Wardlow says he’s “very, very happy” with AEW, but he hasn’t closed the door on working for WWE one day.

The 34-year-old fighter from Middlefield, Ohio has made quite a name for himself in AEW. After a years-long storyline as MJF’s hired gun, Wardlow is finally doing things on his own terms.

Wardlow been racking up win and after win. With a record of 14-2 this year, Wardlow now has his sights on Scorpio Sky’s TNT Championship.

Wardlow Addresses WWE

Wardlow took part in a virtual autograph signing for K&S WrestleFest and addressed the possibility of jumping to WWE one day:

“I’m very very happy where I am. I never say never about anything in life, but as of right now, I’m very happy where I am.”

– Wardlow

It would be foolish for Wardlow to say he’d never join WWE, because you never know what the future holds. However, he really does seem happy working for Tony Khan.

Last month, Wardlow appeared on the Superstar Crossover podcast and said even he can’t believe how well his AEW run is going.

“I think even this is exceeding my expectations,” he said. “I couldn’t have wrote myself a better future than what I’m currently living. Or I guess I should say I couldn’t have wrote a better reality for what I’m currently living. I wouldn’t change a single thing that has happened or a single thing that is happening right now.”

Wardlow a success story for AEW, in terms of homegrown talent. His slow-burn storyline with MJF paid off and fans have gotten behind him in a big way.

With his size, agility and charisma, it should as no surprise that WWE is already interested in Wardlow.

Wardlow has no interest in discussing MJF.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman was the talk of the wrestling world when he no-showed a meet and greet just one day before the Double or Nothing PPV. Conflicting reports later surfaced regarding a flight out of Las Vegas before the show.

Ultimately, MJF showed up at the PPV event and did the job for Wardlow.

Just days later on AEW Dynamite, MJF cut a shoot-style promo where he called AEW President Tony Khan a “f*cking mark.” AEW is running with the storyline but many are wondering where it will go as MJF hasn’t been seen on TV since cutting that promo.

Wardlow Doesn’t Care About MJF Situation

During a K&S WrestleFest signing, Wardlow answered fan questions and naturally, the topic of MJF was brought up.

“Next question,” Wardlow replied when first asked about MJF.

He then said he has no clue about what’s going on with the MJF angle and he isn’t concerned about it.

“I know nothing about nothing. Nobody knows. I don’t care. I personally don’t care. Nobody knows.”

Wardlow on MJF situation

Finally, Wardlow said that pretty much all AEW stars cut promos to their liking as long as the end goal is met.

“For the most part, we write our own (material). They just hand us microphones and we go out there and say what we want. There’s really no monitoring what we say when we go out there,” he said.

Wardlow had served as MJF’s bodyguard on AEW TV. After being mistreated for months, Wardlow finally had enough and turned on Maxwell.

Despite the turn, he couldn’t get his hands on MJF until Double or Nothing where he decimated him with a series of Powerbombs before scoring the pinfall.

Quotes via Fightful

One of the main goals of Wardlow is to help grow AEW in all directions. This includes helping the company boost their female viewership as well.

The heavyweight recently had an interview with Forbs. He talked about things such as his early days in wrestling, getting paid $5 for shows and more.

Speaking about his goals in the company, Wardlow said that he is very in tune with numbers. He explained that his main goal is to help expand the viewership numbers in all categories, including the female viewership:

“I’m very in tune with numbers, and my main goal for AEW is, I want to be the reason we have more viewers. I want to be the reason the female viewership goes up.

I want to be the reason that 18-49 demographic goes up.” said Wardlow, “I want to be the reason our ratings are higher,”

• Wardlow Says His Rise In AEW Has Even Exceeded His Own Expectations

The former IWC star also discussed the recent influx of talent in AEW. Some fans are not happy with outside stars taking the spotlight from talents such as him but the AEW star explained that it’s good for them.

He mentioned how someone like CM Punk brings a lot more eyes to the product. The former Pinnacle member said that it’ll only help the company grow and put more eyes on talents who have taken a backseat when they start getting pushed again.

When you think of wrestling’s biggest ever stars, two names likely to come to mind are The Rock and Hogan.

The Rock has transcended wrestling to become a leading man in Hollywood, while Hogan, for good or bad, is still known around the world.

Almost every wrestler wants to reach the same kind of heights as the “Brahma Bull or “The Hulkster,” but there’s one name who could have the potential to be the next breakout star.

