Edge recently spoke with Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated Extra Mustard‘s Week In Wrestling; you can read a few highlights below:
Edge comments on AJ Styles being able to prove that full time talents are worthy of the Wrestlemania main event spot:
“I don’t think main-eventing WrestleMania is just for part-time talent, and I think AJ will prove that. He is a guy who has caught fire and figured out what he needs to do in WWE, which isn’t far off from what he was already doing, but you can tell he made some tweaks. Now, he’s just firing on every cylinder you can fire on. So I think he can be one that shows you can be with WWE full-time and main-event.”
Edge comments on acting having mid-season finales, which is completely different than WWE:
“It is funny, just as we’re getting this momentum, it’s like, ‘Alright, here’s the mid-season finale.’ Hopefully that just makes you want to watch even more, but it is much different from WWE.
The clearest example of that difference is the night after WrestleMania. As soon as that show ends, you’re focused on Raw the next night. There is no break. I got put through a ladder by Jeff Hardy at WrestleMania 23, had bruises from the ladder rungs across my back, but I was back the next night. I did the hardcore match with Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22, went through a flaming table and had thumbtacks in my back, but I was out there the next night. That mentality does get ingrained in you. Wrestling is just a different beast. There is no off-season in WWE, it’s week in and week out.”
Edge Talks WWE Preparing Him For Acting, Vince McMahon’s Work Ethic, His New Role On ‘Vikings’
Edge explains why Shinsuke Nakamura winning the Royal Rumble would lead to a great Wrestlemania match with AJ Styles:
“The North American audience and, to an extent, the worldwide audience, has not seen what Nakamura brings to the table. We’ve seen flashes of it in his matches against Sami Zayn and Randy Orton. As evidenced by his New Japan work, he can be a very special performer. It would be nice to see him at least given that shot. From there, it’s up to him whether he sinks or swims. Sometimes, not everyone adapts to the style. It’s a different company, it’s a different audience, it’s an entirely different hurricane. Sometimes styles don’t translate. Rey Mysterio was a master of doing that. No matter where he went, Rey could make his style adapt. But not everyone is Rey Mysterio.
“I love Nakamura, but it’s a transition for anybody who comes to WWE. You start him off with Sami at NXT, and talk about having the ultimate meal set for you: you get this amazing selling babyface and get to have this spectacular match. As I’ve talked about on the podcast, NXT is a different beast from WWE. But I think he and AJ can be one of the main events, and I also know the people want it. With the proper build, AJ-Nakamura could be the match on last.”
“That’s why I’d like to see Nakamura win the Rumble. He and AJ would have an amazing match, and that would give a different flavor to WrestleMania. You’d also have Brock-Roman and maybe Cena-Taker, as well as the women’s division, so then you’re pretty much set with a solid card.”
