AEW Star Wardlow recently spoke with The Zaslow Show via Audacy’s AM 560 Sports WQAM in Miami for an in-depth interview covering all things pro wrestling.
During the discussion, Wardlow believes his heel turn will be a major moment for the industry.
“The day Wardlow turns heel is the day wrestling is flipped upside down,” he said.
Here are some more highlights from the interview:
“I have been obsessed with professional wrestling ever since I could remember. There’s a video of me somewhere, before I could even talk, clanging and banging an old junkyard dog and action figure, using the kitchen table chair as my ring. I caught the bug young. My first memory is falling in love with Bret Hart — he’s the one that really started it for me. I just never looked back. I fell in love and it was game over…I’m really mad because I met him at the beginning of my career. I was too nervous to ask for a picture, and I’ll never forget that.”
Going full-time:
“I was in the Indies for a number of years, and it definitely got to the point where you have moments in your career where you’re like, ’Is this going to work? Am I going to make it?’ Everybody goes through that…When you love it as much as most of us do, you’re just going to keep scratching and clawing until you get there…Honestly, it was kind of the perfect storm. There were a few different people mentioning me in a short period of time…”
Batista comparisons:
“I’ve gotten the Bautista comparisons, and there’s no greater compliment because I was a huge Bautista fan as I’m sure you could’ve guessed. Guys that influenced me in my life – Dave Bautista, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – guys when they came out on T.V. would dress nice, and that’s how I’ve always been. I’ve always dressed nice, taking care of myself, I enjoy looking good.”
His dream match:
“Kenny Omega is very high on that list. Jon Moxley is also at the top of that list. I would say within AEW, it is Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley – I want those two more than anybody. Outside of that, it is the dream match. I always saw Wardlow versus [Brock] Lesnar to be the biggest money match in the history of national T.V.”
He commented on coming out in front of the fans last week in Cleveland, which is less than an hour away from his hometown of Middlefield, OH.
“To come out to that crowd in Cleveland as the TNT Champion was such an adrenaline rush like I’ve never experienced in my life. God what an amazing feeling, I wish I could feel that every day…I’m so obsessed with that feeling, that that’s how I know I’m going to continue with those moments.”
AEW All Out:
“I love how we do Pay-Per-View, that’s one of my favorite things about the company. When it’s time for the Pay-Per-View you know it’s going to be a big deal. We only have four throughout the year.”
You can listen to the complete interview below:
