WRITTEN PODCAST RECAP: E&C Pod of Awesomeness on tag team wrestling in the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s, Edge reveals one of his few regrets, and the tag team he was almost put in (Ep. 17)

Edge & Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness Recap

Episode 17 with a Tag Team Conversation & Tales from the Indies

By: Jeff Indelicato

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“For The Benefit of Those with No Time” (Top Stories)

• Stone Cold once gave Christian advice to stay in the tag team with Edge for as long as he could in order to build up their credibility, and remain a focal point in the show.
• Christian credits his tag team time with Chris Jericho as a turning point in his later singles success.
• One of Edge’s few regrets is that he wasn’t able to partake in his planned tag team storyline with Jericho, due to his injury.

“5 Second Pose of Timestamps”

0:00: Show Introduction/Great Balls of Fire recap/Banter
29:45: Sponsored Ad
30:55: Tommy Dreamer’s Tales from the Indies
50:30: Voicemails
1:07:00: Sponsored Ad
1:08:30: Beginning of Tag Team Discussion
1:24:00: E & C’s Favorite ’80s Tag Team
1:38:00: Tag Wrestling in the Late ’90s
2:07:00: Tag Wrestling in the ’00s
2:25:00: Wrap Up & Close

“You Think You Know Them” (Recap)

Opening Intros/Banter 0:00-29:45

The boys open the show ready to go, and jump into recapping the Great Balls of Fire PPV. Both of them liked the show, even though it was poorly named. They enjoyed the 30 Minute Iron Man Tag Team Match, and liked Sheamus & Cesaro as a tag team. Edge would just like them to wear matching gear, but is glad to see them having fun. I have thought about this too, and was really happy when they at least started wearing matching entrance gear.

Christian liked the Bliss/Banks match, but they both have one issue, and that was the use of the dislocation spot. E & C loved the idea, but don’t understand why it wasn’t used for the end where it would have meant more. Moving on to Reigns/Strowman, it was a solid effort, and Christian questioned if this is leading to a face turn for Braun, since he was made to look like the hero for leaving the ambulance. In both of their minds, people are invested in Reigns either way.

E&C were also pleased with Joe vs. Lesnar, and Edge liked that Brock sold for Joe. He thinks that this match did a lot for Joe in terms of building him up. Christian adds that he likes the “fight type” feel of a Brock match, which Edge agrees.

The boys mention that A.J. Styles became the new US Champ at a house show, which was cool. E&C reminisce on the fact that both of them also won the Intercontinental Championship at a house show during different points in their careers.

Ad for Zip Recruiter 29:45 – 30:55

Tommy Dreamer’s Tales from the Indies 30:55 – 50:30

Tommy is now on the phone after his recent tour of Australia, which was a great success. Edge plays Tommy the new theme to this segment which features his daughter saying “Tommy!” over and over again. Dreamer says that it is great, but it is again mentioned how irritating he finds the “Tommy” call. Christian suggests Tommy making some new merchandise based on its popularity, which he admits has crossed his mind.

Back to the trip, Tommy made the rounds all across Australia and roomed with Billy Gunn, who is pretty much the complete opposite of himself, from personal interests to diet plans.

Talk then moves to Christian’s self-tanning, and how orange he looks when he uses it. Jay tells a story about how he used to tan all the time in order to keep himself from looking pale, until he had a skin cancer scare and was advised to never tan again.

From there, Tommy begins to have poor phone service, which leads to the segment coming to a close.

Voicemails 50:30: – 1:07:00

We then get to hear a few voicemails that fans have left for the team. Most of them were pointless with the exception of a fan who is an independent wrestler who is looking for advice.  

Ad for Lending Tree 1:07:00: – 1:08:30

Edge & Christian talk about Tag Team wrestling 1:08:30 – 2:25:00

For this episode, they wanted to talk about something near and dear to their hearts, which is tag team wrestling. When Edge was growing up, there were wrestlers that initially drew him in, like Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage, but tag team wrestling also captivated him in a big way. He mentions how back in the ’80s, there were so many tag teams, including the British Bulldogs, Demolition, the Rockers, and the Hart Foundation. Basically, there was an entire roster just for tag teams.

For Christian, the US Express of Mike Rotunda & Barry Windham were the first team that really captivated him and drew him in. Edge loved the Bulldogs, and dug how they looked similar, and like a real team. He credits them for being ahead of their time.  

When E&C were kids, they were avid magazine collectors, and because of this, had knowledge about teams outside of the WWE, including the Midnight Express and the Four Horsemen. While they enjoyed other territories, and liked how they had a different feel, overall it didn’t seem as big when compared to the WWE. Therefore when popular teams (such as the Brain Busters) eventually moved to the “big time” it would make things even more exciting.

