Why is it MJF’s fault if Wardlow didn’t read the contract?

[Abdullah]

That was some WWE-level babyface stupidity by AEW.

It would be one thing if…

1) They were actually friends at one point, and Wardlow didn’t think MJF would do him dirty like that. (No indication of that.)

2) MJF changed the contract without Wardlow’s knowledge. (Possible, but they didn’t play it like that.)

3) He needed the money or whatever. (But, again, AEW doesn’t really explain the whole arrangement.)

Instead, Wardlow was like… “Contract? What? Huh? Well, okay then.” Really playing into his gimmick of being a pretty himbo. I have very little sympathy for the big guy right now. At least hire someone to do a quick skim for you.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

It was implied very early on in their tenure that MJF helped Wardlow out of financial trouble and had him as his muscle to make him instantly relevant

It's only now that it's starting to bite Wardlow in the ass in a way where the arrangement isn't benefitting him like it was before

[Abdullah]

Dec 30, 2021 7:28:40 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

It was implied very early on in their tenure that MJF helped Wardlow out of financial trouble and had him as his muscle to make him instantly relevant

It’s only now that it’s starting to bite Wardlow in the ass in a way where the arrangement isn’t benefitting him like it was before

They should really hit on these notes more frequently for people who haven’t watched since the earliest days. I’ve been watching each of their segments for months now on Dynamite and they just paint it as a cushy gig for Wardlow – none of that backstory.

That does make it better, but I still say the big guy looked dumb in the segment.

[Fade is a CodyCryBaby]

[Bo Rida]

Iirc Wardlow was employed by MJF not aew, which is just weird, no idea why TK allows it. Maybe that's changed though.

Really MJF's whole money thing is weird. Why is he pimping out FTR when they're supposed to be top guys, isn't that for the likes of Butcher/Blade?

At least being gambling buddies with Spears went somewhere. Maybe Stark's gambling issues will play a part one day in the distant future.

[TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out]

Dec 30, 2021 13:03:26 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Iirc Wardlow was employed by MJF not aew, which is just weird, no idea why TK allows it. Maybe that's changed though.

Really MJF's whole money thing is weird. Why is he pimping out FTR when they're supposed to be top guys, isn't bthat for the likes of Butcher/Blade?

At least being gambling buddies with Spears went somewhere. Maybe Stark's gambling issues will play a part one day in the distant future.

He's not actually rich. He's a brat from the middle upper class part of Long Island who acts like he's from the super wealthy parts. They played into that a few weeks ago but it was way too much of an "if you know, you know" thing for people from the area

[Lizuka #BLM]

I think this whole current thing has quite a few structural problems, but the big ones are 1), all of the intrusions we're seeing are from Spears rather than MJF so he's the one it's actually making you want to see Wardlow destroy, 2), Wardlow doesn't actually seem to mind that much anyway, and 3), they're kind of rooting the whole thing in the idea that Spears and MJF are concerned about Wardlow taking needless risks which might be easier to buy into if he were facing any opposition whatsoever.

I know the heels are supposed to be wrong and all but their complaint should still be grounded in something resembling reality. Hell, if nothing else have Wardlow be put in danger entirely due to Spears trying to stop the powerbombs and then have MJF act like it's all Wardlow's fault, that'd serve the story way better than what they're doing now.

[chrom]

At this point either pee or get off the dang toilet

[Deleted]

Wardlow's turn is gonna depend on whether they want to turn him babyface first, or give MJF the title first.

If they decide to turn Wardlow first, then Wardlow does something wrong that costs MJF his title win (in his mind) and MJF fires him, gets powerbombed, and we have a face Wardlow.

If they give MJF the title first, then we'll be waiting even longer on that Wardlow turn, as I figure they'll wanna give MJF a solid 6 months with the belt before Wardlow does something that costs him his title, and then MJF fires him, gets powerbombed, and we have a face Wardlow.

All destination points are the same, just that one has a few more stops along the way.

[Susan "Poison" Candy]

Ward-blow can't read so he is officially The Biggest Idiot Ever of AEW.

[ghost]

Wardlow has to beat MJF when they face each other for the story to make any sense so it has to happen before MJF wins the world title. Unless they want Wardlow to be Batista, and I don’t think he’s there yet.

