Aubrey Edwards isn’t an in-ring competitor in AEW, but as a leading referee, she’s one of the faces of the company.
She also co-hosts AEW Unrestricted alongside broadcaster Tony Schiavone, and during a recent episode, the duo shared their thoughts on all the moves the company has made recently. From CM Punk’s return to the acquistions of Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and Ruby Soho, AEW is rolling with a lot of momentum. On the show, Edwards noted that it’s incredible to feel like she’s in the midst of a historic period in wrestling history as AEW continues to change the game.
“I was having breakfast with Jerry Lynn the other day, and he had said something that I absolutely agreed with — that when people are looking back in time, in the history of wrestling, they’re going to remember this time as a major point in wrestling,” said Edwards. “And that’s fascinating to think about, that we get to be a part of that, that All Out 2021 will be talked about forever. And I don’t think that’s a hyperbole, I think that’s absolutely true.”
Edwards then explained how CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole all joining the company, with the latter two arriving at All Out, has raised the bar for the company’s next pay-per-view, Full Gear. Edwards shared her reaction, somewhat jokingly, to the historic ending to All Out, and she wondered how AEW could possibly top it.
“Meeting [Punk] and seeing how kind and excited he is to be here, it’s absolutely incredible, and it’s a testament to what we’ve built,” said Edwards. “I think Bryan Danielson saying it in the post-show press conference for All Out, it’s that we’ve built something good here, and this is a thing that people want to be a part of. And you mention that, focusing on our own product, the thing that I first thought, coming out of All Out was, ‘Oh god, what are we gonna do for Full Gear? Like how can we top this, we’re screwed.”
Looking back on Punk’s match with Allin at All Out, Edwards expressed her gratitud to Punk for helping put Allin over and build up him because, in doing so, he was helping AEW’s future.
“To have someone come in like CM Punk and just immediately put over Darby [Allin] the way that he did is absolutely incredible,” said Edwards. “And I’m incredibly grateful because something like that is just going to help build our company’s success.”
Edwards also shared her genuine reaction to seeing Danielson and Cole backstage at All Out by describing her sheer excitement. Even before the two men officially debuted, she knew the show was about to get even more remarkable with their debuts
“I immediately like seize up like, ‘Oh god, oh,’ and like my limbs stop working and whatnot,” said Edwards. “Ten minutes later, I walk over to go position and I see him standing there, like punching the air and kicking and whatnot, basically warming up like a fighter, and I’m just standing there in awe.
“And I look over, and I’m like ‘Oh, there’s Adam Cole about to go out . Okay, things just got real wild.'”
Things certainly got wild, as Cole and Danielson helped AEW deliver an unforgettable ending to the show, and the company has continued to generate even more buzz ever since.
The full episode is available here:
