AEW Unmatched Series 2 Wardlow review
Wardlow has been positioned real well in AEW and seems on the verge of a big breakout moment any week now. I was worried that was gonna arrive before Jazwares got his first figure out.
Thankfully with the second wave of Unmatched figures, Wardlow makes his debut in the line to join most of The Pinnacle and his boss, MJF. Now let’s see if the war dawg is ready to hunt.
Packaging: Jazwares isn’t doing too much exciting with its packaging, but I do appreciate the Unmatched series uses silver accents instead of the gold for the Unrivaled line. This makes it easier on a quick glance to see if your Unmatched search on pegs is going to be in vain from a distance.
That still doesn’t hold for the rest of the package. The portrait on the side is useless so you have to move every figure just to see who’s on the shelf.
The Wardlow photos are solid, but don’t do a whole lot to show off Wardlow or the attire. And I really wish this line included some form of bio and stats beyond the match reference attire.
Likeness: It kept bothering me what was throwing this likeness off for me until I realized it was a mess up that had nothing to do with the sculpt.
He’s got two heads and the default is a yelling expression. That works for Wardlow as he’s normally intense in the ring and calm while he’s in suit mode as MJF’s bodyguard.
Jazwares did a nice job with his size emphasizing the shoulders and chest without making his arms and thighs look too scrawny. His outfit is definitely not the flashiest as it’s a singlet and mid-level boots.
Scale: Wardlow is only a giant by AEW roster standards. He’s 6’2″ so he should be looking up at his Inner Circle rival, the 6’7″ Jake Hager, Jon Moxley at 6’4″ and just slightly taller than the 6’1″ Cody.
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Paint: Right away one big problem with Wardlow is apparent — his skin tone is off.
Wardlow has a deep tan that gives him an almost reddish complexion. This figure isn’t ghost white like the first wave of Unrivaled, but it’s noticeably off and definitely affects the likeness.
The singlet detail is terrific and seems to be the right shade of green. There’s no problem with the face printing as it’s clean with crisp work around the goatee and a wet-like look for the tongue. At this scale that’s very impressive.
Articulation: Wardlow hasn’t had many lengthy matches. He’s more of the pound and pound.
It’s essential that he’s able to lock in convincing powerbombs for his powerbomb symphony.
Thanks to the default clutching hands, he can lock his hands in for authentic looking poses.
Wardlow has:
- neck
- bicep
- ball-jointed shoulders
- elbows (double-jointed)
- wrists
- wrist hinge
- torso
- waist
- hips
- thighs
- knees (double-jointed)
- ankles
Accessories: Wardlow doesn’t have obvious accessories for Jazwares opted for a serious headsculpt. The likeness is there too, but again will need a red spray tan/wash to really show how strong Jazwares nailed it.
He also comes with a set of swappable fists. Good options for a brawler. I wouldn’t have been upset if he came with either an Inner Circle T-Shirt or a Pinnacle shirt. Cloth of course.
Worth it? I got Wardlow for $20 though the line is inconsistently ringing up at $21.99 hinting at an imminent price increase. Twenty dollars is ideal for this line and I’m somewhat more forgiving of mistakes like the skin tone than if the price were higher.
Rating: 8 out of 10
The incorrect skin tone rears its ugly head again. I might try and do a dry wash to give Wardlow the tan he needs, but that shouldn’t be necessary regardless of the price point. Otherwise this is a solid figure for an essential member of the AEW roster.
Where to get it? I’ve seen the Unmatched Series 2 figures at Target. He’s actually on Target’s website, but no telling if he’s actually ever been in stock. If you keep striking out, he’s available from secondary sellers on Amazon.