Why Samoa Joe may not return to AEW alone
Samoa Joe has been absent from AEW for around two months after losing his match with Chris Jericho, which saw him get taken out with a forklift. There have been no details regarding a specific timeline for his return, but could another top AEW star return alongside him? This would be Wardlow.
Joe is said to be out of action due to other commitments away from the ring, but Mr. Mayhem's absence has been a big question. A few months ago, he was said to be banged up due to a car crash, but it has been a while since then, with no further updates regarding his status. He also has not been mentioned at all on TV. He began the year on a roll but has quickly fallen off again.
Samoa Joe, upon his return to AEW, could go after Chris Jericho to exact his revenge. Could Wardlow reunite with him and aid him take down The Learning Tree?
Wardlow has always not been a fan of Chris Jericho
From the beginning, Wardlow has not been on the same page as Chris Jericho. In 2020, he was aligned with MJF, and they tried to join Jericho's Inner Circle. However, it seemed as if the former TNT Champion was the less enthusiastic of the two and always showed his dismay at teaming up with the faction.
In the end, this was all a ruse, and The Pinnacle was formed to put away the Inner Circle. For years the two haven't seen eye to eye, and they even got into a verbal confrontation back in March, with The Ocho telling Wardlow he was not good enough to be a world champion.
Mr. Mayhem may be harboring some ill will towards Chris Jericho, and this could be a chance for him to finally put his hands on the veteran.
Wardlow may be back to pull an inside job on Samoa Joe
A hot feud a few years back was between Wardlow and Samoa Joe. The two once teamed up as WarJoe, but Joe suddenly turned on him and thus began a war between the two for the TNT Championship.
This year at Dynamite: Big Business in March, the two faced off after a long time, this time for the AEW World Championship. The Samoan Submission Machine came out on top, dominantly putting Wardlow to sleep. This would be the end of his major momentum, as he has not been seen in a match since.
Wardlow could pretend to be Samoa Joe's ally in a feud with Chris Jericho and turn on him once the job is done. This would be a full-circle revenge plan for him.
The Undisputed Kingdom does not seem to be prioritizing Mr. Mayhem
Early in the year, it seemed as if the Undisputed Kingdom would be the most dominant faction in AEW, with Wardlow playing a big reason for this. However, since then, they have been lackluster, and the former TNT Champion has become an afterthought.
Wardlow has not been seen with the faction for several months now, and with Adam Cole still out with injury, Roderick Strong and The Kingdom have been running the show.
Neither man on the faction has a title, and they haven't been in the winning column lately. Last month, they began teaming up with The Beast Mortos and have found success in some of their matches.
This could force Wardlow to look elsewhere and move away from the group, seeing as he isn't a priority anymore.
Samoa Joe could be gearing up for an imminent return to the company, but at this point, Wardlow's status continues to remain a big question, and there is no guarantee that he'll return sometime soon.