Wardlow has won the TNT Championship twice in 2023, with his first reign being when he beat Samoa Joe to win the gold at AEW Revolution and then against Powerhouse Hobbs on the April 19 episode of AEW Dynamite for his second run as the champion.
Wardlow lost the title to Luchasaurus on the June 17 episode of AEW Collision, which was his last match. He has not appeared on AEW television since that match.
Speaking at Terrificon 2023 (video courtesy of Fandom Spotlite), Wardlow was asked about his AEW status. He said,
“It is very surreal for me to be sitting up here, and I think these two gentlemen [Danhausen and Ethan Page] would agree. I think we all have similar come-ups in the business. We’ve been grinding for years. We’ve probably dreamed and wished of getting moments like these our whole lives. So I’ve been off TV for almost a couple months, and I’ve been very depressed. Wrestling is my everything. It makes me happy. So today, I feel like me again for the first time in months. So I just want to say thank you guys for coming out because you guys really flip a switch in my mind and my heart that I needed, so thank you.”
