Wardlow

Michael Austin Wardlow was born in Middlefield, Ohio, US on January 19, 1988. He is an American expert grappler and is endorsed by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the mononymic in-ring name Wardlow. He is the ongoing AEW dynamite Champion in his third reign. Wardlow was previously connected with boxing and jujitsu.

Professional Wrestling Career

Independent Circuit (2014-2019)

On March 15, 2014, Wardlow made his expert wrestling debut for the autonomous advancement of American Revolution Wrestling and was loose to Nickie Valentino. Before long, Wardlow started to wrestle in different advancements, including the International Wrestling Cartel (IWC). Wardlow won his first-ever title by overcoming RJ City to catch the IWC World Heavyweight Title on December 2016. Likewise close to this time, Wardlow had a tryout to procure a formative agreement with WWE however was not offered a permanent position. Soon after, he began preparing with Kurt Angle. He then, at that point, spent one more year in the Indies coming out on top for championships. He won the IWC Super Indy Title on March 2019 however lost it to Josh Alexander in August. Additionally Wardlow won the Revenge Pro Wrestling World Title in 2019.

AEW

Bodyguard of The Pinnacle and MJF (2019–2022)

On August 31, 2019, during the All Out pay-per-view of AEW Wardlow made his looming debut. Wardlow made his actual debut for AEW on the November 13 episode of Dynamite by going after Cody. He would then conform to Cody's opponent MJF by becoming his bodyguard. On February 19, 2020, Wardlow wrestled against Cody Rhodes in a steel cage match in his AEW debut and was defeated by Cody. In October, Wardlow would take part in a competition to decide the main competitor for the AEW world title. He defeated Jungle Boy in the principal round before eventually being disposed of in the semi-finals by Adam Page. Following this, Wardlow and MJF would join The Inner Circle faction, additionally comprising Sammy Guevara, Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Ortiz, and Santana. Be that as it may, following quite a while of pressure inside the gathering, Wardlow and MJF isolated from the group in 2021 and form another team called The Pinnacle, likewise comprised of FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood), Shawn Lances. On May 5, At the Blood and Guts The Pinnacle crushed The Inner Circle in the Blood and Guts match. At the Double or Nothing pay-per-view soon thereafter, The Pinnacle was crushed by The Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match. On the June 18 episode of Dynamite, Wardlow lost to Hager in an MMA rules cage match. On the August 11 episode, Wardlow confronted Jericho however was fruitless. On the December 8 episode, Wardlow contended in the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale, however, he was coincidentally disposed of by MJF and in this manner started to prod a face go because of a developing conflict with MJF. Throughout the next weeks, the pressure would continue developing as Wardlow clashed with MJF, Shawn Spears and different individuals from The Pinnacle. On March 2, 2022 episode MJF slapped Wardlow in a heated argument.

On March 6, 2022, at the Revolution pay-per-view Wardlow won the "Face of the Revolution" ladder match which brought him closer to the AEW TNT Title. Later that very evening, Wardlow would help CM Punk to beat MJF during their Dog Collar match by giving him the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring. On the accompanying episode Wardlow established his chance at a promotion, pronouncing that he was presently not MJF's bodyguard and at this point not an individual from The Pinnacle. Wardlow would lose his dynamite Title match to defending champ Scorpio Sky following impedance from MJF and Shawn Spears on March 16, 2022. Wardlow likewise had a conflict with Austin Vanderford, who later helped MJF and Shawn in going after him after the match finished. Inside the storyline, Wardlow was an employee of MJF and not AEW, who could outlaw him from wrestling and AEW. MJF set up an agreement under which he would let him out of the contract. Wardlow finished the last agreement by overcoming Shawn in a steel cage match on the May 25 episode, where MJF was the special referee. This allowed him a fight with MJF at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view and the condition was set that if Wardlow won, he would formally be set free from his agreement with MJF. But if he lost he would be prohibited from getting another AEW contract and would be expected to stay under MJF's shadow. On the occasion, Wardlow crushed MJF subsequent to hitting him with ten back-to-back powerbombs to dominate the game and was liberated of his agreement. After that Wardlow likewise procured another AEW contract which in the storyline made him an authorized individual from the AEW program. Wardlow wrestled in his first-ever match as an authorized individual from the AEW list, overcoming J.D. Drake on the June 1, 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite.

TNT Champion (2022–present)

Wardlow beat Scorpio Sky in a street fight to come out on top for the TNT Title on the July 6 episode of Dynamite, his first-ever title in AEW. Wardlow's first title defense was against Orange Cassidy on the Fyter Fest occasion on July 13, 2022. Wardlow beat Cassidy with his finishing move. Wardlow interceded to save Cassidy from an assault by Jay Lethal on July 29, 2022, episode of Rampage. In the next episode of Dynamite Jay's administrator Sonjay Dutt provoked Wardlow to shield his Dynamite Title against his client. Wardlow acknowledged the demand and held the title against Jay at the Battle of the Belts III. He won that with a powerbomb and head-butt. On November 19 at the Full Gear pay-per-view. He then lost the title to Samoa Joe and finished his dynamite Title reign at 136 days. On March 5, 2023 he won the championship again from Joe at the following Revolution per-view. But his reign was stopped as the 2023 Face of the Revolution ladder match winner Stalwart Hobbs crushed Wardlow for the title by TKO in a Falls Count Anywhere match, finishing his second rule within three days. On the April 19 episode Wardlow would beat Hobbs in a rematch to win it back and turn into a record-tying three-time TNT title winner.

Championships

AEW

International Wrestling Cartel

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Revenge Pro Wrestling