Edge talks about the art of tag team wrestling, and how there are so many different scenarios that tag wrestlers have that singles competitors don’t. One big asset is the added drama of the hot tag. I agree completely and loved when Enzo and Cass would effectively use that in their matches.

They talk about how there have been some successful brother tag teams including the Briscos, Von Erichs, Harlem Heat, the Hardys, and the Steiners, who Edge believes really changed the game for a while. For Christian, what set Rick & Scott apart was that they were tough like the Road Warriors, another great team, but in addition, could also really wrestle. Christian also mentions other great brother tag teams like him & Edge, and the Dudleys, which gets a chuckle from the Rated R Superstar.

We are reminded that a tag team can have a various range of members, including such successes as the Fabulous Freebirds, Demolition, and the New Day.

As we close out that era, Christian’s favorite tag team from that time was the British Bulldogs, and Edge’s was the Rockers. Christian then begins singing Demolition’s theme song.

As is the nature of the business, tag team wrestling goes in waves, and the early to mid-’90s provided a lull. One team that definitely stood out was Steve Austin & Brian Pillman, the Hollywood Blondes. For Edge, it was interesting that they made such a huge impact even though they weren’t together for that long. Understanding the caliber of talent involved though, it was no surprise.

We then move on to the late-’90s/early-’00s in the Attitude Era, which began with the success of the New Age Outlaws. They worked so well together that the company built a roster of tag teams around them, which led to E&C, the Hardys, Dudleys, APA, Too Cool, and The Hollys. E&C, along with the Hardys and Dudleys, had the mentality that they could push this type of wrestling to the main event. In their minds, with talent like Austin, Rock, HHH, Foley, Kane & Taker, they would need to find a way to stand out, which led to their successful ladder matches.

Christian tells a story of how he was on an overseas flight with Stone Cold, who gave him the following advice: “Stay together as long as you can. You guys are one of the top tag teams, and a focal point on the show. Get as much out of this as you can so that when you do eventually split, you will get higher on the card.” E&C both agree that it was great advice, and as their momentum continued, they were booked against the top stars and even had a mini-feud against The Rock & Undertaker. This gave them the Main Event rub as tag team, which established their credibility, while giving them confidence in themselves.

Christian admits that he had a hard time finding his way after him and Edge split up, which eventually led to him being put back in the tag division with Lance Storm. He continued to have issues, as when he was with Lance, their characters were supposed to be angry, which didn’t fit his personality. As the story progressed, WWE asked him to cut his hair, and he said no. The reason was because people identified him with his long hair, and he wanted to cut it on his own when it mattered more, as opposed to wasting it on this story, which he felt didn’t have much of a shelf life. This led to him being paired with Jericho during Raw Roulette in Fall 2002. They had such a good chemistry that it led to them extending their story, which moved him into winning the Intercontinental Championship, and cutting his hair.  

Edge talks about his time with Jericho also, and mentions that their tag team championship victory in 2009 was scheduled to be a long story, which unfortunately was cut short due to his injury. He admits that this was one of the few regrets that he has, since the story never really got going.

Speaking of other tag team partners Edge had, Hulk Hogan was a fun one, since he was such a fan growing up. Christian talks about how he and Lance faced off against Edge & Hogan, and how surreal it was.

Another fun tag team partner for Edge was Randy Orton. At the time, they had each ran their course as singles competitors, so they focused on making sure they were a proper team instead of singles stars that were just thrown together. It was such a highlight winning the tag championships from Ric Flair & Roddy Piper.

Just like before, the mid-’00s experienced a downturn again, even though there were good talent including MNM, London & Kendrick, and The Miz & Morrison. It didn’t really pick up again until The Usos became popular, and the company once again built up a new roster of supporting tag teams, which led to the creation of The New Day. Edge remarks how it was a lame gimmick at first, but as they became an extension of themselves it helped transform them and their popularity.

As we close out this discussion, Edge reminisces about the tag team that he could have been in: The New Midnight Express, which would have been him and Sean Morley. Thankfully, he was not a part of that, and had great success from there.  

Looking towards the future, is it in good hands? Edge thinks that there’s enough teams that can keep it going, noting how The Revival could become a cornerstone of the division. They get asked for advice all the time, and for those that don’t really have a place on the card, they say to find someone you really like, suggest becoming a tag team, and plan it out. Have the mindset that you are going to commit, cooperate and work together. Neither of them could see themselves as having near as much success if they hadn’t teamed together first.

Close 2:25:00-2:28:00

E&C wrap up the show, and 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

Great show this week with a fantastic discussion. I loved hearing stories from E&C’s time together, especially the advice from Austin, as well as Christian’s issues following the split, and their thoughts on other partners. Getting these types of stories and inputs make a great show, and feel like a must listen. 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.