10 Next Big Things In Wrestling That Totally Flopped

9. Wardlow

Jack Swagger Jake Hager WWE Flop
AEW

Tony Khan should hang his head in shame at the way his booking fumbled Wardlow. The big powerhouse had AEW audiences eating out of the palm of his hand for a spell, but then a baffling series of TNT Title-related decisions wrecked his momentum and cooled big Wardy to the point that he's currently ice cold.

Great job, 'Booker Of The Year'!

Look, no wrestling boss is going to get everything right, but the way Khan systematically stripped away everything that made Wardlow great was akin to self-sabotage. It just didn't make sense if you were following the product either. He's gone from MJF's bodyguard > emerging babyface > super-over upper-midcarder > heavy in The Undisputed Kingdom.

That group sucks, by the way. It's been held back by injuries to key members (Adam Cole), sure, but that doesn't give Tony a pass for the dreadful way he booked Wardlow. All he had to do was keep powerbombing everyone, get ultimate revenge on MJF and then move on with fans in his corner.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.