AEW star referee Aubrey Edwards recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast to discuss the criticism she receives for her work in the promotion, specifically how some believe that she gets too involved in matchups. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
On receiving criticism for being too involved in matches:
When it first started happening, it was something where I was like, ‘Oh, Twitter is eventually going to hate me because I’m a woman. That’s going to just happen.’ I’m really good about not listening to criticism that doesn’t matter. I listen to constructive criticism. That’s where I’ve been focused. If Jericho is putting me in a match, and he’s shoving me and wants me to shove him back, I’m going to do it. It’s ultimately not my decision, it’s his decision because it’s his story, and I’m there to help elevate the story that he’s telling.
Says she never tried to be a character it just worked out that way due to the fans loving her:
It’s not like I tried to be a character, it was just sort of like, they figured out I have a very go-getter personality and very no-nonsense, and as people picked me in matches they were like, ‘Oh, if I shove her, I get a lot of heat for that, let’s do that,’ and it’s happened naturally. It was never something I intended, it was something that happened because the wrestlers asked me to do things in matches and I do them.
How indie refs will criticize her then reach out for a job:
I get none at AEW because all of the guys are friggin great. They are all absolutely incredible. I will hear some criticism online from other referees that are on the Indies. Dude, why are you criticizing people on TV? Don’t you want a job? I don’t focus on the criticism, I focus on how silly people are, why are you criticizing something online and then shooting me a DM about getting a job at AEW? We’re not going to do that if you just shit all over me.
Aside from refereeing Edwards is also working in the AEW Games department. She recently spoke with Fightful about that department. You can read that interview here.
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)