The Road to Redemption in Montreal
The inaugural AEW Redemption pay-per-view delivered high-stakes drama on July 26, 2026, streaming live on HBO Max PPV from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1). Set against the backdrop of a passionate hockey-arena crowd, the event featured multiple championship matches and pivotal tournament qualifiers (3). Among the most anticipated matches of the evening was the opening six-way ladder clash designed to establish the undisputed number one contender for the AEW International Championship (4).
The field for the ladder match brought together some of professional wrestling’s most daring high-fliers and heavy-hitters. The participants included Jungle
Jack Perry, Komander, Nick Wayne, El Clon, The Beast Mortos, and local favorite Speedball
Mike Bailey (4). Nick Wayne and El Clon had punched their tickets to Montreal just nights prior by winning their respective qualifying bouts on AEW Collision (2). When the bell rang, the Bell Centre crowd immediately rallied behind Bailey, showering the Quebec native with a resounding standing ovation and deafening chants (4).
Inside the Carnage of the Six-Man Ladder Match
From the opening moments, bodies flew across the ring and to the outside floor as the competitors utilized multiple ladders of varying sizes to punish one another (4). The Beast Mortos functioned primarily as a powerhouse base, absorbing punishment while tossing opponents around the squared circle, though even he fell victim to the innovative offense of his rivals (4).
High spots defined the velocity and danger of the encounter. Komander walked a horizontal ladder and later executed a rope-walk dive onto Nick Wayne through a table (4). Jack Perry countered by setting up multiple tables and delivering a Canadian Destroyer through a horizontal ladder (4). The defining visual for Bailey came when he scaled the ramp and launched himself in a breathtaking moonsault from the top of a ladder onto the field outside, drawing roaring approval from the Montreal audience (4).
As all six men eventually scrambled up three separate ladders inside the ring, a mass fall sent nearly every competitor crashing to the canvas (4). Surviving the chaotic exchange, Bailey planted Beast Mortos with a double-knee moonsault in the corner before scaling the final ladder alone (4). Bailey unhooked the suspended contract to capture the victory, sparking an explosive celebration from the live crowd (4).
Decoding the International Championship Narrative
Securing the contract immediately injects Speedball Mike Bailey into the upper echelon of All Elite Wrestling's men's division, altering the landscape of the International Championship picture (4). Later in the evening at Redemption, Kyle Fletcher successfully defended the International Championship against Bandido in a grueling 25-minute classic (5). With his contract secured, Bailey immediately turned his sights toward the titleholder, calling out Kyle Fletcher for a future championship showdown (1).
Signal versus noise: While various storyline developments played out across the rest of the card—including Maya World defeating Hikaru Shida to win the TBS Championship and Andrade El Ídolo capturing the National Championship—Bailey's win represents a clean narrative pivot (1). Rather than relying on standard singles rankings or unprompted challenges, the ladder match provides an undeniable catalyst for a program between Bailey and Fletcher (4). Given their previous chemistry during a TNT Championship match on Dynamite earlier in the year, Bailey's contract win guarantees an elite in-ring pairing as AEW builds toward its upcoming international events (4).
Ultimately, the surge in attention surrounding AEW following the Montreal pay-per-view demonstrates the promotional value of using high-velocity multi-man bouts to establish clear contenders. Fans tracking the aftermath can expect the television fallout to center heavily on how Fletcher responds to Bailey's challenge, bridging the gap between the chaotic ladder match and the next major title encounter.