Edge & Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness Recap
Episode 3 with Guest, Beth Phoenix (Link: apple.co/2nn7oW7)
By: Jeff Indelicato
“For The Benefit of Those with No Time” (Top Stories)
- Edge & Christian’s Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness is coming back for Season 2.
- Edge feels that this is more than likely the end for The Undertaker’s wrestling career.
- E & C think that the returning Hardy’s, and the Revival’s main roster debut will help reboot the Tag Team Division.
- If she were to return to the ring, Beth would be most interested in wrestling Charlotte & Nia Jax.
- Beth considers her 2010 Royal Rumble appearance to be her “WrestleMania Moment.”
- E & C did not know about the Tony Chimel surprise at the Hall of Fame.
“You Think You Know Them” (Recap)
Ad for MackWeldon.com 0:00-0:50
Opening Intros 0:50-6:20
Edge & Christian begin the show with the usual bickering and introductions. They consider themselves free agents that linger around like a fungus, or with respect to Owen Hart, nuggets. They then term themselves The New Nuggets, and commentate on how successful teams have been when you add “New” to the title, using The New Midnight Express, New Rockers, & New Foundation as examples. They are excited to talk about WrestleMania weekend, where they also filmed scenes for Season 2 of their WWE Network show. They discuss how crazy busy they were, and the excitement of having their family with them. From there, Christian & Edge debate over who was the one that got Beth to do the Podcast.
WrestleMania Thoughts 6:20-31:45
Edge felt that at a total length of 7 hours (including the pre-show) that the event was too long, and that the crowd seemed worn out. Christian added that WrestleMania has become a great spectacle, and he dug the outdoor set, with the roller coaster being super cool. He noted that to really gauge what his favorite match was, he’d need to watch it a second time. Edge dug the A.J. Styles vs. Shane McMahon match, and was appreciative of the reversals and MMA feel that both gentlemen brought. He mentioned that his favorite bump was the one that Mike Chioda took, and that it looked great. Edge also thought that the crowd was hot for that match, but then died down, possibly due to a combination of exhaustion and the heat.
Christian thought the Raw Women’s Championship match was solid, and would’ve liked to have seen them given more time. With regards to the Brock vs. Goldberg match, they both thought that it was great, and equated it to Godzilla vs. King Kong. Edge digs Goldberg, and notes that it seems like he hits his moves on his opponent a second before they’re prepared, which makes it “feel sudden.” They then move on to The Undertaker, which Edge thinks it’s his last match. His reasoning for this, is the way the story ended, and remarked that he went out on his shield. It’s a moment that you won’t forget, with the lasting image of his wrestling gear in the ring. They note that the ring crew left the gear in the middle of the ring for another 40 minutes after the show had ended. Christian thought that Taker’s Mania matches were always the Main Event, no matter the placement, and thinks that it was the perfect way to bow out, if that is the case, as he left it all in the ring. He mentions that the gear being left long after the show had ended shows what he meant to the company and for the fans. Edge adds that he also meant so much to the locker room, as he was their leader.
Both men acknowledge that the last time WrestleMania was in Orlando, Edge faced The Undertaker in the Main Event. Edge’s mindset going into that event was wanting to be different, as he knew that Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels was going to be emotional. His match with Taker was fresh and new, with a yearlong buildup. His thoughts were to make the match focused on counters, with Edge countering Undertaker’s moves throughout, until it caught up to him, and he was beat with a counter to a counter. To ensure that nothing interfered with those thoughts, he didn’t watch anything else on that show.
Post Raw & Smackdown Thoughts 31:45-42:30
Christian talks about how the post-Mania shows are in a perfect element, as they are in an arena with passionate fans, who are excited to be there. Edge mentions his excitement for the usual returns and debuts. Edge’s favorite moment of Raw was the main roster debut of The Revival. He mentions that Beth and him were at the NXT Takeover show on Saturday, and really enjoyed the Triple Threat match with The Revival, DIY, & The Authors of Pain. While all teams deserved credit, Edge mentions that he’s been on The Revival bandwagon before there was a bandwagon, and loved the debut, feeling they made an immediate impact.
Both talk about their excitement of the Hardy’s return to the WWE, which Christian feels is huge to have them back. Edge is looking forward to a feud between those two teams, and noted that Matt & Jeff now have their Arn & Tully to match up against. They feel that with the addition of those two, it will continue to reboot the Tag Team division. Talk moves over to Smackdown, where Edge talks about his happiness for Tye Dillinger’s main roster debut. Christian equates Tye to someone who is a late bloomer that always had most of the tools, but was missing just one ingredient, until he came up with The Perfect 10 Gimmick. Edge says that when he was coming back from his torn pec injury, Tye was one of the wrestlers who helped him shake the ring rust off before his return. E & C are also excited for Shinsuke Nakamura’s debut. Christian thought it was a cool surprise to have him show up on Smackdown instead of Raw. He feels that Shinsuke has a charisma that you can’t teach, and is looking forward to a potential Styles vs. Nakamura match. Edge would like to see him face off against Jeff Hardy.
