Why Wardlow will shine in the gore of Blood and Guts
AEW’s biggest match of 2021 so far should be used to shine as big a light as possible on Pinnacle’s hired heavy Wardlow.
It is arguably AEW’s most anticipated match since Kenny Omega took the World Title with the vice-like grip of Jon Moxley.
The Blood and Guts match between The Inner Circle and Pinnacle will be the company’s answer to the WarGames match in NXT, although it will throwback more to the classic match format seen Jim Crockett Promotions.
No pins. All ten competitors enclosed in a caged roof. Victory can only be achieved by submission or surrender, it has all the makings of an absolute barn-stormer.
Whilst there is little doubt that the action will centre around the two stables leaders in MJF and Chris Jericho, the Match Beyond will also serve to highlight the secondary members and allow their star to shine brighter.
None more so that Mr Friedman’s long-time hired heavy Wardlow.
Nearing two years in AEW, the Ohio-born wrestler has shown several flashes of excellence during that time.
Well versed in Boxing and Jiu-jitsu, Wardlow has shown in outings against the likes of Cody and Adam Page that he is no ordinary big man wrestler. In an era where men like Keith Lee and Damian Priest are praised for doing things no one their size can do, there is a market for Wardlow to break into and establish himself as a top dog in AEW.
Unfortunately for him at times, he is often second fiddle to the charismatic MJF.
With so many eyes on this big match-up on Dynamite, Wardlow has the perfect opportunity for another showcase outing. Whilst fans will instantly think a face-off with Jake Hager is foreseeable, there are other more exciting opportunities to highlight his ability further.
A veteran like Chris Jericho could easily make him look a million bucks (much like he did the night Pinnacle formed) whilst single handily overpower Proud n Powerful, ala Omos to the New Day at WrestleMania.
It’s clear that if Pinnacle wins Blood and Guts, MJF will be front and centre of all the photo ops. But if he is to maintain his image as a sneaky heel, he must take little spotlight during the match itself. Not to put down Shawn Spears in any way, but having Wardlow do the leg work and down the members of the Inner Circle is a much smarter move for AEW in the middle-to-long term.
The founding father and ‘higher power’ of the ESSR army, Steven oversees the operation of the Suplex Retweet podcast series and is the show’s primary host. With a broad knowledge of the industry, Steven leads discussions on a wide range of subjects from stables to WCW.
Email: steven@eatsleepsuplexretweet.com
For some reason, he thinks John Cena’s real name is Allen Jones and is madly in love with Becky Lynch.
