Wardlow (wrestler)

Wardlow (wrestler)
Michael Austin Wardlow (born January 19, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the mononymous ring name Wardlow. He is a former three-time AEW TNT Champion.
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.
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. In the following years, Wardlow began to wrestle in other promotions, including the International Wrestling Cartel (IWC). 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. 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. He then spent another year on the indies winning titles. In March 2019, he won the IWC Super Indy Championship, but lost it to Josh Alexander in August. Also in 2019, Wardlow won the Revenge Pro Wrestling World Title.
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. Wardlow made his debut for AEW on the November 13 episode of Dynamite, attacking Cody. He would then align himself with Cody's rival MJF and became his bodyguard. Wardlow wrestled his AEW debut match on the February 19, 2020, episode of Dynamite, where he lost to Cody in a steel cage match. 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. Following this, Wardlow and MJF would join The Inner Circle faction, also consisting of Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz. 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. At the Blood and Guts event on May 5, The Pinnacle defeated The Inner Circle in the inaugural Blood and Guts match. At the Double or Nothing pay-per-view later that month, The Pinnacle were defeated by The Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match. On the June 18 episode of Dynamite, Wardlow was defeated by Hager in a MMA rules cage match. On the August 11 episode, Wardlow faced Jericho, but was unsuccessful. 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. 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. 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. 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. Wardlow also had a confrontation with Austin Vanderford, who later assisted MJF and Spears in attacking him after the match ended. 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. 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, 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. 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. 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.
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. 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, 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. 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. He won the title back from Joe at the next pay-per-view, Revolution, on March 5, 2023, 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. 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. On June 17 at the premiere episode of Collision, Wardlow lost the TNT Championship title to Luchasaurus.
World championship pursuits (2023–present)
On the October 4th episode of AEW Dynamite, Wardlow turned heel and defeated Griff Garrison after 5 consecutive Powerbombs.
Wardlow defeated Matt Sydal on the October 10th episode of Dynamite by referee stoppage. He then defeated Ryan Nemeth on the October 18th episode of Dynamite. After the match, he motioned that he would be coming after AEW World Champion MJF.
Championships and accomplishments
All Elite Wrestling
AEW TNT Championship (3 times)
Face of the Revolution Ladder Match (2022)
International Wrestling Cartel
IWC Super Indy Championship (1 time)
IWC World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
Super 18 Tournament (2019)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Faction of the Year (2021) – with The Inner Circle
Ranked No. 67 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2022
Revenge Pro Wrestling
Revenge Pro World Championship (1 time)
References
External links
1988 births
AEW TNT Champions
All Elite Wrestling personnel
American male professional wrestlers
Living people
People from Geauga County, Ohio
Professional wrestlers from Ohio
21st-century professional wrestlers