10 Best Star Making Performances In AEW

Wardlow's meteoric rise to being a superstar and current TNT Champion in AEW was the result of year's worth of careful booking. The big man first appeared as a relatively unknown figure in 2019 as the imposing henchman of Maxwell Jacob Friedman in his feud with Cody Rhodes. Wardlow's first outing in AEW came against Rhodes in a Steel Cage match which was a breakout performance in itself for the Cleveland native.

The fan support for Wardlow continued to grow throughout the two years he was under Friedman's thrall, as Max continued to belittle his hired bodyguard. The inevitable face turn came for the monster when he assisted CM Punk against MJF at Revolution 2022, which set Wardlow up to finally get his hands on his abusive former boss at this year's Double or Nothing.

The ensuing squash match between the pair was by no means an in-ring classic, but it made the 'War-Dog' look absolutely dominant and gave a satisfying conclusion to the story. MJF's years of manipulation finally came back to haunt him in what remains his last match to AEW to date, but hopefully, the rivalry will be revisited at some point.