Edge Talks Once Exchanging Gear With The Undertaker At WrestleMania, Working With Hulk Hogan
During a Q&A session on a recent episode of E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness, Edge and Christian were asked about whether wrestlers exchange gear after matches the way football players exchange jerseys. Without speaking for other wrestlers, they described their own personal habits of saving memorabilia.
A prevalent tradition in soccer and a growing trend in American football, the exchange of jerseys at the end of the game is the ultimate sign of respect between players. Christian said he regrets not exchanging gear with other wrestlers more often. On the other hand, Edge exchanged gear only once after a particularly special match, but he was very meticulous about his own memorabilia.
"I have talked about this before, I have always been bad at saving memorabilia. I tried to get better at it my last two years," Christian said. "I have done it on a couple of occasions, but I know for you [Edge], like when you had your match against Undertaker, you were better at exchanging things and doing things like that than I have. I wished for some of the bigger moments and matches, looking back now someday I am going to regret not doing more of that."
"The only time I have exchanged gear with someone was with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 24. I gave him my kick-pads and my tights from that and I got his gloves. It is pretty cool. I am glad I got that memory," Edge said. "I saved everything; all my gear over the years; my trench coats and stuff that I have saved. It is all packed away nicely and neatly in vacuum-sealed bags and all that stuff. One day if the girls decide they want to do something with it—whether they want to give it away to charity, or buy a slushy with it, I don't know, but it'll be there."
They were also asked about their interactions with Hulk Hogan and both of them admitted to being starstruck. It's no secret that Hulk Hogan was a childhood hero to both Edge and Christian while they grew up together in Canada and he's a major reason they pursued careers in the wrestling business.
"Hulk Hogan was my reason for getting into the business. He was this larger-than-life entity," Edge said. "I don't know, it was kind of surreal at first, he could not have been more down to earth and super laid-back."
"First time I met Hulk Hogan, I had a life-sized poster of him in my room and I idolized him as a kid. When I moved to Tampa, Florida I remember going to a Kid Rock concert and I was in one of those sky-boxes. When I walked into the sky-box I didn't know he was there, but I hear a, 'Hi, brother!' I turn around and it's Hulk Hogan," Christian said. "I just got 'brothered!' We start small-talking, and he said to me that I needed to take a pic with his son [Nick Hogan], because he loves Edge and Christian and he won't go to sleep until he sees you guys come on the show every Monday. That blew my mind, so I took a picture with his son. He couldn't have been cooler and couldn't have been a nicer of a guy."
In 2002, Edge formed a tag team with Hogan and they won the WWE Tag Team Championships, Hogan's first time winning a tag title in any organization. Christian and Lance Storm defeated Edge and Hogan for the titles at the Vengeance pay-per-view. They discussed that match and how much they were in awe of Hogan.
"Years later when you were teaming with Hogan, and were facing me and Lance [Storm] for the tag team titles, I got Hulked up on. How crazy was that? The kid in me is freaking out thinking how he can't believe he is getting Hulked up on now," Christian said. "I had a smile on my face from ear to ear that I am about to get my a** kicked by Hulk Hogan. It was the best thing ever."
"My favorite part of that match was that I hand him the hot tag to blow the hot tag on you guys. I am looking over the apron watching this because I know that it is big for the both of you guys," Edge said. "I swear to you, and I may be wrong, and someone may verify this or may ask Hulk Hogan if he does this, but he's saying to Hulk up, and for the first time since I was teaming with him I wasn't down selling, I wanted to stand and watch it. I wanted to see Christian feed his comeback."
If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Source: E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness
Peter Bahi contributed to this article.