Guardian.co.uk has an interview up with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Edge. Here are some highlights.
On people comparing pro wrestling to pantomime:
“What we do is a very physical form of entertainment. People who think wrestlers don’t get hurt haven’t watched us. I don’t understand how you can see someone get thrown 10 feet and not think it hurts. We don’t have crash mats, we don’t have stunt doubles. I’ve broken my neck. Does that happen in pantomime?”
On breaking his neck compared to other injuries:
“I’ve torn both pecs and both knees, but those injuries were just annoying. Breaking my neck was the real shock. Having screws put in there makes you think.”
On why size isn’t that important in pro wrestling:
“We run the gamut in wrestling, all shapes and sizes. Height will help, but being short isn’t a deterrent – we have a guy, Rey Mysterio, who is 5ft 6in and 175lbs and can do things no one else can do; he’s a human Spider-Man. We also have the giants, like the 7ft Big Show, my opponent at WrestleMania. Me? I fall somewhere in the middle.”
On learning to take bumps in a wrestling ring:
“You learn to land on your back on the mat. That hurts. You learn how to bounce off the ropes. That hurts. Eventually you look around the ring and wonder, “Jeez, is there nothing in this contraption that doesn’t hurt?” Hitting the mat makes you foggy at first, it scrambles you, and it takes a while before you’re able to get up and continue a match properly after being thrown. But at some point, your body adapts and you just gets used to it.”
If he plans to wrestle when he is 50:
“Noooooo. I’ll stop before it gets embarrassing.”
To check out the full interview, click here.