AEW Superstar compares his character change to WWE legend Batista

The Animal was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame after his retirement

AEW Superstar Wardlow recently betrayed his long-term ally, Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Mr. Mayhem has now compared his change of character to Batista's iconic babyface turn.

At AEW Revolution 2022, Wardlow betrayed MJF, as he helped CM Punk win an incredible Dog Collar Match. MJF's now-former bodyguard made his way down to the ring and handed Punk the Dynamite Diamond Ring, which he used to his advantage to win.

Taking to Instagram, Wardlow posted an image of Batista's "thumbs down" gesture when he betrayed Triple H and the rest of Evolution. Over the past few months or so, fans have claimed that Wardlow is more like a modern-day Batista, and the AEW star certainly draws inspiration from The Animal.

Here's a screengrab of Wardlow's Instagram story:

AEW's Wardlow recently posted this story featuring The Animal

In the aftermath of his betrayal of MJF, Wardlow declared this week on Dynamite that he is no longer the former's bodyguard. He also stated that he isn't a part of The Pinnacle anymore.

At Revolution 2022, Wardlow scored a big win when he became the #1 contender for the TNT Championship. On the upcoming edition of Dynamite, he will challenge Scorpio Sky for the title.

Sky won the belt after beating Sammy Guevara on this week's Dynamite. The Spanish God was in his second reign as the TNT Champion, and he had defended his belt in several hard-fought matches.

Wardlow previously revealed that Batista influenced him to join the pro wrestling industry in the first place

In a previous interview with Muscle and Fitness, AEW star Wardlow revealed that Batista influenced him to become a pro wrestler. Mr. Mayhem claimed that The Animal was at the top of his game at that time and he remembers looking up to him. (H/T: Wrestling Inc)

"Dave Bautista was blowing up in the wrestling world, and I remember looking at him and thinking, ‘That’s it, that’s what I am gonna be,'" said Wardlow.

Time for a change @AEW #aewdynamite https://t.co/VC9v2YBc6b

Since joining AEW, Wardlow has been working with MJF, so he never really had the opportunity to break out as a singles star. However, he previously competed in a memorable Steel Cage Match against Cody Rhodes.

Now that Wardlow is finally free, it remains to be seen if he can finally capture his first championship in AEW next week on the special St. Patrick's Day Slam episode of Dynamite.