Ad for Harrys.com 42:30-44:00
Voicemail Contest 44:00-57:30
The show is holding a voicemail contest where fans call into the show and do impressions. The winner will then get to make an appearance on a future podcast. The first impression was Roddy Piper. While Edge gave him a few points, it was agreed that the impression wasn’t exactly solid. The second one was The Ultimate Warrior. The fan was pretty good, and made references to the WrestleMania 6 promo, which gained points from both men. The third was Stone Cold Steve Austin. It was also funny, and referenced a previous E & C episode, which also gained points. The fourth was Shawn Michaels. It was just okay. The fifth began with someone rambling and speaking poetically, until he closed as Morgan Freeman. Big laughs from both men. The sixth was Kane, who tried talking like the 1998-99 version of the character, and wasn’t good. Christian DQ’d him. The seventh was Ric Flair who “Whoo’d” multiple times, and referred to himself as a WWWE champ. The eighth was Paul Heyman, who was so bad, that they ended it before it was over. The ninth was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also got big laughs, talking about his friendship with Triple H, and referencing his movies, Jingle All the Way and Kindergarten Cop. The tenth was Vince McMahon, who was another bad one. The final one was Howard Finkel, who was decent. E & C narrowed them down to the final 5: Morgan, Arnold, Austin, Warrior, and Finkel.
Ad for ZipRecruiter.com 57:30-58:30
Interview with Beth Phoenix 58:30-2:07:00
Christian leads the introduction, talking about how Beth is a close personal friend, and agreed to do this for him. Edge seemingly disagrees, and considers this one his guest. Beth agrees that it was Christian who got her to agree to do the show. Edge acknowledges that he and Beth are married with two daughters. Beth tells a story of how she actually called Christian to get his blessing before marrying Edge. Christian feels that Beth’s Hall of Fame speech was the best of the night, and noted how it was heartfelt. He loved how she thanked everybody and talked about everyone but herself. Beth notes how it was easy to say those words, as they were true, and about people she cared about. She singled out both Afa of the Wild Samoans and Molly Holly as people who took care of her as she was working her way up. Edge noted how they are guardian angels to everyone, and how people pay it forward to help the business grow, and support the next generation. He referenced how Johnny Smith helped him, and how Macho Man helped Molly.
When moving through her career, they discussed how difficult it was for a woman to become a professional wrestler. Beth states that everyone is different, and when she was on the main roster, it didn’t matter to her what anyone’s background was. All she cared about was what they did in the ring, and how they acted when they got to the company. Edge and Beth mention how they first started talking about dating during his Appreciation Night after his retirement. Beth had originally been intimidated by him, as she considers him at the top of the industry, and at a high level. One of the first things they realized was all of the things they had in common, from being trained by the same person, to wrestling in the same places early in their career.
Christian goes back to her speech, and loved how she gave a shout out to the next generation. In his opinion, she helped lay the groundwork, along with Natalya. Beth notes that the revolution wouldn’t be working without the talented women that they currently have on the roster, and is happy to see it happening. Beth talks about how much she loved working live events more than TV, because she had the freedom to work longer matches, and could work without the pressures of television, while keeping the crowd engaged. The three mention how the world has changed with Serena Williams & Ronda Rousey becoming stars, which helped the WWE embrace it.
They then move on to the match that influenced Beth the most, Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at WrestleMania 10. She mentions how she had a brother, and related to the story, which kept her invested. She appreciated the build up, and then the actual match, which was focused on wrestling, and didn’t need all the bells and whistles. She noted how it allowed her to suspend disbelief, and the quick rollup finish at the end literally made her jump up, captivated her, and created a spark that never went away. From then on, she made it a goal to make someone else feel what she felt watching that match.
It’s mentioned that she is now the youngest Hall of Famer of all time, so if she were to return, who would she like to face. Beth says she had just ran into Ric Flair, and he told her how much he wishes he could see her face Charlotte, which she agrees, as she is a fan of her work. She also enjoys Nia Jax, and feels that she is so different than the others. Edge mentions how Nia did some work with them on Season 2 of their show, and how she’s fun, and has a good attitude.
They then move on to Glamerella. Beth talks about how prior to that, she had gone through all of the women, and had just lost the title. She felt that she needed to reinvent herself, and did not want to sit around, so she came up with the storyline idea from watching the Eddie Murphy movie Norbit, which focused on a dominating girlfriend, and felt that Santino would be a perfect partner. She wrote up her idea, and pitched it to Vince. The next week, he pulled her aside, and let her know that they were going with the idea.
