Edge & Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness Recap
With Stories from the Attitude Era & Q&A’s
Release Date: October 6, 2017
By: Jeff Indelicato
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“For The Benefit of Those with No Time” (Top Stories)
- E&C debate when the Attitude Era officially started, naming such things as the Austin/Hart double turn, debut of Goldust, and the Austin King of the Ring 1996 promo.
- Both agree that it ended with the Invasion storyline, or when WCW went out of business.
- While the era was fun and enjoyable, they advise fans to not forget about all the progress that the eras following that time have allowed, including women’s wrestling & longer matches.
- If Edge hadn’t retired in 2011, the storyline would have ended with Christian retiring him at WrestleMania.
“You Think You Know Them” (Recap)
Show Introduction/Attitude Era Conversation Part 1 0:00-22:00
The show opens with E&C noting that there won’t be a guest this week, and that they will be discussing the Attitude Era and answering some questions later in the show.
The first thing to consider is when did the Attitude Era begin? Christian thinks that it may have started with the Steve Austin Bret Hart double turn at WrestleMania 13. Edge wonders if it really started with the debut of Goldust, and how controversial his character at the time.
They talk about how Dustin was willing to just go with it, and acted out the character without reservation. Christian adds that, arguably, the company was pushing the envelope with him to levels that we’d never seen before. In addition, he was versatile and always willing to do what it took to make the character work, which may be why he’s had such lasting power, and is still on the show in 2017. I see Edge’s point, but Goldust debuted in Fall 1995, and really became controversial in early 1996, which I still consider Pre-Attitude, as everything wasn’t necessarily in place yet. I think it would be more Spring/Summer 1997, as Austin was gaining traction, Shawn Michaels had begun altering his face character, and more storylines were beginning to get riskier.
Christian thinks that with WCW offering big money contracts, WWE had to change things up, so it was a good opportunity for someone like Steve Austin to elevate himself. This led to wrestlers moving from characters to real people.
Edge brings up the King of the Ring promo from Austin in 1996. Watching it, you heard the crowd react, and people realized that something special had just happened. Then, Shawn Michaels saw something and took it in another direction. In the midst of this, you have a character like Bret Hart objecting to it, while someone like the Undertaker took it as an opportunity to morph his character. Therefore, you had different types of segments for everyone.
E&C talk about how spoiled they were in that era because every show was sold out. It became fun because it was more interactive for fans, who felt like they were a part of the show, and thus began bringing signs, and it felt like more of an event to attend.
At the time, there were no rules, which led to more opportunities for talent. Everyone had time to go out and form a character. Christian specifically mentions Crash Holly and his storyline with the Hardcore Championship.
On house shows, Crash would come out, and the crowd would go nuts. In addition, there was no limit into who could join that division, as women and legends were involved in some of those matches. It also provided a different feel, with many matches happening backstage.
After awhile though, if you do something too much, it feels like old hat, and it’s not special anymore. That’s why the Shane McMahon/Kevin Owens brawl at the merchandise stand felt special. Edge makes sure to note that they are not knocking anything, as the ratings were huge, but the matches became almost secondary, since there was so much attention placed on storyline.
For Edge, as a performer, he’d be told that his match was 5 minutes, including entrances, which was not why he got in the business. He wanted to wrestle, and believed that the match should be the focus. Christian felt that TV was just the teaser to a Pay Per View, which is where you really got your time. Edge notes that now, every week is a Pay Per View with special matches, and now, maybe there’s too much of that? He mentions that maybe he’s just a guy that’s never satisfied. I see his point, and definitely feel that storylines are rushed, and matches are repetitive, which should be saved. There is a decent medium that the company could find, but it takes time and a willingness to see it through.
Now that we’ve discussed the beginning, when did it end? Christian thinks the Invasion storyline where WCW & ECW aligned to face the WWE. Edge agrees, and notes that he can’t tell you how many people have told him that they stopped watching after that storyline. In addition, the UFC started gaining some traction, which didn’t help. Christian adds that as a whole, it may have just been when WCW ended. Looking back, he wonders if it might have been good to keep it running as a company instead of closing it, and then driving to big dream matches later at important events.
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Attitude Era Conversation Part 2 29:00 – 1:00:00
We continue our discussion about the Invasion storyline.
