Edge & Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness Recap
Episode 4 with Guests, The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) (Link: apple.co/2nn7oW7)
By: Jeff Indelicato
“For The Benefit of Those with No Time” (Top Stories)
- The House of Horrors Match was originally a Michael P.S. Hayes idea for The Brood vs. The Hardys.
- E & C’s Voicemail Contest narrows down to the final two participants. The final round is next week.
- Edge assisted with helping Dash make it in his wrestling career.
- The throwback essence of The Revival was not planned, but evolved over time.
- The team believes attacking The New Day’s ice cream cart on their Raw debut made more of an impact than any move they could’ve done.
- The Revival feel that their feud with American Alpha in NXT brought them to the next level.
- Dash and Dawson are anticipating a future match with The Hardys.
“You Think You Know Them” (Recap)
Opening Intros 0:00-13:30
Edge & Christian begin the show with their usual banter. Christian is not ready to refer to himself as a professional podcaster, and still considers himself an amateur. Edge questions this, due to it being their fourth podcast. In response, Christian feels that by being “professional” he will not be able to participate in the Podcast Olympics, which includes such games as “Throwing Your Voice.” This gets Edge fired up, as he now wants to do violent things to Christian’s throat. Captain Charisma responds with the threat of throwing his steel-toed work boot at the Rated R Superstar. In the background, Christian’s cat is howling, and he has to go attend to him. We learn that he has six cats, and that Edge is allergic to the wonderful feline creature.
From there, the talk turns to that of the Fabulous Freebird himself, Michael Hayes. Christian reflects on a story where Hayes would say “Here we go” on a frequent basis. We then learn that back in 1999, Hayes had an idea for a themed match between The Brood and The Hardys, which was entitled a “House of Horrors” match. This would essentially take place in a type of fun house, with possible trap doors and secret passage ways. In addition, it would be filmed like a movie with multiple angles. Edge finds it fascinating that Matt Hardy would take part of that idea over fifteen years later, and equate it to the Final Deletion match from 2016. While it works in present time, he’s not sure if it would have worked back in the ’90s. Christian makes a point that the WWE was showcasing similar matches back then, such as the Boiler Room Brawl and the Buried Alive matches, but doesn’t know if the teams were big enough at that time to pull it off, as they were just making a name for themselves. I found it interesting that they didn’t mention the Wyatt vs. Orton House of Horrors match that is scheduled for Payback, but there was a reason for it. More on that later. Hayes was also the one that gave the idea to Edge to use pictures in his Hall of Fame Speech.
Voicemail Contest & Introduction of New Segment 13:30-34:45
As mentioned last week, 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. It started with eleven, and was narrowed down to the final five for this week’s round. The first impression was the fan who impersonated Morgan Freeman last week. He recited the lyrics to the song “How Bizarre” by OMC. Another solid impression that got big laughs from E & C. Both of them, and myself, felt that he stepped it up from his previous impression, and gave him some solid points. This led to a discussion about OMC, which reminded Christian of the time he and his friends were headed to their high school prom and met Deee Lite (famous for the song “Groove is in the Heart”) outside of a hotel. They invited the band to the prom, but no luck in sealing that deal. Back to the Freeman impression, Christian equated it to a match where he was telling a story with his voice, and didn’t rush. Edge called it a Harley Race match. The second impression came peeling out of the gate like a sound of broken glass, because Stone Cold was back! He sang Edge’s Metalingus theme song, then went into a promo about dropping Edge with a Stunner on “that stack of dimes he calls a neck.” He then faded himself out, singing Edge’s theme song again. This one got huge laughs from E & C, and you could tell by their reaction that this was a tough one to beat.