They then transitioned back to the Hall of Fame ceremony. Beth stated that prior to the event, she was going through a lot personally, dealing with her mother’s health issues, and focusing on being a full-time mom, while Edge was in Dublin. As she was waiting backstage, she suddenly felt a calm come over her as she was listening to Natalya’s speech, which all three praised. She wanted the speech to be authentic, which is why she specifically named all of those men and women who were supportive in her career. She was fearful of naming names, due to her being worried that she would forget someone, but acknowledged that it means more when you specifically name people in your speech. Unfortunately, she immediately forgot to name Maryse and Rosa Mendes. It broke her heart that she forgot, but both Edge & Christian assured her that it is a common occurrence, and is difficult to remember everyone at that moment. Edge specially mentioned Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, and Batista as men who he unintentionally left out of his speech. Beth also noted that it was important to mention Chyna, as she was a huge influence on her career. In fact, the headband that she wore, and her overhead press slams were tributes to the Ninth Wonder of the World.
The topic turns to the Royal Rumble in 2009, which Beth mentions was one of the top highlights of her career. It began with Dean Malenko calling about the idea to have her be an entrant. She agreed, and was told to keep it a secret, as they wanted it to be a surprise. She kept it from everyone, including her family, and noted that she had never trained harder for something in her life. She feels that this appearance was her “WrestleMania Moment.” Since Edge was the eventual winner of that year’s Rumble, a fan sent him a message that he now holds a win over his wife.
Back to the Hall of Fame, they talked about how great it was to have their daughter at the ceremony. Beth notes that it is an opportunity to create a time capsule for their children, and they’ll be able to see that their parents loved them very much. No matter how crazy your dreams are, you can do it. Christian mentions how their daughter was captivated by Beth at the ceremony. To elaborate, Beth understands Bill Goldberg’s feelings with regards to coming back for his son to see him wrestle. She saw how excited Bill was backstage interacting with his kid. The topic of Edge being referenced in her speech was then addressed. Beth wanted their daughter to experience the live reaction for her Dad as well. Christian asked about the Tony Chimel introduction, which both he and Edge acknowledged that they were not expecting. When reviewing her speech, she had told Edge that her only reference to him would be thanking “her husband, Adam, who’s neat.” Because of this, Edge originally thought that someone was trying to cut her speech short, which got him heated, until he saw Tony, and enjoyed the moment. This was Beth’s favorite part of the night, and wanted that reaction for her daughter, and to honor her husband.
They wrap up the interview by talking about their families, mentioning that Edge & Christian’s daughters are six weeks apart, and are best buddies. Beth even notes that Dana Warrior’s daughters and one of Stephanie McMahon’s daughters are interested in becoming wrestlers. They ask Beth if she had advice for someone wanting to get into the business, what it would be. She notes how it’s a different world now, and that opportunities are greater. Dream big, and be the best at what you want to do. Don’t limit yourself based on your gender. E & C congratulate Beth again on the induction, and state that there are many more stories to tell.
Close 2:07:00-2:08:00
Edge & Christian thank their sponsors and fans. They encourage everyone to follow the show on Twitter @EandCPod, E-Mail them at ecpodofawesomeness@gmail.com, and to call their Voicemail at 929-367-8204.
Jeff’s Take: 9 Kazoos out of 10
Before I begin, first a disclaimer. Edge & Christian are one of my favorite tag teams of all time. In addition, I am someone whose life revolves around his family and friends. Therefore, when two faves (who are best friends) are interviewing one of their wives, and talking about their family, and wrestling, I was hooked. In all seriousness, this was a fantastic podcast. For an episode running over 2 hours, it had the potential to run out of steam, and yet, I could have listened to them all talk for another hour. As we have known for almost twenty years, Edge & Christian have tremendous chemistry, and it has carried over to audio. They are hilarious, and you can tell they are having fun.
As with the Stone Cold & Jericho podcasts, E & C narrate their own ads, which keeps you listening, and entertained. It was also great to hear their thoughts about WrestleMania. The interview with Beth was great, and due to them being so close, it was very comfortable and easy to listen to. Since Edge & Beth have been private about their lives, I also appreciated them sharing some personal stories with the fans. Finally, a major prop to the hosts was that the interview was continuous, with no commercial breaks. Overall, a great episode, and highly recommended. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @the_Indel or send me an email at indelpw@gmail.com. See you next week!
About the Author
Jeff has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was knee high to a grasshopper (little kid), after coming across the Wrestling Challenge episode after WrestleMania 7, and has not looked back. His passion has led him to winning wrestling trivia contests in his city, and even won him his Senior Talent Show by dancing to Shawn Michaels theme song. When not annoying others with wrestling talk, he loves spending time with his family and friends, and focuses on his other passion: movies.
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