Edge remembers working the Survivor Series that year, which was supposed to the conclusion of this story, and questioning why he was working Test, who was just another young WWE guy. Edge loved working with him, but from a story or fans point of view, it was nothing different, and he wasn’t facing anyone that was actually from WCW.
Christian adds that a lot of the top stars from WCW hadn’t come over yet, due to them sitting out their contracts, which also diluted it. I completely agree, and while there were some fun things, this definitely could have waited.
From a quick timeline perspective, WWE bought WCW in March 2001. The Invasion began around June, which was when Booker T debuted. DDP followed, and while others joined, those were the only two main eventers that moved over. Ric Flair showed up the day after the Invasion. Hogan, Hall, & Nash were there by February 2002. Scott Steiner showed up in November that year, and Goldberg finally appeared in March 2003. Sting of course never appeared until 2014. It’s understandable that the company wouldn’t want to wait too long, but in less than a year the nWo had debuted, so if they had just waited a little bit longer, the storyline could have been stronger.
The question is asked if they think the Attitude Era could have happened in today’s environment with social media. Edge thinks it could have been even crazier with social media, but also possibly less shocking. He doesn’t know if it would have been as successful or not. Either way, they don’t know if we’ll ever see an Attitude-type era again, due to the WWE being publically traded, and with a number of top sponsors.
Edge adds that there’s no way a Goldust character happens today, or a segment where DX mocks the Nation of Domination. E&C reference the recent promos from Jinder Mahal against Shinsuke Nakamura, and just the controversial reaction that it recently received. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that it wouldn’t happen anymore.
The era was lightning in a bottle, with the right writers, Vince McMahon steering the ship, and the added competition from WCW. It was an amazing time, but Edge wants fans to not overlook what’s going on now. There is more ring time for the wrestlers, and women’s wrestling is taken seriously. Without wild storylines happening every week, things mean more.
They use Kevin Owens attack on Vince as an example of how much more it means, since Vince isn’t on every week, and isn’t getting attacked regularly. Also, Edge advises to really go back and watch some of those older matches. There was no selling, and it was just a lot of back-and-forth.
Was there anything during that time that Edge was asked to do that he didn’t want to be a part of, or did he just look at his character as a role? It was more of the latter, as he was able to separate who he was from the Edge character, but there would be times that he would question something that was safety related, such as being asked to spear Terri Runnells.
On a related note; however, he was uncomfortable with his first live championship celebration that occurred the Monday after New Year’s Revolution in 2006, but he looked at the character as a legit villain, and decided to revel in that. Christian notes how difficult it was to get legit heat back then, and Edge had it, which was even more difficult to get in the Attitude Era, since the rebels were cheered. Edge admits that what they’re talking about was after that era, but it was the most throwback to Attitude that you can get.
Edge is asked if he was the Rated R Superstar back then, would he be even more successful. Adam feels that it was tailor made for that era; however, there were a lot of characters like that back then, so how much would it have stood out? When it was his time to change his character, there was nobody like that, which made it fresh.
The boys mention how while them, the Hardys, and Dudleys are most recognized, you can’t forget other great tag teams from that time including Too Cool, who are underrated, and were a great team. It was a fun gimmick and E&C enjoyed their matches with them.
Looking back, Christian remembers the energy and buzz from the crowd the most. It was an energy that he had never felt before, and was undeniable. Edge adds how great the feeling of the crowd was when the glass would break and Stone Cold would enter.
Everyone was unified in cheering for Austin, which is something that is incredibly difficult to attain. Austin had a little bit of everyone in him, which made him easy to relate to, no matter the demographic. They give kudos to Steve for recognizing that his original gimmick of The Ringmaster wouldn’t work, and took it upon himself to change his character into something special.
They close the segment with advising the fans to appreciate it for what it was, but let’s keep it moving forward. Each era will bring something special to the table.
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Best Wishes to Lance Russell 1:04:00-1:11:00
E&C take a minute to send their well wishes to Lance Russell, who passed away at 91. He was a legendary announcer, with a voice that just pulled you in. Edge even admits that just last week, he was thinking if Lance was in the Hall of Fame, which he rightly deserves. In his opinion, if you had a Mt. Rushmore of Play by Play Announcers, not including Color Commentators, it would be Jim Ross, Gordon Solie, Lance Russell, and Gorilla Monsoon. Not much of a debate there. They say that it’s another big loss, but that he won’t be forgotten.
