Former WWE Referee Fears Drew McIntyre Would Be 'Wardlow-ed' in AEW

Amidst speculation around Drew McIntyre's long-term future with WWE, former referee Jimmy Korderas has revealed he fears McIntyre could be "Wardlow-ed" if he jumps ship to AEW. 

"Absolutely, and obviously over there, he's gonna get the huge response that you want. A lot of rumours circulating around Drew McIntyre - hell of a talent, and you know, he's in that WWE wheelhouse as far as looks, he's good on the mic, he checks all the boxes. I just don’t want him to get Wardlow-ed if he goes over to AEW. I hate using that term, because I think there was a huge missed opportunity with that guy, he was so - I'm not saying that people have turned on him completely, but he's nowhere near getting the interest that he should be getting right now. I think they dropped the big ball," Korderas told Inside The Ropes.

Wardlow was one of the hottest talent in All Elite Wrestling heading into Double or Nothing 2022 but crowd reactions for the TNT Champion have quietened since then, with many feeling Wardlow hasn't been booked correctly following his win over MJF last May. 

McIntyre's WWE contract is scheduled to expire in early 2024 but the company has the option to add injury time to the deal. Relations between McIntyre and WWE have been bumpy in the past couple of years, with both sides having experienced communication issues. McIntyre is expected to re-sign with WWE, according to the latest reports, but that situation could change over the next several months.