Wardlow had many great inspirations in professional wrestling when he was growing up.
The Face of the Revolution winner recently sat down with Rick Ucchino of The Bleav in Pro Wrestling Podcast to discuss a variety of subjects. During the interview, Wardlow revealed that he was a late bloomer and originally envisioned his look and size in professional wrestling to be more along the lines of Jeff Hardy.
“I was a very late bloomer. I anticipated being a future Jeff Hardy. I practiced flips and corkscrews and moonsaults and swantons and all that stuff, thinking I would be a Jeff Hardy of a future company. And then, obviously one day, life took me on a different path. Fortunately, my body still remembers how to do most of that stuff. So, people will see some unique things from me in the future that they probably wouldn’t expect.”
Last week on AEW Dynamite, Jeff Hardy joined the All Elite Wrestling roster. An addition that Wardlow is very excited about.
“Calling me a ‘Jeff Hardy guy’ is a huge understatement. When I tell you I’ve done thousands and thousands and thousands of Swanton Bombs on a trampoline, also an understatement. Jeff Hardy is a big reason I’m sitting here talking to you today. And it was almost one of those CM Punk type situations where I just thought I missed my opportunity. So, to be in the same company as the Hardy Boyz is really just a dream come true. And this past Wednesday, it was such a special night for me. The fact that we heard the music, we saw the man and we saw a Swanton Bomb on AEW Dynamite, and then I followed it… It’s just so sweet man.”
A lot of fans have made comparisons to Wardlow and Batista, something that Wardlow certainly understands where it comes from and says it’s a very cool feeling.
“Dude, it just makes me smile. Being a junior in high school, I just started growing. I’m 170 pounds and I’m finally starting to grow and get some muscle, but you look at somebody like Batista, and you’re like, ‘I could never.’ I’m gonna try to get as close to that as possible, but what are the realistic odds? So, I worked my butt off to get to as close to a Dave Bautista level as possible. And to just go on Twitter and see side-by-side pictures and comparisons and people comparing me to him, it’s just such a cool feeling.
“Dave is somebody who I haven’t met, and I would love to meet him and thank him. He’s still doing big things in life, and he still motivates me and pushes me to this day without even knowing it. But yeah man, again, just life and manifestation. You look at Batista. He started as Deacon Batista, wearing that same suit, silent. You know, I started with the suit, silent. Then he turned to Evolution. I have been in the Pinnacle. Him and Triple H. Me and Max. It’s like these things, it’s crazy. You can’t write this stuff. It’s just crazy how life is working out.”
READ MORE: Wardlow: ‘I Have The Star Power That Hasn’t Been Seen In This Business In Over A Decade’
What do you make of Wardlow’s comments? Are you surprised that he’s such a big Jeff Hardy fan? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
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