[Mozenrath]

Yeah, Wardlow works for MJF rather than AEW directly, unless they changed it, and they already have had it almost come to blows a few times, like MJF's campaign when Wardlow almost laid hands on him, or MJF accidentally decking Wardlow with the ring a few times, with the idea being Wardlow is I think the sole breadwinner for his family from the way it sounded from the campaign confrontation. I do like AEW's longterm storytelling, but yeah, they've been kind of lax about keeping some of the Wardlow threads active.

[polarbearpete]

Dec 30, 2021 19:06:06 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Yeah, Wardlow works for MJF rather than AEW directly, unless they changed it, and they already have had it almost come to blows a few times, like MJF's campaign when Wardlow almost laid hands on him, or MJF accidentally decking Wardlow with the ring a few times, with the idea being Wardlow is I think the sole breadwinner for his family from the way it sounded from the campaign confrontation. I do like AEW's longterm storytelling, but yeah, they've been kind of lax about keeping some of the Wardlow threads active.

So AEW will sanction him in matches, but aren’t willing to pay him whatever MJF is paying him in order to sign directly with them?

[Mozenrath]

Dec 30, 2021 19:58:08 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

Dec 30, 2021 19:06:06 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Yeah, Wardlow works for MJF rather than AEW directly, unless they changed it, and they already have had it almost come to blows a few times, like MJF's campaign when Wardlow almost laid hands on him, or MJF accidentally decking Wardlow with the ring a few times, with the idea being Wardlow is I think the sole breadwinner for his family from the way it sounded from the campaign confrontation. I do like AEW's longterm storytelling, but yeah, they've been kind of lax about keeping some of the Wardlow threads active.

So AEW will sanction him in matches, but aren’t willing to pay him whatever MJF is paying him in order to sign directly with them?

I assume the idea is that he's got some kind of predatory contract that would make it difficult to get out, that there'd be some kind of no compete BS MJF would slap him with that'd prevent him from just getting hired right away by AEW, but truthfully, I don't know if they ever really got into outside of MJF telling Wardlow he worked for him directly and that everyone back home is counting on Wardlow to make money.

[The Prince That Was Promised]

You're thinking too much it's just wrestling, the tiny nuances have never really been explained in the history of wrestling. A detail such as this doesn't matter. It's all leading to Wardlow getting more and more pissed at MJF, which is the end goal and all that matters.

[Blade]

For the record, to correctly answer the OP question, it is MJF's fault for writing a predatory contract. You don't deserve to have bad things befall you if you get suckered by an unscrupulous asshole, it is still in fact their fault.

[Ecks Ecks Ringout Ecks Ecks]

A few of my Discord friends use the word "himborg" for the empty-headed superhuman trope in RPGs. That one guy who's borderline invincible and can somehow survive the forceful application of a battle axe directly to the face, but spends all of the party's money on a ham sandwich after a colossal failure at attempting basic math.

I'm pretty sure Wardlow is a himborg.

[Deleted]

Wardlow: "The name on the contract does say McMahon... I think? Maxwell, what does that say?"

[ASYLUMHAUSEN]

Dec 30, 2021 13:22:56 GMT -5 TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out said:

Dec 30, 2021 13:03:26 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Iirc Wardlow was employed by MJF not aew, which is just weird, no idea why TK allows it. Maybe that's changed though.

Really MJF's whole money thing is weird. Why is he pimping out FTR when they're supposed to be top guys, isn't bthat for the likes of Butcher/Blade?

At least being gambling buddies with Spears went somewhere. Maybe Stark's gambling issues will play a part one day in the distant future.

He's not actually rich. He's a brat from the middle upper class part of Long Island who acts like he's from the super wealthy parts. They played into that a few weeks ago but it was way too much of an "if you know, you know" thing for people from the area

MJF is the mid version of Roman Roy…

[Mozenrath]

Dec 31, 2021 16:56:35 GMT -5 Blade said:

For the record, to correctly answer the OP question, it is MJF's fault for writing a predatory contract. You don't deserve to have bad things befall you if you get suckered by an unscrupulous asshole, it is still in fact their fault.

Correct. The ease of doing something messed up has absolutely zero bearing on whether or not what you did was messed up. Stealing an amount of money off of a table is the same level of morally wrong as stealing that same amount out of a safe, etc.