Edge On Wrestlers Not Selling Big Moves, What Is Missing With Heels Today

WWE Hall of Famer Edge recently sat down for debut episode of the new Out of Character with Ryan Satin podcast. Edge discussed his upcoming WrestleMania triple threat match with Daniel Bryan and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37.

Edge admitted recovery is harder for him now, and Satin pointed out he works that into his selling and storyline well. Edge spoke on the importance of leaning into fan sympathy with his selling, and believes that is a strong component of not only his own story, but also for storytelling in wrestling in general.

"I think I have to. It'd be silly not to. I see someone take a german suplex and come up fired up, I don't get that. 'Cause german suplexes hurt. So why would we desensitize the audience into thinking they don't? They suck. So sell it like they suck," Edge explained.

Besides his selling, Edge is well known for being one of the best heels during his previous run as the Rated R Superstar. Edge thinks that is also a bit of a lost art and that modern heels can be a bit "overpowering" at times.

"At some point, there needs to be that heel that is not the overpowering heel," Edge described. "That is the conniving, that is the manipulating, that is the 'Oh man if the babyface could get his hands on that guy he would tear him apart.' But he never gets him because the heel is always two steps ahead. I don't know who that is right now, or who's being given that opportunity, to be honest. Somewhere along the way, it became less about heels and faces and just about stars. But in that, I think you lost some of that dynamic."

He then went on to explain that most stories have good and evil for a reason and that despite getting a reaction, there are too many wrestlers stuck somewhere in the middle.

"I know the argument is, as long as there's a reaction," Edge began. "There's a reason that stories generally have a good and evil. Now you can have shades of grey in there, but if we all kind of navigate through these shades of grey, then, I don't know, you can get apathy too. So, I personally love the white hat – black hat..."

Edge also spoke back on his now-infamous TLC matches, and if there was any backlash for loading the matches with so many spots. Edge explained that he didn't get any sort of pushback. However, later in his career, he finds himself giving advice to modern wrestlers to "slow down and get more mileage" despite that being hard for him to say.

"It was the opposite, at least I didn't hear any negative, all I heard was the positive. And I remember Mick Foley coming up and saying 'Guys, my god, like, you just set a new bar and stamped your claim,' and all of these things. I will go back and say I think we went too far," Edge admitted. "I will go back and say I think we went too far. And that's why I have a hard time now saying to talent, like, 'maybe you should pull it back and get more mileage' and I truly believe that. And the reason I believe that, is that I'm speaking from experience. Having done those matches...

"But our mindset at the time was, okay we've got Austin, and Rock, and Undertaker, and Kane, and Mick Foley, and Triple H, and all of these huge stars firing on all cylinders. How do you get noticed?"

Edge, the winner of the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble, is set to face Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns on night two of WrestleMania 37 on Sunday, April 11th.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Out of Character with Ryan Satin with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.