Wardlow revealed that he wrestled a Blood and Guts match while hiding an injury from the AEW medical staff!
Prior to officially becoming All Elite and his eventual TNT Championship win, Wardlow was in the employ of MJF during the beginning of his time with AEW. Back in May of 2021, the MJF-led Pinnacle took on Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle at the company’s first Blood and Guts match which served as the main event of that week’s Dynamite.
Speaking to Athletes and the Arts, Wardlow revealed that he wrestled in that Blood and Guts match while hiding the fact that he had a torn calf muscle.
“I am wrestling year-round with injuries. I got in trouble with Doc, actually, one time because I didn’t tell anybody about a torn calf that blew doing sprints because I was getting prepared for Blood & Guts and I wasn’t going to miss that match for nothing. So, I hid it and I wrestled with a completely torn calf.”
Wardlow’s dedication paid off, and the Pinnacle was able to defeat the Inner Circle. While the match was praised for its action and brutality, it was criticized for a spot at the end that saw Chris Jericho thrown off the top of the cage as his landing on a crash pad didn’t come across well on television. Despite the crash pad landing, Jericho suffered an arm injury in the aftermath of the hellacious fall.
h/t WrestlingInc