“Speedball” Mike Bailey is officially the newest member of the United Empire. The move was confirmed on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana.
Bailey appeared in a backstage segment alongside AEW World Champion Will Ospreay and Francesco Akira. Ospreay welcomed Bailey to the group and, once the move was official, asked him whether he had anything green to wear.
The alliance began to take shape on last Saturday’s AEW Collision. The Death Riders were attacking Andrade El Ídolo and Akira when Bailey came out with a chair and helped clear the ring. Shortly afterward, Bailey defeated Wheeler Yuta.
Bailey was hesitant at first to accept the invitation, and his history explains why. His last major partnership in AEW ended in May, when Kevin Knight turned on him and broke up JetSpeed. The two won the AEW World Trios Championship together twice.
Ospreay announced in early September that he planned to start a U.S. version of the United Empire in AEW. The group originally backed Ospreay through much of his run in Japan. Akira, Callum Newman and HENARE are among those who have appeared alongside him in AEW.
Ospreay is set to defend the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley at AEW All Out on Saturday, Sept. 26.