The third impression was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who told a story about his pet ferret Bastion Booger. He then had to head to the chopper to help the Hardy’s get broken again. This was met with an okay reaction, and it was just that. While Freeman & Austin had stepped it up, Arnold was not as strong. The next one was Roddy Piper (who impersonated the Ultimate Warrior last week). He was alright, and recited Piper’s entire promo from SummerSlam 1989. This impersonation was better than the guy who did it last week, but it still wasn’t the best. That is a promo that I really loved when I was a kid, but from an impression standpoint, it dragged on. Christian seemed to agree, as he noted that he was able to rotate the tires on his car, go deliver the newspaper to the neighborhood on his Huffy, and still have time to catch the end of the impression. Edge gave him a golf clap, and did give him some points for A) being the only one to do a different impression, and B) for having the guts to do Roddy after the person last week. A for effort. Finally, the Howard Finkel impersonator was back, and continued to be an angry, foul-mouthed version of the real deal. Edge gave him props, and enjoyed it, because it’s the complete opposite of who The Fink is. Which leads us to E & C narrowing it down to the final two. Both have to agree, and if they don’t, it goes to the tie breaker. Christian doesn’t even bother eliminating, and boldly exclaims that his two are Morgan Freeman & Stone Cold. Edge tells him that he needs to learn how to build anticipation, and begins eliminating. Arnold & Piper are gone. Edge really likes Finkel, but he has to agree with Christian.
The final two are Freeman & Austin, but Edge wants to see if he can’t talk the Finkel impersonator into officiating the match. Christian then announces a new segment that he came up with titled, “Anatomy of a Match.” This segment would feature participants from a famous match that would come on the show, and deconstruct everything that went into the match, before, during, and possibly after. They are asking fans to submit match requests through their contact information, which you can find at the end of this article.
Interview with The Revival 34:45-1:36:25
Christian is having issues hooking up the microphones, and asks for a “Star-Headed” Screwdriver, or Phillips Head, which leads to his co-host and guests giving him trouble. Once everything is settled down, he introduces The Revival, and clues them in on a secret, he is a supporter of the team, while Edge is a mark. E & C then get serious and explain to Dash & Dawson how excited they are to see them on the main roster, and how they love that they are a throwback tag team. The Revival admit that they have never looked at it in that way, as if it was a decision to make their gimmick throwback related. They were fans of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, as well as Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard, and that is the style that they just enjoyed. Their thought process was that as a tag team, they should work as a unit, and win as a unit. Edge applauds that, and adds that when you are a team, it is about shelving your ego, and recognizing yourselves as one brand. He really appreciates what they do, including their look, and how they have the same gear. They take what he feels and makes it current. Dawson agrees and mentions how there is no selfish ambition or jealousy. Christian notes how he had known Dawson from a few years back, and felt that his work was crisp and sharp.
Dawson says that he had a huge chip on his shoulder coming into the company. He knew his limitations, and what he could and couldn’t do. Wrestling is an entity to him. He loves his wife, his kid, and wrestling. It was the biggest dream to come true for him to be a wrestler. When he was initially brought in to NXT, he knew that there weren’t any specific plans for him, and as he worked, he saw peers moving ahead of him, which was bothersome. In his mind, they weren’t any better than him, which led to his focus on working even harder, having better matches, and just making it look more real. He admits having that chip got him some heat, but it also helped him in ways too.
When Dash came in, he knew that he was scheduled to tag with Dawson. He admits that in the beginning, there were some growing pains, and even feels that some of The Revival’s early matches are quite comical, but he never doubted their ability. He believed that once they became more comfortable, everything would align. In those early stages though, he began to put too much pressure on himself to adjust, but it was Dawson who helped him focus and get through that adjustment period.
Edge notes that a tag team wrestler should want his partner to succeed, so that the team can succeed, and that you need to have that chip because it will contribute to your success. He then shifts over to The Revival’s Raw debut on the night after WrestleMania. He loved how they tipped over The New Day’s ice cream cart, and stomped on it, as it made a statement. Christian adds that Raw is a different atmosphere from NXT, and applauds them for getting into it right away, and staying true to their characters, as it takes guts. Dawson admits that the cart spot was not planned. He didn’t know the cart would be there, and as he was walking towards the ring, it was in his way. There were many thoughts going through his head, which included wondering if the boss was going to be upset. In his mind, Vince would either forgive him, or like it. He was happy with his decision, and believes that it did so much more for the team than any move that they could have done. Those were the first twenty-five seconds that people saw them, and first impressions are everything.