The next Rock and Hogan

Hardy has seen plenty of big names come and go throughout his decades in the wrestling industry and right now, he’s particularly high on AEW’s Wardlow.

Speaking to Drinks With Johnny, Hardy praised the young powerhouse in a discussion about whether any wrestlers today could have the mainstream appeal as Rock or Hogan.

“I feel like Wardlow’s is a guy that might have that possibility here in AEW. I think he’s very special, he’s a good-looking dude, chicks love him, he’s super athletic and talented. You have a guy like that and hopefully, that does elevate the view of a company and kind of their status where they can grow and become more mainstream or whatever.”

Wardlow has been on the rise in AEW with his biggest win so far coming at last month’s Double or Nothing, where he handily defeated MJF.

What’s next for Wardlow?

On this week’s AEW Dynamite, Wardlow made it clear that he has his eyes on the TNT Championship.

Despite being in AEW for over two years now, Wardlow has yet to hold any gold as he has spent most of his career as MJF’s bodyguard.

Today marks Scorpio Sky’s 53rd day during this second reign (91 days overall) and with the MJF story finished, Wardlow could indeed be next in line for a shot at the gold.

The highly anticipated match between MJF and Wardlow did take place as scheduled at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event despite the speculation regarding MJF’s status for the show. 

The match had the stipulation that if Wardlow won then he’ll be free from the contract that he signed with MJF, but if MJF won then Wardlow can never sign with AEW. MJF was heavily booed by the fans, who chanted “he showed up.” MJF did a hurricanrana and MJF sold his leg like an injury. MJF tried to use the diamond ring, but was caught. Wardlow hit over 5 powerbombs in a row for the win. MJF was stretched from ringside. 

Over the last 24 hours, MJF’s status has been the main point of conversation after he no-showed Saturday’s Fan Fest meet and greet. AEW has yet to comment publicly on the situation. Then he booked a flight out of Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night to Newark, NJ, but didn’t get on the plane and stayed in Las Vegas. 

Earlier this month, it was reported by Fightful that MJF is leaning towards leaving AEW when his contract expires in 2024. MJF signed a five-year deal with AEW in 2019.

AEW President Tony Khan spoke about MJF’s contract situation being mentioned on screen during a media call ahead of Double or Nothing and stated that he thinks it’s great that MJF has been able to address some real-life grievances and air his actual status. 

It looks like the first match on the AEW Double or Nothing 2022 card has been revealed.

AEW DoN will be taking place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight (May 29). An AEW World Title match is set between Hangman Adam Page and CM Punk.

There are plenty of other matches such as a three-team tag title match, an AEW Women’s Title match, and much more.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated is reporting that opening the PPV portion of the card will be MJF vs. Wardlow.

“Double or Nothing pay per view is currently scheduled to be MJF vs. Wardlow.

“Young Bucks-Hardys is second, then Jade Cargill-Anna Jay. Anarchy in the Arena is two before the main event, which is Hangman-Punk.”

MJF vs. Wardlow is an interesting opener given the circumstances.

Maxwell no-showed AEW Fan Fest on Saturday. It was reported that AEW officials initially couldn’t contact him.

It’s been said that things got ugly between the two sides and there was a possibility that MJF could’ve taken a flight out of Las Vegas but ultimately stayed.

The AEW Double or Nothing PPV will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

AEW has pulled a Twitter post hyping up MJF vs. Wardlow.

Tonight (May 29), Double or Nothing will take place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. AEW has been building a long-term storyline with MJF and Wardlow that is expected to be paid off tonight.

The problem is, Maxwell Jacob Friedman and AEW have been having major issues as of late.

Here is the tweet from AEW that has since been removed advertising the match:

For those who have been out of the loop the past 24 hours, MJF no-showed a meet and greet scheduled for the AEW Fan Fest on Saturday. PWInsider reported that initially, AEW officials couldn’t contact him.

Fightful later reported that MJF had a flight booked out of Las Vegas for late Saturday night. The report noted that it wasn’t known whether or not he’d actually board the flight.

PWInsider followed this up, reporting that MJF remained in Las Vegas and did not board the flight to Newark, New Jersey.

For what it’s worth, AEW has posted a hype video on its official YouTube channel for MJF vs. Wardlow within the past hour and as of this writing, that hasn’t been taken down.

Shawn Spears believes he made Wardlow.

