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

#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.