Edge mentions that their Shatter Machine finishing move is his favorite tag finisher since the 3D from the Dudleys. E & C note that with the exception of them, most great tag teams have all had finishers where they worked together, from L.O.D.’s Doomsday Device, to the Hart Foundation’s Hart Attack, to Demolition’s Decapitation, to of course, the 3D. Dash admits that it took a while for him and Dawson to come up with it, as they were trying a variety of moves on the live events. Some weren’t pretty, but they just kept working with it until they figured out the move that would become the Shatter Machine. Edge feels that a finishing move should be one that you could hit on any wrestler, from Brock Lesnar to Neville. Dawson agrees, and mentions how they have hit their move on the Authors of Pain and Big Cass. In relation, they know that the wrestling world is different, and you basically have to work in GIF form, meaning, making moments that captivate people. He applauds how Xavier Woods took the finisher last week, and mentions how many fans were sending him GIF’s of that move. Christian makes sure to point out that you give them a story, and the GIF’s are the moments within the journey. Dash talks about how Xavier took the move so well that they originally thought he was hurt.
Since Christian had known Dawson, it was Edge’s turn to talk about his personal relationship with Dash. They go back to when Edge had injured his Achilles tendon, and began working out at the same gym as Dash, who was training to be a wrestler. Dash introduced himself to Edge, but never told him what he did for a living. It wasn’t until a while later that Edge found out he was a wrestler, and requested some videos of his matches. Edge liked what he saw, and referred him to William Regal, who advised him to go to Mexico, England, and around the world to learn and apply his craft. Christian asks Dash about his relationship with Dawson, and we find out more about their relationship, which began with a mutual love for Bret Hart.
Dawson grew up a wrestling fan, and was working to put his way through college while training to become a professional wrestler. His parents were assisting him until both of them lost their jobs in 2008. Because of this, Dawson ended up having to work two additional jobs to support himself, so that he could finish college, and would then wrestle every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Once he graduated, he traveled to Japan to wrestle. His mindset at the time was that the WWE didn’t want someone who looked and wrestled like him, so he figured that he would wrestle in Japan for a while, use his degree, and then get married. As he was planning the next stage of his life, he received an email from Regal that the WWE was interested in him. He still to this day doesn’t know how they found him or how he was referred. He believes that doors open and close for a reason, and is thankful that things happened the way they did. Dash completely agrees, and acknowledges that if things were done differently, they may not have been given the chances that they have. Christian commends them for their attitude, and for creating their own opportunity.
Dash’s personal story was that he was poor growing up, and moved out when he was 16-years-old. With no money to train, him and his friends created their own ring and trained themselves. He never lost that passion, and slowly worked his way into the business by setting up rings at independent shows. From there he worked at a gym, which ended up being the one that Edge worked out at. He was asked why he didn’t tell Edge what he did for a living, and he admitted that he didn’t want to force the issue or try to come across as a cool guy. When attending his first Raw, he created a homemade Edge Head poster, so he was a huge fan growing up. Edge could tell that Dash was a good guy, and noted that Bret Hart had helped him when he was starting out, which he always appreciated.
This leads into some Bret Hart stories. Dawson is a huge fan of the Hitman, and even has a cardboard cutout of him in his Dining Room. He’s asked if he has ever met the master of the Sharpshooter. Dawson recounts a story from the weekend of WrestleMania 31, where he saw his hero in catering. He wanted to tell him how much his career meant to him, and how much he admired him, so he walked up to Bret, and just before he got there, turned around. Later, Baron Corbin encouraged him to try it again, as this was his opportunity, so he attempted, and bailed at the last second. Finally, he gathered enough courage to quickly walk up to the Hitman, tell him that he was a fan, and ask for a selfie. Christian has another embarrassing Bret story. When he was starting out, Bret had invited him to come out and train with Edge at his house. Bret came down to where they were working out and wrestling, which Christian felt was his opportunity to show off. Unfortunately, he fell through the ropes, and made it even more awkward by trying to catch himself. Bret, who had been watching, but was on the phone, got up and left after that performance.
