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Eddie Edwards is no stranger to hardcore matches nowadays, and recently had a chance to speak on one of the most influential names of that style, Raven. The former NWA World Champion was recently inducted into the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame, and his fingerprints can be seen throughout the promotion's history.
Eddie Edwards has transitioned into more of a hardcore-style wrestler over the past several years. While he's still technically gifted and one of the best in-ring competitors you'll find in any promotion, the way he reinvented himself back in 2018 following his epic feud with Sami Callihan left him a much more dangerous opponent for those in IMPACT Wrestling.
During this transition, Eddie Edwards found himself working alongside Raven in several segments where they were in the same mental asylum. Edwards took a lot of advice from the legend, and the lessons he learned then helped evolve Edwards into the man we see today.
Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda Wrestling asked Eddie Edwards about what he thought of Raven getting into the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame earlier this year.
"Everybody's always said that he was a genius. Not just outside of wrestling, but also inside of wrestling. He had a really creative mind. The Clockwork Orange match, the promos that he cut, the style that he did. It was very different for the time, but it helped set the trend for what professional wrestling became. Without a doubt he belongs in the Hall of Fame."
He added:
"Like you said I was lucky enough to be inside a mental asylum with Raven when I was dealing with Sami Callihan. To be able to do something cool with him was definitely one of the bucket list items for me."
Eddie Edwards looks back on his infamous feud with Sami Callihan
In 2018, Sami Callihan broke Eddie Edwards' face and nose with a baseball bat during a post-match beatdown. Back then, it was regarded as one of the most horrific moments in recent memory, wrestling-wise. Edwards was rushed to the hospital immediately after the strike and had a CT scan done. The moment was so shocking that it led to fans and wrestling personalities alike calling for the head of Sami Callihan.
"It was very important when I go back and look at it. Obviously it wasn't an ideal situation, but it was a prime example of when life gives you lemons you make lemonade. I feel like that incident changed the course of my career. The theme of this interview is stepping outside of your comfort zone. It forced me to step outside of my comfort zone of who I was and what I was as far as inside the wrestling ring and outside of it. It forced me to go this other direction where I was getting a little more hardcore. I was doing more promos and vignettes and some of the cinematic stuff. It helped kind of kick-off to where I am now where, for me, I'm the most well-rounded that I've been in my whole career."
Edwards added:
"Without that, who knows where I'd be or what I'd be doing right now? Maybe I'd be in the same spot, maybe I wouldn't. But I wouldn't want to go back and change it because without those moments and without everything that happened, I wouldn't be who I am outside let alone inside the ring."
Following that moment, Eddie Edwards became more aggressive on screen, attacking Callihan, Moose, and even Tommy Dreamer before Alicia Edwards had him committed. Thanks to pure determination and some guidance from IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Famer Raven at the asylum, Eddie Edwards turned a tragic accident into a vital turning point for his career. It's moments like this that define someone and elevate them to the next level, and why so many consider him to be the heart and soul of the promotion.
What are your favorite moments from Raven's historic career? How inspirational do you find his time in the business? Let us know in the comments below!
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling.
