Mike Bailey Calls Twitter an Awful Place and Discusses Social Media in Wrestling

The Five-Year Exile and the Digital Pivot

According to interviews published by POST Wrestling and Ringside News, Bailey faced a professional crisis when he was barred from entering the United States for five years following a prior attempt to work in the country without a valid visa. Rather than vanishing from the sport’s primary market, the Canadian-born athlete executed a strategic pivot. Drawing inspiration from trailblazing compatriots like Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, Bailey built an international presence by competing across Japan, Mexico, and Europe. To bridge the geographic gap with fans in North America, he leaned heavily into digital outreach.

“If you look at all the great Canadian pro wrestlers through history, like if you look at Chris Jericho, if you look at Kenny Omega, if you look at guys like that, the story really is making it out of Canada, going around the world to build up your name and then come back,” Bailey explained to POST Wrestling. Without a presence in the biggest market for professional wrestling, Bailey realized he had to actively cultivate his personal brand to maintain a connection with American audiences.

The Double-Edged Sword of Platform Economics

While acknowledging that professional wrestling is inextricably linked to social media and that talent do themselves a disservice by ignoring it, Bailey leveled heavy criticism specifically at Twitter. The algorithm is politically biased and ruined, and most people on it are just rage baiting and bad and trolling, and it’s a terrible place,” Bailey stated.

Unlike corporate entities or government accounts, Bailey views his public profile through the lens of human accountability. He argued that performers with public notoriety carry a responsibility to push against the outrage machine by maintaining a positive, authentic dialogue with real people. This direct engagement forms a crucial layer of community identity that extends far beyond a standard television broadcast.

The Post-Broadcast Engagement Economy

Bailey argued that the traditional confines of professional wrestling have fundamentally shifted. The era of an athlete appearing exclusively for a fifteen-minute television segment each week has expired. Today’s consumers expect an interactive, continuous experience that persists long after the cameras stop rolling.

“I think the era of only being a pro wrestler 15 minutes a week on TV is gone,” Bailey told POST Wrestling. “And what people want when they see the show now, any show that is beyond like you’re fully playing a character, like a movie or a series, they want it to be an interactive experience. They want the engagement to continue once the show is over.”

This dynamic was underscored by Bailey’s immediate scheduling. Before taking the ring for the Casino Gauntlet match at AEW All In on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, Bailey appeared on the Wednesday episode of Collision taped in Glasgow, Scotland. Teaming with Chris Jericho and Komander against Mark Davis, Nick Wayne, and Tommaso Ciampa, all six competitors were slated for the high-stakes Casino Gauntlet bout in London, keeping engagement high across both television and digital ecosystems.

Entering the Casino Gauntlet at Wembley

As Bailey prepares for the Casino Gauntlet match at AEW All In, his dual perspective on social media highlights the complex reality facing modern sports entertainers.

Disclaimer: The insights provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.