Wardlow Aims To Be A Long-Term Ratings Needle Mover For AEW
Thre isn't a rarer commodity in professional wrestling than a true ratings driver and ticket mover, but Wardlow is aiming to become exactly that for AEW. He's one of All Elite's only true homegrown products, which is something that he seems to take a great deal of pride in. He's now got his sights set on Scorpio Sky and the TNT Championship, but that doesn't mean he isn't thinking big picture as well.
Initially joining AEW as MJF's bodyguard, Wardlow slowly started to show more personality. This came in the form of resisting Friedman's urges to decimate his opponents, even if he'd eventually go through with it. His face turn during CM Punk and MJF's dog collar match at Revolution was met with a genuine monster pop, and Wardlow has been on a steady climb towards the crowded main event scene ever since.
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During a conversation with Blake Oestriecher of Forbes, the 34-year-old spoke about his desire to really move the needle in AEW. I’m very in tune with numbers, and my main goal for AEW is, I want to be the reason we have more viewers. I want to be the reason the female viewership goes up. I want to be the reason that 18-49 demographic goes up. I want to be the reason our ratings are higher." (h/t to Fightful.com for the transcription)
Even WWE, with the giant social media footprint it wields, struggles to produce bankable stars. It can be argued that John Cena is their only real ticket mover, and he's one of the biggest luminaries in the history of professional wrestling. The drop-off after the likes of Cena, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns is significant. Especially when looking at AEW, and its struggle to draw new fans to Dynamite or
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