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Post by chronocross on May 6, 2022 17:29:53 GMT -5
Wardlow is really picking up steam, for me it's the presentation the last few weeks. Having him walk down the aisle with a security detail and in handcuffs makes him look like a killer and the fans are eating it up.
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Legion
Fry's dog Seymour
Amy Pond's #1 fan
Hail Hydra!
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Post by Legion on May 6, 2022 17:31:14 GMT -5
Between him and Darby, yes.
They screwed up Orange, Sammy and Miro - and while Hangman is a good candidate at first glance, his title run has been third fiddle to other feuds and it's clear he's just in a holding pattern as champion - though his road to the title was pretty well booked.
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clifford
King Koopa
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Post by clifford on May 6, 2022 17:33:32 GMT -5
A lot of people are saying Hangman but Hangman was a pretty well known commodity thanks to ROH, New Japan and BTE. AEW got him to that top tier level but he was starting from a high baseline.
MJF, also had a lot of buzz and people saw him as a future main eventer even at the time AEW started.
I was kind of getting at from their starting point to now. There's no one that comes close to where Wardlow started to where he is now, and 100% of it has come under AEW.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2022 18:28:46 GMT -5
He's their best booking success as a wrestler and played a part in their best booking success as a storyline (Punk v MJF).
Honorable mention to Jade Cargill, barely a year since her debut (not just in AEW but anywhere) and she's presented and comes off as a star and her limitations due to inexperience are carefully concealed.
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Post by Terry McConkey on May 6, 2022 18:31:49 GMT -5
Wardlow gives me vibes reminiscent of both Sid and Batista. He's that damn good.
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nate5054
Hank Scorpio
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Post by nate5054 on May 6, 2022 18:40:07 GMT -5
I didn't want to like him, because I still think his name is goofy as hell... But holy f*** is he awesome.
Oh, that's actually his real last name... Please don't kill me Mr. Wardlow.
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Post by EvenBaldobombHasAJob on May 6, 2022 19:00:44 GMT -5
It's still Hangman but I've been pleasantly surprised by how good Wardlow's face turn has gone so far.
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Post by Jumpin' Jesse Walsh on May 6, 2022 19:10:41 GMT -5
Absolutely. The story of his gradual turn on MJF is one of their best booking successes, period.
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Allie Kitsune
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Always Feelin' Foxy.
Celestial Princess in Exile.
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Post by Allie Kitsune on May 6, 2022 21:12:59 GMT -5
By far. I might be mistaken, but I seem to remember when he was signed, people were like "War...dlow? Why didn't they sign Warhorse?"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2022 6:35:08 GMT -5
I know Hangman had an ROH stint, but AEW turned him into a Cena type main Eventer People were ambivalent towards Hangman being the first AEW Champ, and it took a well-crafted hero’s journey for people to truly get behind him. Yep... I can only speak about what I've seen here because it's the only wrestling site/forum I go on, but most of FAN did NOT want Hangman as the first champ.
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4real
Wade Wilson
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Post by 4real on May 7, 2022 9:00:45 GMT -5
He’s hit everything out of the park the company has asked of him. Which is damn impressive. The storyline with MJF has me gripped more than anything on AEW right now.
He’s this good now how good is he going to be in a few years?
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Post by eJm on May 7, 2022 9:08:18 GMT -5
I say this as a Day 1 Wardlow stan (love the DoN video, made him seem so cool), I never expected him to be this over this far into his run.
Like, I love the guy but if you told me he’d get mega pops and wrecking fleets of security guards on almost a weekly basis, I’d call you crazy.
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Post by sunnytaker on May 7, 2022 9:27:50 GMT -5
being with MJF has let wardlow pick up his own style of charisma where he doesn;t really need to say that much but his facial expressions bring you in. plus you know- destroying everyone in sight trying to get to MJF. and i think it helps that while he's AEW big he's doesn;t have the typical hoss look to him not being 6"7+ so he can do the power stuff but still be able to show off athleticism at the same time.
and i can;t really count hangman in the original topic as he was a known quantity coming in but not a big enough name to be the first aew champ which is probably why people weren;t keen on the idea. silver is probably next in line atm but more due to BTE than actual AEW programming presentation. HOOK is probably the next one up. can;t really think of someone who is whole-y AEW grown. i suppose Jade could qualify as well
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Post by Bang Bang Bart on May 7, 2022 15:48:32 GMT -5
Wardlow gives me vibes reminiscent of both Sid and Batista. He's that damn good. He even has Batista’s “use your actual last name as your wrestler name” thing down pat.
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Hypnosis
T
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Post by Hypnosis on May 7, 2022 16:11:12 GMT -5
People were ambivalent towards Hangman being the first AEW Champ, and it took a well-crafted hero’s journey for people to truly get behind him. Yep... I can only speak about what I've seen here because it's the only wrestling site/forum I go on, but most of FAN did NOT want Hangman as the first champ. Right, Hangman was still in his "I love this business and I'm happy to be here" phase.
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