Kota Ibushi to face ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 9

Kota Ibushi and Speedball Mike Bailey will soon go at it.

It was announced on Tuesday evening that Ibushi and Bailey will meet at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 9 on March 30 during WrestleMania weekend.

“It didn’t take long for someone to step up to the challenge of @ibushi_kota,” Barnett wrote on social media. “Like lightning, “Speedball”, has thrown his glove down and declared WAR.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Joey Janela announced that Ibushi would be at his Spring Break 7 event, which will take place the following day on March 31. Bailey will also be on that show, taking on El Hijo Del Vikingo.

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced on Tuesday that as of January 31, Ibushi would no longer be under NJPW contract. He hadn’t wrestled for the company since suffering a shoulder injury at the G1 Climax 2021 finals and had a public falling out with the company in 2022, with Ibushi calling out NJPW for pressuring him to return early from the injury among other issues.