Bully Ray Explains Why It'll Take A Lot To Rehabilitate Wardlow In AEW

Wardlow appeared on AEW programming for the first time in over three months this past Wednesday night on "AEW Dynamite." The former AEW TNT Champion defeated Griff Garrison in a squash match to mark his return to television. WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray spoke about Wardlow on SiriusXM's "Busted Open Radio" show. 

"It's gonna take a lot for me to get back on board with Wardlow," Ray said. "And in order to get back on track with Wardlow, you have to have a first night back. You have to have a first step forward. I'll say last night [Wednesday, October 4] was a baby step forward. 

"What I found interesting was the look on Wardlow's face when he came out. And I mentioned it last night on 'Busted Open After Dark,' Wardlow looked shoot p****d off last night about something. Almost as if, like, right before he went out, like, maybe his segment got cut. And I'm not saying that that was it, but something looked off to me ... It was just a fair to midland re-debuting of Wardlow. What he did to Griff Garrison, I do not believe really worked to the maximum potential."

The last time Wardlow appeared on AEW programming before his return was on the debut episode of "AEW Collision," where he lost the AEW TNT Championship to Luchasaurus. The 35-year-old recently spoke about how being off television had made him depressed. Since making his AEW debut in 2019, Wardlow has captured the AEW TNT Championship on three occasions. He also won the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match in 2022 to earn a shot at the TNT belt.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit SiriusXM's "Busted Open Radio" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.