Speedball Mike Bailey has offered an on-screen explanation for why he and Andrade El Idolo did not join the group of wrestlers who ran out to aid Will Ospreay and Adam Copeland during a Don Callis Family attack on the October 21 edition of AEW Dynamite.
The closing stretch of the situation followed a tag team bout that saw Ospreay team with Copeland against Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight. After the match, members of the Don Callis Family surrounded Ospreay and Copeland and began a beatdown. Several names eventually arrived to make the save, including Darby Allin and Steven Borden.
Notably absent, however, were Bailey and Andrade, who have been aligned with Ospreay as part of United Empire. Their absence stood out amid an angle centered on Ospreay being overwhelmed by a hostile group, particularly with the Blood and Guts match looming on the horizon.
During his latest vlog, Bailey acknowledged that he had seen the beginning of Ospreay’s match and then realized his United Empire ally had been attacked afterward. He said his own preparations for a match prevented him from getting involved in time, while he jokingly speculated about where Andrade may have been.
For more background on this topic, read Mike Bailey Praises Ilja Dragunov After AEW Dynamite Main Event, Keeps Focus on Singles Gold.
“I just saw Will, by the way, I want to apologize to Will Ospreay that I filmed the beginning of his match, and then afterwards, he was promptly surrounded by members of the Don Callis Family. Unfortunately, I was getting ready for my match. Andrade, I assume, was with a lady. Maybe not a lady, maybe with someone. Or maybe he wasn’t, I don’t know. That’s just where I assume he was. I assume that he was already on a boat somewhere with friends, taking selfies as he does. But yeah, Blood and Guts is gonna be extremely exciting, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Bailey Addresses A Noticeable Gap In The Save
Bailey’s comments provide a character-driven answer to a question that naturally emerged from the post-match scene. When a wrestler is targeted by an established enemy faction, the absence of allies can become as meaningful to viewers as the people who do make the rescue. In this case, United Empire’s nonappearance was particularly visible because Ospreay was left vulnerable following a match involving Fletcher, one of the members of the group attacking him.
Bailey did not present his explanation as a refusal to help Ospreay. Instead, he framed it as a matter of timing: he was occupied with getting ready for his own bout and was therefore not in position to respond when the Don Callis Family descended on Ospreay and Copeland.
His remarks regarding Andrade were deliberately more playful and uncertain. Bailey made clear that he was assuming rather than stating where Andrade was, floating the possibility that Andrade was spending time with someone or was already “on a boat somewhere with friends” taking selfies. The comments were not a confirmed update on Andrade’s whereabouts, but rather Bailey’s lighthearted attempt to account for his partner’s absence.
That distinction matters as the situation develops. Bailey explained his own position directly, but he did not claim to have spoken for Andrade or know exactly why Andrade did not reach the ring. The only firm point from Bailey’s vlog was that neither man joined the eventual rescue during the attack.
Ospreay And Copeland Were Targeted After Tag Team Action
The sequence began after Ospreay and Copeland faced Fletcher and Kevin Knight in tag team competition. The immediate aftermath shifted attention away from the match itself and toward the escalating issue with the Don Callis Family.
With Ospreay and Copeland being beaten down, AEW presented a familiar but important visual: a numbers advantage for the attacking faction, followed by allies and other wrestlers arriving to halt the assault. Darby Allin and Steven Borden were among those who made their way out, helping turn the tide despite the absence of Bailey and Andrade.
For Ospreay, the angle further reinforces the danger posed by the Don Callis Family ahead of Blood and Guts. The group was able to create a chaotic post-match environment and force a response from multiple wrestlers. Even though the save ultimately prevented the attack from continuing unchecked, Ospreay and Copeland had already been placed at a significant disadvantage.
The episode also left a clear opening for Bailey and Andrade to address their nonappearance. Bailey has now done so from his perspective, using the explanation to reiterate that he is looking forward to Blood and Guts rather than suggesting there is a divide within United Empire.
Blood And Guts Adds Stakes To The Don Callis Family Conflict
Bailey’s closing reference to Blood and Guts is the most forward-looking portion of his response. He called the match “extremely exciting” and said he was looking forward to it, indicating that the recent attack has not reduced his interest in joining the wider fight against the Don Callis Family.
Blood and Guts is built around faction warfare, making the alliances surrounding Ospreay especially relevant. The October 21 attack underscored the strength in numbers available to the Don Callis Family, while the rescue illustrated that Ospreay has support elsewhere on the roster. Bailey and Andrade being unavailable on that occasion does not erase their connection to Ospreay, but it does leave their expected role in the coming conflict as a point of interest.
AEW has not established through Bailey’s comments that either member of United Empire intentionally left Ospreay and Copeland to deal with the attack alone. Bailey’s account is much simpler: he was preparing for his own match, while his comments on Andrade were speculative and humorous. Still, in wrestling storylines, a missed save can linger as a talking point until the people involved address it together in the ring.
For now, Bailey appears focused on the bigger picture. Rather than dwelling on the missed opportunity to support Ospreay on Dynamite, he emphasized anticipation for the high-stakes match ahead. That keeps the attention on the escalating Don Callis Family issue and the prospect of more direct confrontation.
What Bailey’s Comments Do — And Do Not — Confirm
Bailey’s vlog comments answer one central question while leaving another unresolved. His own explanation is straightforward: he was getting ready for a match when Ospreay was surrounded. That is Bailey’s reason for not appearing in the rescue.
Andrade’s reason remains less definite. Bailey offered guesses, not confirmation, and openly acknowledged that he did not know whether his joking theory was accurate. As a result, there is no stated indication from Bailey that Andrade had a specific issue with Ospreay, Copeland, or the United Empire alliance.
What is certain is that the Don Callis Family’s assault succeeded in creating further tension around Ospreay before Blood and Guts. Ospreay and Copeland found themselves outnumbered after their match with Fletcher and Knight. Allin, Borden, and others came to their aid. Bailey and Andrade did not arrive, and Bailey has now supplied an explanation that mixes a practical reason for his own absence with a joke about his teammate.
Whether United Empire is present the next time Ospreay needs assistance remains to be seen. Bailey’s comments, though, make his current outlook clear: he is looking ahead to Blood and Guts and expects the looming confrontation to be one of AEW’s most exciting upcoming battles.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.