When MJF, who is currently involved in a program with Wardlow, was feuding with CM Punk and it was Spears who was Wardlow’s accounta-bilibuddy, staying by his side and giving him advice.

While everyone’s attention was on the feud between MJF and Punk, Spears believes he was busy making Wardlow a star during that time.

Speaking to Mark Henry on Busted Open, Spears said that he helped Wardlow because he lacked experience but now the rising star bit the hand that fed him and wants to go his own way (as transcribed by Fightful):

“Here’s my problem. Okay. In the midst of Max feuding with CM Punk, arguably the biggest feud of the year, arguably the biggest feud of the past five years, there was an underbelly story taking place, and that was with Wardlow and myself. That guy went on a tear. That guy started to get very over, the crowd started responding to Wardlow in the most positive way possible,” Spears said.

“Why do you think that is? If you look at the common denominator, I was by his side, every single second that that was taking place,” Spears explained. “I was the guy in his ear giving him the advice. One thing Wardlow lacks is experience. The guy is talented, the guy is big, the guy is strong, the guy checks almost every single box in this industry, except one, and they can help right now it’s not his fault. He doesn’t have the experience that I have.”

Spears went further on and said that when a rookie reaches a certain level of popularity, they start thinking they are too big for the industry and are better than everyone else. Spears thinks Wardlow did the same when he started getting popular with fans.

“Wardlow turned around and he bit the hand that fed him. We made him a star and now, he just ups and wants to go on his own way. You want to do your own thing? Go ahead. Go ahead, go do your own thing and see how that works out for you,” Spears stated.

Spears also added that Wardlow has turned his back on him and it’s going to cost Wardlow. He praised MJF, likening him to Cody Rhodes, who according to Spears, understands the business. Spears also clarified that he isn’t fighting for MJF’s admiration.

Shawn Spears will go against Wardlow with MJF present as the referee. This is part of the conditions that MJF made Wardlow agree to if he wants to face him at Double or Nothing. Wardlow has to get whipped by MJF ten times and then has to defeat Spears in a steel cage match. If he wins, Wardlow will get his match against MJF. But if he loses, he can never sign with AEW.

Wardlow is currently feuding with MJF and is set to meet him for a contract signing at tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Long Island. The contract signing will also reveal when a match will take place. It’s most likely to be set for the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event on May 29.

AEW President Tony Khan discussed Wardlow and his contract while speaking to Barstool Rasslin’. He said that the storyline has evoked a lot of interest from fans (as transcribed by SEScoops):

“It’s the evil genius that is MJF, I think, at work. I mean, you’re seeing what he has done to Wardlow is tormenting the guy, and it’s been very compelling to see. Unfortunately, that’s kinda the evil mastermind at work,” Khan said.

READ MORE: Wardlow Says His Rise In AEW Has Even Exceeded His Own Expectations

Wardlow makes his entrance with handcuffs and no music and it is something that is different and sets Wardlow and his presentation apart. Tony Khan is pleased with the way everything comes together every week on Dynamite.

Khan said things have shaped up well for the upcoming big match as there is a contract signing tonight. He added that it’s a big night to see how the crowd reacts to Wardlow as he’s going against his boss, MJF, who holds Wardlow’s future in his hands. Khan said it’s gonna be really interesting because of the conditions in the contract.

Khan was asked if he has considered buying Wardlow’s contract from MJF since he can afford to.

“MJF’s family has a lot of money. To be fair, I am making smart business decisions for the company,” said Khan. “Wardlow is still performing for the company right now and it’s on MJF’s dime. We’ve worked with a lot of people through the Forbidden Door so this is no different.”

Elsewhere on the show, matches for The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s and Women’s Tournaments will take place, and FTW Champion Ricky Starks will defend his title against AEW World Tag Team Champion Jungle Boy.

The Superstar Crossover program recently conducted an interview with rising AEW superstar Wardlow, and his thoughts on his current feud with MJF.

The two men are set to meet for a contract signing at tomorrow’s AEW Dynamite from Long Island, where it will be revealed when a match will take place, most likely at the May 29th Double or Nothing pay-per-view. When speaking about MJF Mr. Mayhem states that the thought of hitting him with the Powerbomb Symphony makes him drool.

“Dude, the thought of powerbombing Max makes me drool.It’s literally, I obsess over it. I cannot wait to powerbomb that kid. I’m going to powerbomb him until my arms go numb.”

