Wardlow made a surprise return to AEW at the Forbidden Door 2025 pay-per-view event held yesterday on August 23, 2025, at The O2 Arena in London, England. This marked his first appearance in over a year, following his last televised match in March 2024 against then-AEW World Champion Samoa Joe.
During the event, after Kazuchika Okada retained the AEW Unified Championship against Swerve Strickland, Okada continued assaulting Strickland’s injured knee by trapping it in the ring steps and striking it with a steel chair. Prince Nana rushed out with a metal pipe to defend Strickland and chase off Okada.
That’s when Wardlow, dressed in a black suit, entered the ring behind them. He attacked Nana with a clothesline, followed by ground-and-pound strikes, and then took out multiple AEW security personnel who tried to intervene. Wardlow eventually left the ring, leaving Strickland helpless and in bad shape.
New Role with the Don Callis Family
Wardlow officially aligned himself with the Don Callis Family during this segment, embracing Don Callis on the ramp and shaking hands with Okada. The rest of the family members came out to welcome him with handshakes and embraces, solidifying his addition to the group. However, Konosuke Takeshita notably stared him down without a handshake, hinting at potential tension.
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This move positions Wardlow as the newest member of the heel faction, which now includes talents like Kyle Fletcher, Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, Lance Archer, Hechicero, Josh Alexander, and Rocky Romero. His role appears to be as a powerhouse enforcer, given his actions in the attack.
Work on American Gladiators
Wardlow’s extended absence from AEW was partly due to filming commitments for the upcoming reboot of American Gladiators on Amazon Prime Video, hosted by WWE’s The Miz. He participated in two seasons of the show as a competitor or gladiator, with filming now complete.
This project, along with prior injury recovery, kept him sidelined from wrestling until his recent clearance and return.
