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AEW's residential powerhouse, Wardlow, is making massive waves in the company. Since his long-awaited breakaway from MJF, Wardlow's career has the potential to reach a certain level he's never been to before. It's also beneficial for AEW, as Wardlow is the perfect larger-than-life figure to be prominently featured on national television.
AEW Needs A Variety Of Sizes
AEW has been operating since the beginning of 2019, with their weekly television show Dynamite debuting in October that year. Since then, AEW has vastly featured light-heavyweight performers as their main-event-level talent. From Sammy Guevara to Darby Allin, AEW has mainly showcased a fast-paced wrestling style from smaller-looking performers.
Though having smaller wrestlers on one's roster isn't a problem, it's beneficial for a wrestling company to feature a mix of talents of all sizes. Much like a wrestling company featuring nothing but heavyweight wrestlers, a wrestling company having nothing but smaller wrestlers can sometimes also be a hassle. Variety is crucial for a wrestling company to succeed, as fans have more options for who to enjoy.
Wardlow As An Effective Alternative
Wardlow can be that alternative to AEW's light-heavyweights, like Lance Archer and Powerhouse Hobbes. Wardlow has one of the most impressive physiques in AEW as a heavyweight and is also athletically gifted for his size. If one were to watch his matches, they'd see that he's among the same tier as wrestlers like Bobby Lashley and Bill Goldberg in their prime, where he can accelerate the ring much like them despite his massive size. One must not forget Wardlow's ability to execute high-flying maneuvers. He not only delivers his high-flying maneuvers smoothly, but it looks effective due to the strength he possesses.
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The Importance Of Presence From A Wrestler's Character
Regardless of one wrestler's size, one of the most crucial aspects of one's character is having a presence. Showing presence is an effective way of differentiating from other wrestlers. It's also a way of exhibiting charisma in the process. Take Rey Mysterio, for instance, who's one of the most successful professional wrestlers despite being a cruiserweight. Rey Mysterio is an example of showcasing a presence where he can differentiate from other wrestlers because of the mystique surrounding him. Rey Mysterio always caught people's attention as he's a masked luchador who hung with the heavyweights, which was rare when he first arrived in WWE in 2002.
That's what being "larger-than-life" is about, and Wardlow can be that very wrestler with a "larger-than-life" reputation around him. He's already built enough to where people can notice him. Presenting him as if he's powerful as a machine will get the AEW fans behind him more than they already do. And judging by crowd reactions he's getting, as of late, it's safe to say that Wardlow is on the right track.
Wardlow's Impressive Rise In AEW
It's worth mentioning since the beginning stage of AEW, even before the debut of Dynamite, Wardlow was one of the few big-man on the roster performers that AEW heavily promoted as a big deal. Due to his legitimate martial arts background, it's no surprise that AEW had initial plans for Wardlow. And considering how fast Wardlow adapted to AEW's wrestling style when arriving on the scene, he's arguably deserving of that opportunity.
What's remarkable about Wardlow's rise in AEW is he's been wrestling in the business for less than a decade. Compared to other wrestlers in AEW that's been wrestling for a long time, Wardlow has shown he's capable of AEW relying on him despite having less experience than many other wrestlers on the roster.
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Wardlow's Push In The Long Run
With Wardlow currently feuding with MJF, it's the perfect opportunity for AEW to showcase what Wardlow can bring to the table. Even if it may happen at the expense of MJF if Wardlow were to defeat him, at least Wardlow beating a prominently featured performer like MJF opens the door for other top stars that Wardlow can face off.
Wardlow can work a program with someone like CM Punk or even World Champion "Hangman" Adam Page in a high-profile angle that'll put him over the map. With Wardlow's mystique as an unstoppable force in the ring, there's no reason why he can't be AEW's next breakout "larger-than-life" star by defeating either of those wrestlers.
RELATED: Is MJF Losing To Wardlow A Bad AEW Booking Decision?
However, while Wardlow has "breakout-star" potential, it all depends on whether AEW can protect Wardlow's credibility in the long run. Wardlow may be currently having the push of his life, but when months go by, AEW must ensure fans are still interested in him, much like they are in the present. AEW shouldn't squander away from utilizing Wardlow as there's no better time than to push a"larger-than-life" character like him.