Later Wardlow discusses his journey in AEW, admitting that his slow rise to the top could not have been written better, nor would there be any aspects of it that he would change.

“I think even this is exceeding my expectations. I couldn’t have wrote myself a better future than what I’m currently living. Or I guess I should say I couldn’t have wrote a better reality for what I’m currently living. I wouldn’t change a single thing that has happened or a single thing that is happening right now.”

Since making his AEW debut and joining MJF back in 2019 Wardlow has been featured in some marquee matchups in the company’s short history. He wrestled against Cody Rhodes in the very first AEW cage match, he stood toe-to-toe with CM Punk and would have defeated the Chicago Savior had it not been for MJF, and he won the Brass Ring Ladder Match at Revolution 2022 earlier this year.

Watch Wardlow’s appearance on Superstar Crossover with Josh Martinez:

Quotes via WrestleZone

Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s parents are not happy with their son.

“The Nicest Guy In Pro Wrestling” turns 26 today, March 15th. While most parents would celebrate their son’s birthday, MJF parents expressed disappointment in their son’s recent attitude.

Nina and Steven Friedman posted pictures of their son on Twitter with some not-so-kind words about him. (The tweets should be taken as a joke, but they continues MJF’s gimmick of his parents being unhappy with him.)

Nina tweeted a photo of MJF that said, “Happy Birthday to this once….SWEET, ADORABLE, LOVING, ANGELIC, INNOCENT BABY BOY! I don’t know what the FU#% happened to you or where you went, but today I will choose to remember this child and pray he will be back someday soon!”

Steven father wrote that he hopes MJF’s birthday “SUCKS!!”

Capt. Shawn Dean Mocks MJF

Another person that took a shot at MJF on Twitter was Capt. Shawn Dean, which could turn into a match on AEW.

Dean hopes to remind MJF that he did defeat him at AEW Dynamite on Jan 5., despite it being by disqualification. In the match, CM Punk gave the Captain a GTS to make the referee disqualify MJF. Dean’s win also gave MJF his first loss of the year.

MJF refuses to acknowledge that the Captain defeated him. Regardless, Dean mocked MJF with a Happy Birthday video and showed off a T-shirt that says: “I Beat You and You Know It.” It’s unclear if AEW is interested in having a rematch or a feud between the two. However, Dean does point out that MJF has had a difficult start to his 2022 year in AEW, which the company could use for another feud for MJF.

What’s Next For MJF After CM Punk?

MJF is in a unique situation in AEW. He seemingly finished his feud with CM Punk in defeat at AEW Revolution on Mar. 7. The loss to CM Punk has also removed MJF from the AEW world title picture.

It’s unclear what his employers have planned for MJF. His former bodyguard Wardlow has moved on from him and is the number one contender for the TNT Champion. AEW has teased tension between the two for several months. It’s possible MJF could feud with Wardlow next, potentially with the TNT Championship at stake.

Wardlow thinks that he is going to be the one to win the Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match because of his love for ladder matches.

At AEW Revolution 2022 on March 6, Wardlow will be competing in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match. He is set to take on Powerhouse Hobbs, Keith Lee, Ricky Starks, Orange Cassidy, and Christian Cage in that match.

The winner of the match receives a TNT Championship opportunity at AEW Dynamite on March 16 in San Antonio, Texas.

Wardlow Loves Jeff Hardy & Ladders

‘Mr. Mayhem’ appeared on Wrestling Inc. Daily with Nick Hausman. He opened up and explained that he was a Jeff Hardy fan growing up which led to him playing on ladders from a young age. 

The Pinnacle member explained, “I am oddly qualified for this match and experiences. I grew up a very big Jeff Hardy fan, so I grew up on ladders. I was in my backyard climbing and jumping off ladders my whole life and I’ve been in a ladder match before that I was victorious and it’s one of my favorite matches that I had on the indies… So I know people don’t expect the big man to be qualified for a ladder match, but I’m – People are going to be surprised how fast I move up that ladder.” 

• AEW Revolution 2022 Match Card, Date & Time, How To Watch

H/T to Jeremy Lambert of Fightful for the transcription

Wardlow has been on MJF’s side from his start in AEW but things haven’t been so good between these two Pinnacle members recently.

The company has been teasing a potential feud between these two talents for a while and the heavyweight star is not denying the possibility either.

During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Wardlow discussed how MJF loves adjusting his contract. He admitted that it has started to get under his skin:

“He loves adjusting my contract. He seems to make changes to it weekly, which is starting to get under my skin a little bit. But we’ve been together for two years, he pays me to watch his back. So, you know, that’s technically my job.”

Wardlow said that he will continue to do his job but on the question of a potential match with the Pinnacle leader, he claimed that his contract with MJF isn’t forever:

“So I will continue to do so as long as I’m under contract to do so. Because that’s my job. I do my job, and I do it well. But who knows what happens? I know that contract isn’t forever. So who knows what will happen down the road.”

MJF is currently feuding with CM Punk. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the culmination of the feud leads to the end of his association with Wardlow as well.

• WWE Reportedly Interested In AEW Star Wardlow

Watch Wardlow’s interview with Chris Van Vliet:

H/T to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

The feud between MJF and Wardlow has been simmering for a couple of years now. The two on-screen partners have been building up to a split for pretty much the entire duration of AEW — one of the longest term stories that the company has told.

That split seems to finally be coming sooner rather than later. We saw MJF cost Wardlow a match against CM Punk on Dynamite two weeks ago, and with Dynamite taking place in Wardlow’s hometown of Cleveland this week, many are wondering if we could see that split finally take place.

MJF continues to build up heat for that eventual turn, most recently Sunday afternoon on Twitter.

MJF took it upon himself to wish a Happy Birthday to Will Hobbs in a way that read like a shot to Wardlow.

“Happy birthday to the best big man in AEW by a country mile,” MJF wrote.

• Wardlow: My Contract With MJF Won’t Last Forever

One can’t overstate just how well the build has been to the eventual moment when the turn for Wardlow against MJF takes place. The crowd is sure to give it a massive reaction, especially if it occurs in his hometown this week. Everyone involved in the story has built Wardlow up into a cool character with an unstoppable feel around him, including Punk in the match two weeks ago. Of course, MJF, the top heel in AEW and arguably the entire business, has played his role perfectly in the build throughout.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Wardlow’s winning streak will be put to the test tonight on AEW Dynamite. The big man will take on CM Punk, as a service to his employer, MJF.

According to WrestleVotes, Wardlow has caught the attention of WWE officials. The company is interested in signing him away from AEW, if and when he becomes a free agent.

“With his biggest match to date happening later tonight, I can confirm, without hesitation, that WWE will be extremely interested in luring Wardlow away from AEW when his contract is due. There are several people within World Wrestling Entertainment that LOVE his potential,” WrestleVotes Tweeted.

Mr. Mayhem’s storyline employer, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, is also on WWE’s radar. Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast recently said executives at both Fox and USA were interested in WWE signing MJF.

”It almost worked the corporate side of stuff on USA and even Fox,” said Zarian of MJF mentioning a bidding war for him in 2024. “It perked their ears like ‘hey, this guy is really good. Is his contract ending in 2024? Is that true? There have been conversations and I know WWE is very interested in him.”

Wardlow’s Alliance with MJF Won’t Last Forever

Wardlow is the hired gun of MJF, in AEW storylines. Over the past several months, AEW has teased that Wardlow is getting fed up with MJF and may break off on his own at some point.

During a recent appearance on Busted Open, Wardlow said his agreement with MJF won’t last forever.

“MJF and I, we strictly have a business relationship,” said Wardlow. “That’s all it’s ever been, that’s all it ever will be. 

“He pays me to make sure his jaw isn’t wired shut and thus far, his win record and the fact that he’s still talking his sh*t every week I think I’ve done pretty well at my job. However, that contract isn’t forever and the way he treats people, we’ll see what the future holds with that.”

Do you think Wardlow is a better fit for AEW or WWE? Let us know in the comments.

Wardlow knows that he won’t be by MJF’s side for eternity.

MJF has been relying on the assistance of Wardlow but he doesn’t always treat his bodyguard with respect. In fact, there have been numerous times where Wardlow appeared to be on the brink of snapping due to MJF’s passive-aggressive tone.

Nonetheless, Wardlow remains by MJF’s side. With that said, the leader of The Pinnacle would be wise to watch his back.

Is the Split Inevitable?

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Wardlow said that his relationship with MJF has always been solely business but the deal won’t stick around forever.

“MJF and I, we strictly have a business relationship,” said Wardlow. “That’s all it’s ever been, that’s all it ever will be.

