Wardlow added that if there was a ‘We Hate MJF’ faction in AEW, it would include the entire roster.
The Pinnacle (MJF, Wardlow, Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, Tully Blanchard & Shawn Spears) was formed in March 2021. After a one-year run together, the group disbanded in the summer of 2022.
The idea of a Pinnacle reunion was brought up during a panel Wardlow was a part of at Terrificon 2023 (via Fandom Spotlite). When the question was presented to him, it was added that CM Punk would replace MJF. Wardlow expressed how much he liked the idea.
Dude, that would be so sweet (to get The Pinnacle back together but replace MJF with CM Punk). For us all to get back together and live that Pinnacle lifestyle and just throw it all in Max’s face. I think I’m just gonna call Pepsi Phil myself and see what he thinks about that. We all collectively love destroying MJF and his ego so anything we could do collectively… If it was a ‘We Hate MJF’ faction, it would just be the entire roster.
While The Pinnacle was still intact, Wardlow went one-on-one with CM Punk on a January 2022 episode of Dynamite. He explained how much that match means to him and called it one of the greatest nights of his life.
The gear Wardlow wore that night has been framed. He went on to say it’s interesting that MJF is the AEW World Champion and CM Punk is calling himself the World Champion, but he’s beaten them both down.
So, being in there with CM Punk still to this day is like one of the greatest nights of my life. I have the gear that I wore in that match in a frame. That was so special. Wrestling CM Punk after he’s been out of the game for so many years, I’m coming into it thinking that’s one of those never gonna happen situations and so for him to come back and have that opportunity is truly, truly, truly special. Now, with that said, I do find it very interesting that we have a champion in MJF and then we have a supposed champion that never lost in CM Punk. I beat the sh*t out of both of those guys (he laughed). CM Punk won, but he didn’t. I won and I demolished MJF and I’m very confident I could beat both of them again easily.
Speaking about feuds and programs that may not have lived up to its full potential, Wardlow feels more could’ve been done with he and Samoa Joe’s program. He envisioned it being so much more than what it was.
When it comes to MJF, Wardlow feels it reached its climax, but there’s still more to do. He commented on feuding with Powerhouse Hobbs and said he’d rather team with Hobbs going forward.
For me, it was most definitely Samoa Joe (feud that didn’t reach its full potential). We are capable of so much more. I envisioned myself and Joe being something so much more than what it was. But it is what it is. Max and I, it reached its full potential but I think there’s so much more to go… I’d rather team with Powerhouse Hobbs I think. I’m done wrestling Powerhouse Hobbs (he laughed). I think we would make a hell of a tag team.
Wardlow has not wrestled for AEW since the debut episode of Collision. He lost the TNT Championship to Luchasaurus in a Ladder match.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Fandom Spotlite with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
