AEW’s Mike Bailey reveals ‘five-year ban’ almost made him quit wrestling
Former AEW Trios Champion Mike Bailey recalled his struggles as a professional wrestler and revealed an incident that almost made him quit the sport.
Recently appearing in an interview with TMZ Sports’ Inside The Ring, Bailey reflected on the USA work visa issues he once faced and was banned from entering the country for five years.
“There was a brief moment where in 2015, I had a real breakout year in the US independent scene with PWG and Evolve, and CZW, and excelling in companies like that. And then I was stopped at the border and banned from the US for five years because I didn’t have the work visa. Boring details, but the story is what matters. I couldn’t come to the US for five years,” Bailey said.
The 36-year-old Canadian citizen revealed that his growth in the indie scene came to a halt. While he saw his colleagues work for big promotions, he had to find his love for the game.
“So after seeing the path that wrestlers were taking and hoping to get a shot at the major companies at the time, being told, ‘Yeah, those companies that are offering big money contracts, you’re not gonna be able to work for those for five years.’ I had a very, very brief moment where I was like, ‘Hmm, maybe this isn’t gonna work out after all.’ But then I remembered I had already been doing this for 10 years, and it’s not like those first 10 years had been very profitable at all. I was a professional wrestler, and I did professional wrestling because I loved it. And I was gonna keep doing it no matter what.
“I got very fortunate in that I was able to pick up enough momentum that I was able to just take my career over to Japan, Europe, and Mexico and gain as much momentum until that five-year ban was up, and then be able to sign with one of the major companies in America and get a US work visa,” Bailey recalled.
A couple of years ago, in 2024, Mike Bailey parted ways with TNA Wrestling before joining AEW in 2025. He has been a part of the All Elite roster since then and also makes active independent appearances.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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