5 Reasons why Wardlow should have been the first AEW star to beat CM Punk

Since his debut in 2019, Wardlow has become one of the most physically imposing wrestlers on AEW's roster. Time and time again, fans have seen him decimate nearly every opponent in his path.

Booked as a personal bodyguard to MJF, he has long been in a secondary role as MJF's assistant rather than as a singles competitor. However, fans have begun seeing a new side of Mr. Mayhem in recent months. Now he's known for his dominant singles run, punctuated by the signature "Powerbomb Symphony."

As great as Wardlow's run in AEW has been so far, he's better known for his quick matches against enhancement talents. His biggest match was against MJF's current rival, CM Punk, which ended with the latter scoring a victory.

The win may have helped build the feud between Punk and MJF, but there are a few reasons why Wardlow coming out on top over Punk would've also been a smart choice for AEW.

#5. Wardlow deserves a win over a more experienced opponent

As mentioned above, Mr. Mayhem has had a clean winning streak for the past several weeks (not counting his loss against Punk). However, these mainly were against non-experienced talents in squash matches.

Wardlow's matches against these jobbers have been great at developing his character and setting up his new "Power Symphony" finisher. However, a win against a more remarkable talent like Punk would've helped him gain more legitimacy as an impactful AEW star.

So far, the most recent and impressive win for Mr. Mayhem has been against Colin Delaney. A victory under his belt against someone like Punk would help continue his exceptional singles run even further.

#4. It would have been a perfect opportunity for MJF to gain more heat

There are a few different ways Wardlow's victory over CM Punk could've been booked. He could've won either a clean pin victory after his numerous powerbombs. Or he could've had some assistance from either MJF or Shawn Spears and cheated to secure the win.

MJF and Punk have long been a thorn in each other's sides, regularly commentating on their matches or directly interfering in the middle of their wrestling bouts.

If MJF had interfered with Punk's match against Mr. Mayhem, no doubt the former would've received even more heat from fans. All he needed to do was distract Punk long enough for him to score a victory or hit Punk with his Dynamite Diamond Ring when the ref's back was turned.

#3. Wardlow's win could have started a feud with MJF

If he had managed to beat Punk without any outside interference, it could have further built up the rivalry between MJF and Wardlow. As we all know, Maxwell is known for being a jealous, vindicative wrestler who hates being outshined by anyone. A pinfall victory against Punk--his current rival--could've further frustrated him enough to turn on Mr. Mayhem.

The eventual feud between the two has been teased for a long time now in AEW. In several feuds, MJF has always thrown his bodyguard in harm's way to protect himself.

As we've seen a few times during such incidents, Mr. Mayhem is increasingly frustrated whenever his employer pulls this off. If AEW's plans are for a feud between the duo soon, this would be a great way to start it.

#2. Wardlow absolutely dominated during the match

Booking options aside, Wardlow is an incredibly physical opponent in the ring. As we've mentioned a few times, most of his matches have seen him dominate the entire bout. His match against CM Punk was no different.

The match began decisively in his favor, with Mr. Mayhem soon performing his "Powerbomb Symphony" to Punk. At several points, it even looked like Wardlow thought Punk had had enough, even as MJF yelled at him to hit another powerbomb on the Straight Edge Superstar.

By the end of the match, Punk had taken a total of 8 powerbombs, one of which was through a table. Realistically speaking, Punk should've been in no shape to roll over, never mind rolling Wardlow up for the three counts.

#1. It would have continued his climb to main event status

Right now, Mr. Mayhem has been booked as the next big thing in AEW, his continuing rise mirroring someone like WWE's Batista back in 2005. Like The Animal, he has been made to resemble a lackey who has grown tired of his position as a mere enforcer to a narcissistic wrestler.

Similar to Batista, too, it's only a matter of time before we see Mr. Mayhem break from his previous employer and go on a long, successful singles run in AEW.

What better way to book a new face with plenty of momentum on his side than by having him try to enter the championship picture? Whether we're talking about the TNT Championship or the AEW World title, Wardlow could be a great contender for either.

He's still relatively young, has plenty of fan support, and has improved significantly in the ring. If he were to score a win against someone like Punk this early in his run, it would make his transition into a world title contender much more believable.