10 Next Big Things In Wrestling That Totally Flopped
9. Wardlow
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.