All Elite Wrestling referee Aubrey Edwards did a great interview on Reddit. In it, she discussed her favorite matches, her former career in gaming, and the nuance that goes into reffing a match.
Check out some highlights below:
Favorite matches she has refereed:
Cody vs Darby at Fyter Fest is probably my favorite match. I know that just happened so that’s probably not the answer you were expecting to hear. But I’ve been working with Darby for a while, and it was really awesome to watch him shine on that stage and to be a part of it.
I have a lot of matches that are tied for my second favorite, for lots of different reasons. Here are a few that stand out:
- Daniel Makabe vs Bambi Hall – 3-2-1 BATTLE!
- Tommy Dreamer vs Randy Meyers – DEFY
- Matt Riddle vs Artemis Spencer – ECCW
- Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair vs Io Shiri and Datoka Kai – NXT Live!
- Cat Power vs Nicole Matthews – 3-2-1 BATTLE!
On her career as a gaming producer and if she’d ever go back:
Some background info for those that aren’t aware: I’ve been a programmer and producer (mostly a producer) in the video game industry for about 10 years. I’ve worked on games on the Nintendo DS, the Wii U, iPhone, Android, PC, Xbox One, and PS4. Six of these games have seen the light of day, and an equal number have not.
Working in games is extremely demanding, as is being in the wrestling business. Nothing has made me happier than reffing, but you never know what the future holds.
How she learned to become a wrestling referee:
I train weekly with 3-2-1 BATTLE! in Seattle, WA, and my trainers are really good about focusing on the nuances throughout the entirety of a match. A major role of the referee is to help tell the story, so details are super important.
When I first started out, I watched a lot of Tommy Young, as I was really drawn to his style. I’ve also watched a lot of Bryce’s work, and have picked up a number of things from him.
What fans don’t understand about refereeing:
We have a lot of people come by the gym and try out ref training and find it’s a lot more than just counting 1-2-3. It’s an incredibly nuanced role where you don’t have a ton of control but find yourself taking charge a lot. I’m focusing on the wrestling match as it unfolds, reacting to what the competitors are doing, communicating important status updates to the production team, adapting on the fly to changes, all while trying to not draw attention to myself (unless I have been specifically asked to draw attention to myself).
So I would say that there’s an incredible amount of work that goes into the job, despite it looking relatively straightforward on the surface.
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