“He pays me to make sure his jaw isn’t wired shut and thus far, his win record and the fact that he’s still talking his sh*t every week I think I’ve done pretty well at my job. However, that contract isn’t forever and the way he treats people, we’ll see what the future holds with that.”

“I will be the future CM Punk, the future Bryan Danielson…I’m gonna be above and beyond that, because look at me.”

– Wardlow

Working Hard to be Wardlow

Wardlow is undoubtedly in tremendous shape. He admitted that maintaining his physique is no easy task.

“It’s a full-time job. It truly is the hardest part of this job is dieting and maintaining this type of shape. You have to cook your meals and you have to pack them with you and you have to travel with meals.”

“If it’s time to eat in the middle of a flight, sorry everyone around me I’m opening up a container full of rice and ground beef or bison or salmon and everybody’s gotta deal with it cause it’s time to eat. You have to do what you have to do.”

MJF and Wardlow will both be in action on Wednesday’s Winter is Coming edition of AEW Dynamite.

Wardlow will battle Matt Sydal, while MJF faces Dante Martin to determine which man gets possession of the Dynamite Diamond ring.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

Maxwell Jacob Friedman spoke with Renee Paquette and Miesha Tate on Monday’s edition of Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha on Sirius XM.

MJF was there to promote Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite from the UBS Arena on Long Island, NY. Renee introduced him as one of the 4 pillars of AEW and one of the best sh*t talkers in all of professional wrestling. MJF called the introduction “mid” and proceeded to introduce himself in typical MJF fashion.

When asked how it feels to have an AEW event in his home town, MJF says it feels great. Long Island is his home, it’s where the best people live and it’s the most magical place in the world. If you live there, you know MJF. He expects a huge ovation on Wednesday and wrestling fans will finally get to see how he should be treated everywhere.

On Wednesday, he expects to win his third consecutive Dynamite Diamond Ring battle royal. Unlike CM Punk, he won’t struggle to win.

Long Island Homecoming

MJF said that when he’s on the road, there’s oddly a perception that he’s not a good guy. In reality, he’s salt of the earth and the fine people of Long Island understand that. He can’t wait to have a packed arena of fans chanting his name.

MJF called his mother a disgusting skank and a huge glory hog, if we’re being honest. Everything is always about her. You’d think it’s enough for her to say that she raised a god. She always wants more and it’s disheartening.

Does MJF have any haters on Long Island? It might come as a shock, but in his hometown, he’s known as a hometown hero. People call him, “The King of Long Island.” No issues here, but he has issues when he leaves and has to deal with the poors and the fats.

MJF celebrated Hanukkah alone this year with his cat, Piper. He chose to not spend time with his family, because they just want this autograph so they can sell it on eBay.

When asked if he has a lot of friends, he said the Pinnacle are his friends. Shawn Spears, FTR, great guys. “Wardlow? Ehh. But the rest of em? Love them.”

His Beef With CM Punk

MJF explained that he’s got beef with CM Punk because Punk disrespected him. He tried to be respectful. He offered Punk his hand to shake. He tried his best. Not many people can say CM Punk offered to shake their hand. Instead of being a man, Punk walked away and snubbed him. He believes Punk should be shaking his hand for making him relevant again.

CM Punk recently said that Britt Baker should replace MJF as one of the Four Pillars of AEW. Baker’s significant other Adam Cole recently did an interview and said he’ll sock MJF in the face if he talks about her again.

“All respect to the Boom Boy,” MJF said of Adam Cole. “You know, Adam, Adam’s a great, great guy. I don’t have a problem with Adam. My problem is with Punk.”

MJF says Punk doesn’t care about younger talent. He’s working with up and comers to steal their spotlight. Punk needs the rub from MJF, but he’s not so sure that Punk has earned that respect.

Miesha Tate asked MJF about CM Punk’s short-lived UFC career. MJF actually gave Punk some credit for venturing outside pro wrestling. You won’t see MJF fighting in an MMA cage. “God bless him, he went for it. but if he’s in the ring with me, the same outcome will happen. He’ll be left a bloody mess.”

MJF on The Miz

CM Punk recently compared MJF to a low-rent version of WWE Superstar The Miz. Renee asked MJF what he thinks about The Miz.

“The Miz is a tremendous, tremendous performer,” he said. He then made the distinction, “I am a professional wrestler.”

