Eddie Edwards took part in a media interview at IMPACT Wrestling‘s United We Stand event in Rahway, New Jersey. Edwards spoke about embracing his ‘edgier’ side in more recent months, saying he owes a lot to Sami Callihan’s infamous baseball shot, and it has been a case of making the best out of a bad situation:
“Getting hit in the face with a baseball bat will make you a crazy man. That’s the path that I’ve gone down. It’s a prime example of turning lemons into lemonade. I don’t know what I’d be doing right now if Sami Callihan didn’t hit me in the face with a baseball bat. Luckily there were no long-term injuries, but it led me down this direction and IMPACT Wrestling represents that different product. We’re something different from the wrestling world; you’ve seen on past episodes of IMPACT with the Dark Realm and the undead world. We’re giving fans something different and if you’re not happy with the wrestling you’re seeing, give IMPACT Wrestling a chance. That’s what we’re doing; we’re something different and we have a little bit of everything for everybody, and I’m proud to be a part of that.”
Edwards was also asked about being on the ‘roller coaster’ of IMPACT Wrestling, as he is one of the longer-tenured roster members who has been through the ownership changes of the company:
“In the wrestling world, there’s ups and downs, and we all know that. I’ve been here through a few different changes, and right now, I can honestly say that the group that we have from the boys and the girls in the back, the wrestlers to the front office, to the men in charge with Anthem—we have a team that has the same goal. We want to move forward; we want to take a step in the right direction. We know how good IMPACT Wrestling can be. We know how good this product is, it’s just about taking that next step and we’re all driving towards that same goal. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it’s one step at a time and moving in the same direction, and that’s what we’re doing as a team. You can feel that when you’re in the back, when you get into the building—we’re all here with the same goal and it feels good.”
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Edwards also spoke about teaming with Eli Drake, who he was also in a short-term feud with at the beginning of the year. Edwards said he didn’t get along with Drake at first, but he is now happy to call him a friend and sees the benefit of teaming with him.*
“Something that I thought would never happen. Honestly, I’m grateful to do it. He’s a friend outside the ring, which is good, but honestly when he first came to IMPACT Wrestling I did not like him at the start, but he tends to grow on you. Like a fungus, he tends to grow on you. He someone that I’m proud to call a friend and I’m happy to be in the ring with him and continue this team because it’s something different. I get to be with him, a guy that can run his mouth with the best of them and be in the ring with the best of them. I think we have an interesting dynamic in there and I’m really enjoying it.”
As a follow-up, Edwards was asked about Drake’s remarks about not wanting to take part in intergender matches, which at the time was supposed to include Drake taking on Tessa Blanchard at United We Stand. Edwards said there is a place for intergender matches in wrestling, and while they might be tag partners, Drake speaks for himself and his thoughts are his own.
* (This interview was conducted before Drake was released from his contract with IMPACT Wrestling on April 7th. Drake will still be featured on IMPACT TV due to the taping schedule, including tonight’s show where Edwards and Drake team up against the Lucha Bros in a IMPACT World Tag Team Championship match)
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