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AEW President Tony Khan has a lot on his plate when it comes to business, which is why he feels it's smart not to sign Wardlow to an official contract.
The man known as Mr. Mayhem has been with AEW since 2019 but, in the storyline, is signed under a contract with Maxwell Jacob Friedman. That means, according to the storyline, MJF is paying Wardlow's wages, not Tony Khan.
However, in recent weeks Wardlow has done everything he can to get out of MJF's contract, beating anyone standing in his way and making the message clear to MJF that he wants out.
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So why hasn't Tony Khan signed Wardlow to an AEW contract? Speaking on Rasslin' with Barstool Sports, the AEW President explained the big man's situation. Khan said it comes down to MJF's family having a lot of money:
"MJF and his family have a lot of money and to be fair, I'm making smart business decisions for the company and we have Wardlow, he's still performing on the company right now and it's on MJF's dime. We work with a lot of people through the Forbidden Door and this is no different. It's a lot of partnerships." (H/T: Fightful).
Wardlow is one of AEW's hottest stars at the time of writing, and with Khan's roster growing by the day, Mr. Mayhem's situation isn't personal; it's just business.
Will Tony Khan ever sign Wardlow to an AEW contract?
At AEW's upcoming pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, the fate of Wardlow's wrestling future could potentially be on the line. He has the opportunity to face MJF in an attempt to become a free agent.
Wardlow will have to jump through some hoops for that match to happen. To start, he must take ten lashes from MJF on the May 18 edition of Dynamite before facing Shawn Spears in a Steel Cage match the following week, where MJF will be the special guest referee.
If all of that is completed, Wardlow will face MJF, where if Mr. Mayhem wins, he'll be let out of his current contract, allowing Khan the opportunity to sign him to an official AEW contract.
However, if he loses, Wardlow will never be allowed to properly sign with AEW, thus becoming MJF's employee for as long as The Salt of the Earth wishes.
Do you think Tony Khan will make Wardlow "All Elite" if he beats MJF? Let us know in the comments section down below!
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