Edge notes how The Revival had some classic matches with American Alpha and DIY in NXT, and asks when they felt they were becoming a top tag team. Dawson feels it began with their match against Alpha at Takeover: Dallas. He believed that the focus was on them, and that there was healthy competition between both teams to outperform each other. Their rematch at Takeover: The End was when things officially changed for them. Dash agrees. In his opinion, they were overlooked until Dallas. They watched as other teams like The Vaudevillians and Enzo/Cass got called up, while they remained. He thinks that after the match with Enzo & Cass at Roadblock, the company started to see something in them. This continued as they worked the live events with Alpha and noticed a special chemistry with them. Dawson also credits Matt Bloom, head trainer in NXT. In an effort to prove themselves, they would constantly ask him for more time during matches, or challenges, like a 2-out-of-3 falls bout. E & C note that there’s a difference between wanting it, and meeting/exceeding expectations. As teams continued to get called up, Edge began to worry that they were the guys grooming other teams to go to the main roster, as even American Alpha was the next to get called up. He asks them how they keep that chip on their shoulder. The team explains how it’s not going to go away, as there isn’t one specific chip. It evolves and changes as they continue on, from wanting to be the best in NXT, to proving themselves on Raw, to becoming champs, to eventually becoming the best ever. E & C reiterate their point from last week about how they’re looking forward to a Revival/Hardys feud. Dawson can’t wait, as he idolized them, but at the end of the day, The Hardys will not outshine The Revival. Master selling of a future match from Dawson on this statement. Dash agrees and credits Team Extreme for proving to him that you can make it from anywhere (both he and The Hardy’s are from North Carolina).
Dawson wants to turn the tables and host for a minute. What are E & C’s favorite tag match of all time? It’s difficult for either to narrow it down, but both men agree it would probably be a match between the Hart Foundation & the British Bulldogs. Edge wants to make sure to give props to the Brainbusters vs. The Rockers, though. Back into the hosting chair, Christian asks Dawson to tell the story of how he named his daughter. Turns out that she is named after Fit Finlay, who Dawson was a fan of. Dawson’s wife agreed to it, except that the spelling had to be Finley. The Revival are thanked again for their time, and the interview closes out.
Close 1:36:25-1:44:00
Edge notes that the opening to this Podcast was recorded earlier in the week, before the House of Horrors match had been announced for Payback. This gives them a feeling that this idea is stemming from the mind of Mr. Hayes. E & C explain that while the Brood could’ve pulled it off, Bray will be better, and they are looking forward to seeing it. They also remind the fans of the Anatomy of a Match segment, and encourage everyone to give them feedback about who they’d like to hear from. It is obviously preferred to use wrestlers that would be easy to get on the show. An example would be Shawn Michaels & Scott Hall (Razor Ramon) at WrestleMania 10. Edge thinks it would be neat to talk about how that was the genesis of the ladder match, which led to TLC and Money in the Bank. Edge also wants to make a special note about how excited he is that Pearl Jam made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and how their music has meant so much to him over the years. 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: 8 Kazoos out of 10
Another solid episode from the masters of the Con-Chair-To. Only four episodes in, and these dudes are already putting out a professional (sorry Christian) show that engages you. I am enjoying the Voicemail contest, which is even better when they make Edge & Christian laugh. The showdown next week between Morgan & Austin should be great. Moving to The Revival, I was incredibly impressed with how they conducted themselves, as well as how the fans got to know them a little better. As a fan of their work in NXT, it was nice to build from that, and learn some personal history about Dash & Dawson. I love wrestlers who were fans growing up, and their passion just bleeds through. Major props to Dawson also for not losing the “selling” mindset of a Hardy’s feud. He could easily have just talked about how he idolized the Hardys, but he made sure to keep the focus on how they will be the victorious team, which helps blur the line between story and reality. You really believe that The Revival mean what they say, and I cannot wait to see the evolution of this team. No flips, just fists, and that’s the way I like it for them. 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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