When Renee said she’s a big Miz fan, MJF replied, “How could you not be? The guy is gold on the stick. In the ring, very solid too. If I’m being completely fair here, I’m not talking shit – it’s just factual. There are no holes in my game. And that is not a jab at Miz. Miz is great. But he’s not me.”

MJF said guys like Bryan Danielson, CM Punk and Kenny Omega are great, but they’re all lacking something. There’s nothing that MJF can’t do.

MJF grew tired of the “softball” questions and told Renee to give him something good. She asked what it’s going to look like when his AEW contract expires in 2024.

MJF said there’s a lot of intruiging match-ups for him outside of AEW. A lot of people want to see him wrestle guys like The Miz, Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns. They might get their wish, if Tony Khan doesn’t shell out the right type of cash. He told people to expect the greatest bidding war in the history of our sport.

Catch AEW Dynamite this Wednesday night on TNT and listen to Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha Monday afternoons on Sirius XM.

Wardlow is the latest guest on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The ‘muscle’ of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle spoke to Aubrey Edwards and Tony Schiavone about his journey to AEW, his tryout with WWE and more.

Wardlow was introduced to AEW as the bodyguard of MJF. The 32-year-old from Cleveland, Ohio’s first match for the company took place on February 19th. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as he faced Cody Rhodes inside a steel cage. Wardlow says he has virtually no memory of that night, despite the effect it had to solidify him as a devastating force inside the ring.

“It’s like that whole evening and match is like a blackout. I don’t remember the entrance. The only thing I really remember is when I was standing in the ring, and Cody and I were squaring off when the bell rang.”

Wardlow’s WWE Tryout

Prior to joining AEW, Wardlow had a tryout for WWE. He believes he “smoked” the tryout and could not believe how unprofessional and disinterested some of the other participants were.

“I was literally the only dude there in a suit. It was mind blowing. Dudes are there in shorts and t-shirts. That’s because they’re not recruiting wrestlers. They’re recruiting ex-NFL athletes or college wrestlers, people that have never watched wrestling.”

He felt sick to his stomach knowing that some of these guys were getting multiple tryouts with WWE and didn’t even like the sport. Wardlow was so confident WWE would hire him that he sold his house, motorcycle and possessions expecting to move to Florida for training. He was floored when they decided against signing him.

“I’m Not An Entertainer”

Wardlow ultimately signed with All Elite Wrestling and hasn’t looked back. He knows exactly who he is and what he is capable of. He is still hovering in the background of MJF and Chris Jericho, but it’s only a matter of time before he takes center stage.

“Wrestling for me, you know, this is what I do. This is what I know. This is very real to me. When I get out there, I’m competing. I’m an athlete. I’m a wrestler. I’m not an entertainer. I’m not an artist. You know, when I’m out there, am I entertaining? Absolutely. Do I create art? Art of war, sure. I’ll create a painting with their blood.”

You can listen to Wardlow’s appearance on AEW Unrestricted at Omny.fm or in the player embedded below:

All Elite Wrestling star Wardlow recently appeared on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me! Podcast. The ‘bodyguard’ of Maxwell Jacob Friedman discussed a number of topics during his time on the show.

These topics included his first match on AEW television against Cody Rhodes and MJF’s match against Chris Jericho this weekend at Full Gear. Full Gear takes place tonight (Saturday 7th November) and is available to purchase on FITE TV (for international viewers). The PPV is available on B/R Live in the United States.

Wardlow on First AEW Match

“My first match, for those that don’t know, my very first televised match was against Cody Rhodes” Wardlow began on the podcast. “[That was] in the main event, in the first ever steel cage match [on AEW programming].”

Wardlow would then discuss the pressure of being put in that position. It seems as though AEW have huge plans for the star, with his size and ability leaning towards him becoming a main event level talent down the road.

“And it…you literally couldn’t have put any more pressure on me” Wardlow continued. “But that’s when I thrive. I love pressure, I love that feeling. I’d known that I was ready for TV for a long time. I’m not gonna sit here and say I’m perfect. I still have a lot to work on. But at the end of the day? I was…I was ready for TV.”

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MJF’s ‘bodyguard’ would finish by definitively stating that he was ‘always’ ready for a platform as big as TNT. “I’ve always felt ready and prepared. I think I’m right where I belong.”

