After more than a year away, former TNT Champion Wardlow has finally returned to AEW, making a surprise appearance at Sunday’s Forbidden Door.
Wardlow, fresh off his run on the impending American Gladiators reboot, came into the ring following AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada’s victory over Swerve Strickland in which Okada further damaged the challenger’s knee.
Wardlow, dressed in an all black suit, took out Prince Nana with a clothesline and then continued to ground and pound him as Strickland was immobilized due to the injury.
Security eventually pulled Wardlow off, but he beat them up as well. He eventually left the ring where Okada and Don Callis were watching all this unfold with big smiles on their faces. Wardlow exited and embraced Callis, joined by Okada and the rest of the Don Callis Family.
Of note, Konosuke Takeshita came out last and just stared at Wardlow without any handshake or embrace, further building up his expected split with the group.
The 37-year-old has been out of action since March 2024 when he unsuccessfully challenged then-AEW World Champion Samoa Joe at the Big Business edition of AEW Dynamite. There were stories of him dealing with a knee injury but all sides were quiet during his extended absence.
Afterward, he shook hands and embraced with callis, rest of family came out and embraced him
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