AEW’s Mike Bailey hopes there is more diversity in pro wrestling, while also advocating for exclusive contracts not to exist.

Pro wrestlers in big companies don’t get the opportunity to wrestle for multiple promotions, with AEW being the exception, as their partnerships with NJPW and CMLL allow their stars to wrestle in those promotions too. Bailey, while understanding the need for promotions to sign their stars to exclusive contracts, says it hinders wrestlers’ progress.

“Exclusive contracts are bad for pro wrestlers, for the development. I understand there is a need for them. The ecosystem, the companies, it doesn’t work without them, and that makes sense. But if everyone in the world could wrestle absolutely anyone else regardless of contracts, just imagine the matchups you would see. Well, we can’t really have that. But the closest thing we can have is what AEW is doing, partnering up with CMLL and New Japan Pro Wrestling, and working together to showcase the best wrestlers from all over the world. I mean, it’s been a problem in professional wrestling for a long time,” he said to Adrian Hernandez.

Bailey believes that pro wrestling is changing due to partnerships among pro wrestling companies from different parts of the world. He believes that it should not be a requirement for a wrestler to be able to speak English to become a world champion, asserting that this notion is becoming outdated due to these partnerships.

“I think it’s due to partnerships like that and opening up the playing fields to literally letting anyone who is the best at pro wrestling wrestle at the very top, as it should be, and I think putting any kind of barrier on that is absolutely ridiculous. So, I think that what AEW is doing right now [is right], I mean, you can see it because other companies are following suit, is exactly what needs to happen in professional wrestling,” added Bailey.

The Canadian star wrestled around the world before joining AEW last year and continues to wrestle for CMLL and a few independent promotions.