Do you think that AEW has big plans for Wardlow? Is he a potential future AEW Champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments

All Elite Wrestling star Wardlow recently appeared on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me! Podcast. The ‘bodyguard’ of Maxwell Jacob Friedman discussed a number of topics during his time on the show.

These included his first match on AEW television against Cody Rhodes and MJF’s match against Chris Jericho this Saturday at Full Gear. Full Gear takes place on Saturday 7th November and is available to purchase on FITE TV (for international viewers). The PPV is available on B/R Live in the United States.

Wardlow on The Inner Circle

“As far as my opinion, or how I feel about the Inner Circle? I’ve never been one to need a bunch of friends or need to be in a group or whatever” Wardlow stated on the podcast. “At the end of the day? I’m Max’s guy. Where Max/MJF goes? I go.”

Wardlow would talk directly about the leader of the Inner Circle, Chris Jericho. MJF and Jericho are currently feuding and will be facing each other at the aforementioned Full Gear this weekend. Wardlow would say that MJF is ‘welcome’ to join Inner Circle if he wishes, and he’ll always have his back.

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“Whatever he wants to be a part of? I’m there to have his back. At the end of the day, Chris Jericho is Chris Jericho. So to be associated with him? I don’t find any negative. I don’t think there’s any negative that could exist in that situation.”

Do you think that MJF will join Inner Circle? Do you think that Chris Jericho will end up getting booted from the group? Let us know in the comments

Arn Anderson was interviewed backstage following the conclusion of Dynamite last night. Anderson is the official manager of the Nightmare Family and is now accompanying Cody to the ring for his matches.

AEW posted the following “Coach’s Corner” video with Anderson:

Arn Anderson On Steel Cage Match Between Cody Rhodes And Wardlow

“Well, I got to tell you and I didn’t want to say this to him, I’ve been proud of Cody all along. Tonight, I’m really proud of him. He crawled into that ring with a monster, he was in for the fight of his life. Wardlow is untested, he didn’t know anything about him. You lock a man in a cage, he’s going to get violent a lot of times and he’s going to overachieve.”

“Cody Rhodes stepped up to the plate, he didn’t get a single, double, or a home run, he had a grand slam. Nothing but proud of him, can’t believe what an excellent job he did overcoming all that adversity. Man, I just feel good tonight.”

Anderson also commented on Cody’s post-match comments.

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“Well, if you were Mickey Mantle’s kid and showed up at a Little League ballpark there would be some expectations, I would think,” Anderson said. “Cody has always had people that were hard on him, people that were judging him, people were thinking that he’ll never be his Dad. Cody Rhodes is his own man and tonight he showed he’s a leader, he’s a battler, he’s a fighter, he’s a man that when he tells you something, you can believe it.”

Cody Rhodes will finally get his hands on Maxwell J. Friedman at AEW’s next pay-per-view-event, Revolution. That show takes place Saturday, February 29th from Chicago, IL.

In order to secure that match, Cody first had to accept terms set forth by MJF. He accepted those terms on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, as seen in the video embedded at the bottom of this article.

One of those terms is that Cody must battle Wardlow inside a steel cage. Cody said he knew just the place for the match to take place. AEW has since confirmed that the Cody vs. Wardlow steel cage match will take place at the February 19th edition of AEW Dynamite from Atlanta, GA.

This will be Wardlow’s AEW in-ring debut and the first cage match in AEW history.

If you’re in the Atlanta area, visit AEWTix.com for ticket information or AEW Dynamite at the State Farm Arena.

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After teasing his debut for the past few weeks, Wardlow finally made his first appearance on AEW Dynamite during this week’s episode of the show.

Chris Jericho came out during a segment on the show and he talked about beating Cody Rhodes at the Full Gear PPV this past Saturday night.

Next came MJF who turned on Cody during the PPV and he claimed that if he hadn’t thrown the towel, then Rhodes’ wrestling career would have been over.

The two go back and forth about MJF possibly joining the Inner Circle and they tease tension only to hug each other at the end. Then comes Cody Rhodes.

Cody attacks both the stars and takes out Jericho. He then turns his attention on his former protégé but as Rhodes approaches MJF, Wardlow makes his debut and attacks the former Champion from behind:

The newest AEW star then takes out Cody on MJF’s command. The segment ends with the two standing tall and MJF claiming that he is the face of All Elite Wrestling.

It’s unknown what AEW is planning for Wardlow after his debut but this segment makes it seem like he will be paired with MJF in the coming future.