“I Am A Sexual Being […] Call Me Wardaddy All You Want” – Wardlow
Wardlow has warmly embraced fans who view him as a sex symbol, encouraging them to refer to him as ‘Wardaddy’ as much as they please.
First appearing for All Elite Wrestling in November 2019, Wardlow has enjoyed a mixed career. He split from long-time partner MJF at Revolution and subsequently defeated ‘The Salt of the Earth’ at Double or Nothing, breaking free of MJF’s agreement with him and earning his official AEW contract.
Now reigning as the AEW TNT Champion, ‘Mr Mayhem’ has taken on an entirely new persona. Commonly referred to as ‘Wardaddy’, Wardlow has been embraced in the company as a sex symbol. He discussed this during a recent interview with Fightful’s Joel Pearl:
“What more can a man ask for? Realistically, that was one of my goals, to get the female viewership. I am very welcoming to the idea of being a sex symbol, not only in wrestling, but in the entertainment business. I’ve been told I look a certain way. I am a sexual being. I’m human. I embrace it all. Call me Wardaddy all you want.”
Continuing, Wardlow addressed the importance of dressing to impress, particularly if you’re a younger wrestling just getting your foot in the door:
“I’ll say this, especially for the guys trying to break out in the business, even if you can’t afford the nicest clothes, that’s fine, but when you show up to a show, especially if you’re doing extra work, at least tuck your shirt in, try to pick out something relatively…whatever you consider to be dressy.
Everyone has different levels of what they consider that to be. Just out of respect for the business, I love when I see young kids coming to do extra work and they have, even if they don’t have a full-blown three-piece suit, at least have some slacks or some khakis and a polo or a shirt tucked in. Just try.”
Wardlow most recently defended the AEW TNT Championship against Matt Taven on the October 28 AEW Rampage. It’s expected that Powerhouse Hobbs will be next to challenge him for the title, perhaps at Full Gear.