In an exclusive interview with PWMania.com’s Scott Mitchell (@Scott44Mitchell), TNA Wrestling star Eddie Edwards (@TheEddieEdwards) discusses re-signing with TNA, his time in the company so far, the return of TNA, his upcoming match at Snake Eyes, Hard To Kill, and more.
You can check out the complete interview below:
Recently, it was announced that you signed a new deal to remain in TNA Wrestling. What does it mean to you to continue to be a part of the locker room and roster?
“I think a lot of people know that this is the place I want to be. I’ve been here going on 10 years now, and I’ve stayed here that long for a reason. I always believed in what we’ve been doing and the goal is we want to accomplish it. So, my relationship with the company has always been great. To me, it has always been a no-brainer. My contract wasn’t up until the end of February, so we were ahead of schedule. We got it all set, planned out, and signed on the dotted line. To me that gives me comfort and pleasure knowing that I will be a part of TNA going forward with all this momentum that we have. To me, it’s without a doubt what I want to be a part of. We have all this momentum going forward, and with this big TNA announcement of us being back as TNA, this is an exciting time, and I wouldn’t want to miss it.”
It was also announced that the name TNA would be returning. How important is this not just to you, but for the wrestling industry as a whole?
“For me when I first started with the company it was TNA at that time, and then it switched to IMPACT. Now going back to TNA, first and foremost it’s the nostalgia feel. You grew up watching it, a lot of the fans grew up watching it, and I think over time some of the fans who grew up watching TNA may have faded away, and gone off to something different. But, I think the fact that people hear the name TNA is back, definitely perks people up. A lot of times when I talk to fans or people, I tell them I’m IMPACT and they’re like “Okay cool” but then I tell them it used to be TNA and they instantly remember. So, I think there’s good name value with TNA and it’s a great opportunity for us to re-introduce ourselves to wrestling fans, whether casuals or diehards. This is what TNA is, we’re back and better than ever. It’s truly a great time for us.”
What does it mean for you to work with the likes of Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and other TNA legends as you become a TNA legend yourself?
“It’s still pretty wild. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years at this point. Anytime I’m in there with people I grew up watching, or people I’ve watched from afar, it’s always a cool thing to sit back and take it all in. This is my dream job, I’ve always wanted to do it, and now I’m in the ring with the likes of Sabin, Tommy Dreamer, and Shelley. These are people I’ve respected for so long and to be a part of something with them is a pretty crazy feeling to think back 20 years ago, before I started, to think that this is where I am and I’ve been able to accomplish everything I have so far, it’s a pretty special feeling.”
Hard To Kill will be taking place on Saturday, January 13th. The show also marks the new era of TNA Wrestling. What do fans have to look forward to and what can we expect from you at the show?
“For the locker room, the energy is going to be unmeasurable. For us as a company, any time we have a pay-per-view, our roster goes out there and kills it every time. Hard To Kill will have a little something extra in it. It’s the first show of the new year in a new company. A lot of people will be buzzing in the back, and I hope the fans will as well. You never know what to expect, expect the unexpected. If you’re a wrestling fan, Hard To Kill is going to deliver. Much like the company itself, it’ll have a little something for everyone. It’s going to have the knockouts, the tag teams, a world title match, a tag team title match. It’s going to have a little something for everyone. It’s the perfect pay-per-view to kick off the year and return to TNA. Hard To Kill sums us up perfectly.”
Recently, you got the chance to challenge ABC (Chris Bey and Ace Austin) for the IMPACT World Tag Team Titles at Final Resolution. What was that match like for you, and what was it like teaming with Brian Myers?
“Myers and I have a good connection where we are good friends outside the ring. So, being able to team together was a pretty cool moment. We’ve talked about it in the past, nothing too serious, but being able to just put it out there that maybe we can do some tag stuff, just came to fruition. To get to go out there and tag together on the last show of IMPACT wrestling, the mindset going in was just to go out there and deliver. Of course, we wanted to win those tag titles, sometimes things don’t work out the way you want to. However, I feel like and I had some good cohesion between us, and some good chemistry which is not a surprise. That was just the start of what we can accomplish going forward, and in the new year, who knows what could happen?”
At the upcoming TNA Wrestling Snake Eyes event, you will be teaming up with Moose and Brian Myers to take on the team of the Motor City Machine Guns and Okada. What is your mindset heading into that match?
“The Guns are of course one of the best tag teams ever, especially in TNA, and Okada making his return for the first time since 2011 or so, with everything he’s accomplished in Japan, is going to be a pretty big moment. To be able to be put in a spot like that with guys like Myers and Moose who are two of my best friends, to go out there and have a big main event like that, it’s time for us to go show everyone what we can do in that ring and deliver. I’m looking forward to that match, it’s going to be a good one for sure.”
You spoke about Moose being one of your best friends. You two had some absolute wars back in the day. What’s it like going from opponents to partners with him?
“This just happens over time. You wrestle for long enough; you’re bound to wrestle/tag with different people. Sometimes you have to tag with someone just randomly, but when you get to tag with guys you truly respect and are good friends with outside the ring, it’s a whole new element. It gives you more pride and a different connection, and a different goal to do it together.”
You are a former TNA and IMPACT World Heavyweight Champion. What did winning both of those belts mean to you?
“Winning that TNA title, I did against Bobby Lashley who is just an absolute freak of nature and one of the best guys inside and outside of the ring. In that moment, it was surprising for a lot of people and for me to be able to be in that spot and win the belt. In this business, there’s a lot of ups and downs. I didn’t know if I’d ever be given that chance or given that opportunity. As far as the second time, it was during the Pandemic. The world was crazy, and the wrestling world was weird, but to be able to be the champion at such an uncertain time was pretty special. It was a very special moment.”
Do you have a favorite moment of yours from IMPACT Wrestling?
“It’s tough. Of course, winning the title was a big moment. It’s tough to just look at one moment as opposed to the journey itself, looking at the whole thing as a whole. We wouldn’t have one moment without going through something before. I wouldn’t have had the matches with Sami Callihan if he hadn’t broken my face with a bat beforehand. Everything is intertwined. The matches with Moose as well. Those are the two that stand out for me in my time in IMPACT Wrestling.”
Do you have any future goals or opponents you’d like to face inside a TNA Wrestling ring?
“The fact that at Snake Eyes I get to go up against Okada is one of the goals I’d like to accomplish and I’m going to be able to do just that. As far as other goals, it’s more or less just staying on the same track where I can continue to help the company the best that I can, and we can continue to move forward. We all have the same goal, and we all want TNA to succeed. My job is to go out there and perform to the best of my ability, and to be as much of a help as I can be to whoever needs me. I want to be the guy who can be looked to if anyone needs any type of support, and the fans can look at me as one of the faces of TNA. As long as I’m at the forefront and getting to do what I love, I’ll be happy. I just want to help TNA succeed and I think we’re all on the same page with that.”
What is a message you can give the fans of yours and TNA as a whole through this interview?
“To the fans who have supported me, or just now supporting me, or just tuning in because you hate me, it doesn’t matter. I want to thank you for all of it. You guys are the reason we go out there. We all learned pretty quickly during the Pandemic that wrestling is not the same without the fans. So to all of those fans, thank you for tuning in, coming out, and just continuing to support TNA Wrestling and professional wrestling as a whole. We’re all in this together. We all love this crazy sport, this crazy world that we’re in together. Just enjoy it, man. Right now, is such a great time for pro wrestling, and we’re all very lucky to be a part of it. Let’s just do it together and have a great time.”
