Wardlow_(wrestler)

Wardlow (wrestler)

Wardlow (wrestler)

American professional wrestler (born 1988)


Michael Austin Wardlow (born January 19, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under the mononymous ring name Wardlow, and is a member of the Undisputed Kingdom stable. He is a former three-time AEW TNT Champion.

Quick Facts Birth name, Born ...

Early life

Michael Wardlow was born in Middlefield, Ohio. He was raised by a single mother and has two older sisters. He has a background in boxing and jujitsu.[1]

Professional wrestling career

Independent circuit (2014–2019)

Wardlow made his professional wrestling debut on March 15, 2014, for the independent promotion, American Revolution Wrestling, where he was defeated by Nickie Valentino.[4] In the following years, Wardlow began to wrestle in other promotions, including the International Wrestling Cartel (IWC).[5] In December 2016, Wardlow won his first championship by way of defeating RJ City to capture the vacant IWC Heavyweight Championship. He would win the title on two further occasions.[6] Also around this time, Wardlow had a try out to earn a developmental contract with WWE, but was not offered a position. Shortly after, he started training with Kurt Angle.[7] He then spent another year on the indies winning titles.[8][9] In March 2019, he won the IWC Super Indy Championship,[10] but lost it to Josh Alexander in August.[11] Also in 2019, Wardlow won the Revenge Pro Wrestling World Title.[12]

All Elite Wrestling

Bodyguard of MJF and The Pinnacle (2019–2022)

At All Elite Wrestling (AEW)'s All Out pay-per-view on August 31, 2019, a video package aired, promoting Wardlow's impending debut.[13] Wardlow made his debut for AEW on the November 13 episode of Dynamite, attacking Cody.[14] He would then align himself with Cody's rival MJF and became his bodyguard.[15] Wardlow wrestled his AEW debut match on the February 19, 2020, episode of Dynamite, where he lost to Cody in a steel cage match.[16] In October, Wardlow would participate in a tournament to determine the number one contender for the AEW World Championship, defeating Jungle Boy in the first round before ultimately being eliminated by Adam Page in the semi-finals.[17][18] Following this, Wardlow and MJF would join The Inner Circle faction, also consisting of Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz.[19] However, after months of tension within the group, Wardlow and MJF separated from The Inner Circle in March 2021 to form a new group called The Pinnacle, also made up of Shawn Spears and FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood), sparking a feud between the two groups.[20] At the Blood and Guts event on May 5, The Pinnacle defeated The Inner Circle in the inaugural Blood and Guts match.[21] At the Double or Nothing pay-per-view later that month, The Pinnacle were defeated by The Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match.[22] On the June 18 episode of Dynamite, Wardlow was defeated by Hager in a MMA rules cage match.[23] On the August 11 episode, Wardlow faced Jericho, but was unsuccessful.[24] On the December 8 episode, Wardlow competed in the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale, but he was inadvertently eliminated by MJF, thus beginning to tease a face turn due to growing dissension with MJF.[25] Over the following weeks, the tension would continue to grow as Wardlow came into conflict with Shawn Spears, MJF, and other members of The Pinnacle, culminating in the March 2, 2022, episode, where MJF slapped Wardlow in a heated confrontation.

On March 6, 2022, Wardlow won the "Face of the Revolution" ladder match at the Revolution pay-per-view, guaranteeing him a future match for the AEW TNT Championship. Later that same evening, Wardlow would help CM Punk defeat MJF (after helping MJF cheat his previous victory against Punk) during their Dog Collar match by handing him the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring, thus turning face.[26][27] On the following episode of Dynamite, Wardlow cemented his turn in a promo, declaring that he was no longer MJF's bodyguard and no longer a member of The Pinnacle.[28] On the March 16, 2022, episode, Wardlow would lose his TNT Championship match to reigning champion Scorpio Sky following interference from MJF and Shawn Spears.[29] Wardlow also had a confrontation with Austin Vanderford, who later assisted MJF and Spears in attacking him after the match ended.[29] Within storyline, Wardlow was not employed by AEW but by MJF, who could forbid him from wrestling him or for AEW altogether. MJF set up stipulations under which he would let him out of the contract, such as being lashed 10 times.[30] On the May 25 episode, Wardlow completed the final stipulation by defeating Spears in a steel cage match, with MJF serving unsuccessfully as the special guest referee. This guaranteed him a match with MJF at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view,[31] where if Wardlow won, he would officially be released from his contract with MJF, but if he lost, he would be banned from obtaining a new AEW contract and would be required to remain under MJF's employment.[32] At the event, Wardlow defeated MJF after hitting him with ten consecutive powerbombs to win the match and was freed of his contract; as a result, Wardlow also earned a new AEW contract which in storyline made him an official member of the AEW roster.[33] On the June 1, 2022, episode of Dynamite, Wardlow wrestled in his first match as an official member of the AEW roster, defeating J.D. Drake.[34][35]

TNT Champion (2022–2023)

