Edge opens today’s show talking about his recent Twitter feud with Becky Lynch. He says that he put Lynch over on television once with a promo that he wrote on his own, so he wasn’t about to put her over a second time. He notes that Lynch shouldn’t have poked the bear.
Edge and Christian both say that AEW’s new television deal with TNT is huge news. Edge notes that it’ll be interesting to see what numbers they do ratings wise. He hopes it does well, but he also hopes TNT gives it a chance to grow since it’s typically tough for new shows to draw new audiences.
Christian points out that AEW has the luxury of not having to worry about money, which is a huge bonus. This will give AEW a lot of leeway in terms of working out any potential kinks in production. Edge thinks it’s a very exciting time for the business and he can’t wait to watch the new show.
Edge notes that there has been some online backlash regarding The Kabuki Warriors name. He says it reminds him of The Viking Experience, adding that WWE is pretty “on the nose” with some of their names here lately. Christian jokes that maybe he and Edge should have called themselves “The Brood Experience” back in the day.
Edge says he’s looking forward to Sunday’s Money in the Bank PPV. He notes that the MITB briefcase has basically replaced the Intercontinental Title as the major stepping stone for talents on their way to the main event picture. It’s also used as a way for WWE to give a talent who they’re not real sure about a chance to succeed, like Jack Swagger a few years ago.
Edge points out that Braun Strowman really didn’t need to win the briefcase last year because Strowman’s character should never need an advantage to beat someone. He doesn’t think WWE put a lot of thought into that last year.
Edge and Christian both point out that there’s a lot of talent in both MITB ladder matches. Edge likes that Dana Brooke is being given an opportunity in this year’s match because she works really hard and deserves it. Edge and Christian both think Mandy Rose might win the women’s MITB match, but Edge would like to see Bayley win followed by a heel turn so she can chance a babyface Champion.
Christian thinks Sami Zayn will win the men’s MITB match, and Edge thinks Drew McIntyre has a good chance of winning as well, even though he doesn’t really need it. They both agree that a case can be made for any of the men in that match.
Edge and Christian welcome Titus O’ Neil to the show.
Titus informs that he grew up poor and loved wrestling from a young age. He was separated from his mother at one point and lived in a boys ranch facility where he was often in trouble for bad behaviour. Some people suspected that he’d either be dead or in jail by 16, but one man believed in him and told him that there’s no such thing as a bad kid. Titus never forgot that and is using that line as the title for his upcoming book.
He started to accomplish things that people never saw coming. He finished high school and attended college on a sports scholarship. He played basketball and football throughout his schooling and although he liked basketball more, he knew football provided him a greater chance for future success.
He’s still grateful that his mother decided to have him even though she was in a dire situation and knew that she’d be raising a son on her own with limited income. He was given a chance to grow up to be a good man, and now he’s hoping to pass that on to the next generation. Given the position he’s in, he hopes to utilize every platform to spread positivity and create positive change for the world.
He notes that Lars Sullivan has been under attack lately for some things he said many years ago. Lars recently sought Titus out, along with other members of the WWE locker room, and asked for a chance to talk. They sat with each other for over 35 minutes, and Lars explained that he had no excuses but just wants to become a better man.
Titus says people are calling for Lars to be fired, and if Lars actually believes all the things he said many years ago there’s no doubt that he doesn’t deserve to work for WWE.
However, Titus believes everyone deserves a chance to change, and through sitting and talking with Lars, he truly believes Lars is a humbled, apologetic man who wants to become a better person. Lars approached him as a man and wanted to talk about this face-to-face and Titus has the upmost respect for him for that.
Titus notes that a young person may be in a negative environment that influences them to act a certain way, but that doesn’t make them a bad person. Once that person is taken and placed in a more positive environment with an option to change, that’s when you can tell the true nature of their character.
Titus notes that it’s important for him to be active outside of wrestling through his fundraising efforts, public speaking, and now the release of his book. He notes that wrestling won’t always be there, so if you’re active outside of the company like he is, that should allow for an easier segue into the next portion of his professional career.
That sums up this week’s episode of E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness. You can listen to the show yourself anytime here, and I’ll catch ya next week for another recap!
