure Time, and an outfit that he recently wore on AEW Dynamite was inspired by the Tekken character, King.

During a recent interview with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard, Bailey spoke about how he brainstorms these various homages. Does the attire come before the idea, or vice versa? As it turns out, Bailey said it’s a little bit of both.

“Yes and no. I think everything good in pro wrestling just came naturally, right? You can’t force it. I think for the most part, it’s just things that I like that kind of seep out into my art. My costumes and my gears always have some kind of specific inspiration,” Bailey explained. “It’s more about who I am as a person. I just do things that I like and when something works, I let it come naturally. I don’t force it. But I am glad that I have a platform where people recognize and appreciate that now more than ever.”

Bailey went into more detail about getting fans involved in his work, noting that you have to cater to new and dedicated fans. Despite his indie run checking in at nearly 20 years now, Bailey knows not everyone will know his work and has to take that into consideration.

Read More: ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey Reveals His Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling Mullets

Bill Pritchard
Bill Pritchard

Bill Pritchard is the Managing Editor of Wrestlezone.com. He joined the site in March 2010.

If you have a news tip, inquiry or general feedback, please feel free to e-mail him at: bill.pritchard@wrestlezone.com

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