On the July 6 episode of Dynamite, Wardlow defeated Scorpio Sky in a street fight to win the TNT Championship, his first championship in AEW. Wardlow's first defense of the title was against Orange Cassidy on the first night of the Fyter Fest event on July 13, 2022. Wardlow beat Cassidy with his powerbomb finishing move, after catching the challenger midair.[36] On the July 29, 2022, episode of Rampage, Wardlow intervened to save Cassidy from an attack by Jay Lethal. On the following episode of Dynamite, Lethal's manager, Sonjay Dutt, challenged Wardlow to defend his TNT Championship against his client. Wardlow accepted the challenge,[37] and retained the title against Lethal at the Battle of the Belts III event on August 6, winning with a head butt and powerbomb finish.[38] He then lost the title to Samoa Joe on November 19 at the Full Gear pay-per-view, ending his first TNT Championship reign at 136 days.[39] He won the title back from Joe at the next pay-per-view, Revolution, on March 5, 2023,[40] but his reign was cut short as 2023 Face of the Revolution ladder match winner Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Wardlow for the title by technical knockout in a Falls Count Anywhere match on the March 8 episode of Dynamite, ending his second reign at just three days.[41] Wardlow would then defeat Hobbs in a rematch on the April 19 episode to win back the title, becoming a record-tying three-time TNT Champion.[42] On June 17 at the premiere episode of Collision, Wardlow lost the TNT Championship title to Luchasaurus.[43]

Undisputed Kingdom (2023–present)

On the October 4 episode of AEW Dynamite, Wardlow returned as a heel and defeated Griff Garrison after 5 consecutive Powerbombs.[44] Wardlow defeated Matt Sydal on the October 10th episode of Dynamite by referee stoppage.[45] He then defeated Ryan Nemeth on the October 18 episode of Dynamite. After the match, he motioned that he would be coming after AEW World Champion MJF.[46] On December 30 at AEW Worlds End, Wardlow revealed himself as one of The Devil's Masked Men, along with Roderick Strong, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett attacked MJF, with Adam Cole revealing himself as the Devil.[47] On the January 3, 2024, episode of Dynamite, Cole announced that the stable had changed its name to The Undisputed Kingdom and laid out their goals, which included Wardlow capturing the AEW World Championship and give it to Cole.[48] On March 3, 2024 at Revolution, Wardlow won an All-Star Scramble match where he will receive a future AEW World Championship match.[49] On the following episode of Dynamite, Wardlow was scheduled to receive his AEW World Championship match against Samoa Joe the following week at Dynamite: Big Business,[50] where Joe retained.[51]

Championships and accomplishments


References

  1. Lealos, Shawn S. (August 31, 2019). "Who is Michael Wardlow, the man promoted on AEW All Out". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  2. Felstead, Scott (May 27, 2021). "AEW Heavy Hitter Wardlow Talks Wrestling and Love of the Gym". Muscle & Fitness. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  3. "Wardlow". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  4. "American Revolution Wrestling BRCW". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  5. "Meadville hosts Night of Superstars". Meadville Tribune. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  6. "IWC Winner Takes All 2016". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  7. Lambert, Jeremy (December 4, 2020). "Wardlow Recalls WWE Tryout, Training With Kurt Angle For His Final Run". Fightful. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  8. "IWC Seventeen". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  9. "IWC The First Annual Pittsburgh Pro Wrestling Classic". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  10. "IWC Eighteen". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  11. "IWC Caged Fury 2019". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  12. "Revenge Pro The Battle Of Lake Erie". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  13. "AEW DYNAMITE Results November 13, 2019". allelitewrestling.com. November 14, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  14. Woodward, Hamish (February 2, 2023). "Wardlow's AEW Debut Was In The Company's First Ever Cage Match". Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  15. Defelice, Robert (March 10, 2021). "MJF Swerves The Inner Circle, Forms New Faction And Leaves Chris Jericho Bloodied". Fightful.com. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  16. "AEW Dynamite Results for June 18, 2021". All Elite Wrestling. June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  17. Thomas, Jeremy (March 6, 2022). "CM Punk Beats MJF In Bloody Dog Collar Match At AEW Revolution, Wardlow Turns On MJF (Clips)". 411 Mania. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  18. Rueter, Sean (March 9, 2022). "Wardlow nails his first big babyface promo". Cageside Seats. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  19. "AEW Dynamite: Wild Card Wednesday Results for May 18, 2022". AEW. May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  20. Nation, Josh (May 25, 2022). "MJF vs. Wardlow officially set for AEW Double or Nothing". Figure Four Online. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  21. Nation, Josh (May 28, 2022). "Wardlow defeats MJF at AEW Double or Nothing, earns contract". Figure Four Online. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  22. Beaston, Erik (June 1, 2022). "AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Analysis from June 1". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  23. Blanchard, Matthew (July 13, 2022). "AEW Fyter Fest Night One Results: Wardlow Defeats Orange Cassidy To Retain TNT Championship (07/13)". The Overtimer. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  24. Staff, A. E. W. (August 4, 2022). "AEW Dynamite Results for August 3, 2022". All Elite Wrestling. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  25. Renner, Ethan (March 6, 2024). "World title match added to AEW Big Business". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  26. "IWC Super Indy Championship History". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  27. "IWC World Heavyweight Championship History". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  28. Grifol, Ignacio (January 14, 2022). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated anuncia los ganadores de sus PWI Awards 2021". Solowrestling.com. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  29. "Revenge Pro World Championship History". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 4, 2019.

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