Q&A Segment 45:45 – 1:50:00
In your opinion, what two singles superstars could make a successful tag team in the current environment?
For Edge, Sami Zayn has been underutilized. Also, Luke Harper is so talented, without much to do. Christian notes that Luke is tall, big, and moves like no one else his size, but he’s already done the tag team thing. Edge remarks about all the amazing matches Luke has had against Randy Orton & Dolph Ziggler, so maybe’s he too nice? They realize that they really haven’t answered the question, so Christian floats the idea of a Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins reunion.
Edge thinks it would be good for both of them, considering that they are super talented, and have history that can be referenced. I agree, but let’s not forget that Zack isn’t really a singles superstar, since he’s still in the Hype Bros tag team. Back to the discussion, Edge remembers advising Ryder & Hawkins to soak up as much knowledge that they could get, and how well they did, specifically remembering a match with them against Kane & Rey Mysterio.
(From Zack Ryder) Why did Jay break the alarm sensor on my bathroom window, and not tell anyone about it?
Zack had housed Christian and his family during the hurricane, and Jay feels that this could be in reference to the bathroom where his cats were temporarily put. He wasn’t aware, but thinks that one of his cats did it.
What is the scariest spot of your career?
Christian remembers a match they wrestled as Los Conquistadors against the Hardy’s. He had a mask on, and when he went to run and jump, the mask went up over his eyes, leading to him landing on his head on the floor. It sent an electric shock down his neck, and he couldn’t lift his arm. It took a good 15-20 min after the match before he began getting feeling in it, and thankfully, it was nothing serious. They both give huge props to those who wear masks.
For Edge, it was probably diving into the flaming table against Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22, or preparing for the spot where Jeff Hardy jumped onto him from a ladder at WrestleMania 23 which hurt really bad.
Is there any song that you wanted to use for a Pay-Per-View or video package, but were denied?
When returning after some time off, Edge had requested “Bleed for Me” by Black Label Society as his new entrance music. The company said no, but created their own version by the guy who did the Big Show & Billy Gunn’s entrance music. It sounded really bad, and it was never used.
If you were allowed to have one more tag match with any current teams, who would it be?
Christian: If they were Faces, The Usos or Revival. If they were heels, The New Day.
Edge: Faces: The Revival. Heels: Ambrose & Rollins.
If Edge hadn’t been forced to retire, where would his and Christian’s storyline have gone?
The plan was that Christian would have eventually caused Edge to drop the World Championship to Alberto Del Rio, which would have moved them into a feud and concluding with Christian retiring Edge at WrestleMania.
Do you think the Shield reunion would be better without Roman Reigns.
No.
(From Zack Ryder) Does Jay like overeasy eggs?
This is a joke, as Christian will get sick if he ingests an uncooked egg, and does not like them at all.
When creating a match, do you start with a template, or is it dynamic?
It depends on the story, opponent, etc, and varies. What Edge would try to do is start at the end, and think backwards.
What are your favorite bands?
Christian has always liked Lenny Kravitz, and remembers one time running into Big Show at a gym in LA, who introduced Jay to “his friend, Lenny.” He was nice guy, and good dude.
Wrap Up & Close 1:50:00-1:56:00
E&C close 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: 7 Kazoos out of 10
I liked the format, and the casual conversation, but there were a few things that I just felt were missing from this episode. It sometimes feels that these chats barely scratch the surface, and we don’t get the full story. When the pod promotes that they are going to chat about the Attitude Era, I’m expecting untold stories and thoughts about their feuds, and we really didn’t get any of that. The Q&A can be strong with one question, and weak with the next, so it’s always a toss-up. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @the_Indel or send me an email at indelpw@gmail.com. See you next week!
“5 Second Pose of Timestamps”
0:00: Show Introduction/Attitude Era Conversation Part 1
22:00: When did the Attitude Era end?
26:30: Sponsored Ads
29:00: Attitude Era Conversation Part 2
1:00:00: Sponsored Ads
1:04:00: Best wishes to Lance Russell
1:11:00: Q&A Segment
1:41:00: Wrap Up & Close
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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