Although his reception has been mixed since the night, Wardlow enjoyed a celebrated night at AEW Revolution 2022. First winning the Casino Ladder match, ‘Mr Mayhem’ subsequently turned on MJF, costing him a Dog Collar match vs. CM Punk and thus turning babyface, executing one of AEW’s slowest-built angles.
Though it was first thought about in November 2019 when Wardlow debuted as MJF’s bodyguard, it was worth waiting for. As Wardlow walked back up the Revolution aisle after he conveniently placed the Dynamite Diamond Ring within CM Punk’s reach, he oozed charisma, having cemented himself as the next ‘guy’.
Wardlow Believes His Role At Revolution Was The Best Thing He’s Done
Speaking with Eat Sleep Podcast Repeat, Wardlow has referred to the role he played in that match as the best thing he’s done in his wrestling career thus far:
“That was possibly the best moment of my career, which is crazy because earlier that night, I won the Revolution Ladder match. And that was the biggest moment of my career, and felt amazing. So it’s crazy that was overshadowed by this moment because when I sat that ring down, and I turned around and walked back up the ramp, the reaction from the crowd was so powerful. I just knew in that moment that we did it. Like we did it, and this is going to be bigger than I ever imagined.”
Wardlow’s turn on MJF was followed by two months of exquisite storytelling, concluding in him defeating ‘The Salt of the Earth’ in a matter of minutes at Double or Nothing. There, he officially earned his AEW contract, doing so in an emphatic fashion.
He now stands as the AEW TNT Champion in his first reign, besting Scorpio Sky on July 6. Successful defences have since come against Orange Cassidy, Jay Lethal, Ryan Nemeth, Tony Nese, Brian Cage, and Matt Taven.