The Quick Talkdown 8.05.06: Edge Censored!
Posted by Phill Feltham on 08.05.2006
The one time when the R-Rated Superstar was silenced!
Before I start this week's column, I would like to thank Randy Orton for using my 'Orton Knows Best' headline from one of my earlier columns on his live segment on RAW this week. Great minds think alike.
Speaking of great minds. Edge, the WWE World Champion... the R Rated Superstar... the man with the hot overused coin machine, Lita at his side, was once silenced. It was a corporate conspiracy.
Most will know the wars between rental giants Blockbusters Video and Canadian
proud Rogers Video. Rogers Communications owns all 300 rental stores plus a variety of different television stations around the country. Many of these stations cater to local news in cities or towns. The usual magazine-style news program for most stations is First Local. The program is for local television. Many up and coming broadcast journalists usually get some non-paid yet very useful on-air experience. Hard
to come by in the Canadian market.
Edge was in a city close to Toronto, Ontario signing autographs for his Brampton fans. When I found out about his appearance, I marked out, pitched the story to my producer and he allowed me to take a camera man to the Brampton Blockbusters.
There were fans lined up the door on this particular cold winter Saturday morning waiting to see their future 'R' Rated Superstar. We were the only press at the signing at this point, however, the doors weren't scheduled to open for at least another fifteen minutes. This meant more cold.
We took the opportunity to interview some of Edge's loyal fans. One fan labeled Edge "The Greatest Wrestler in the world!". While another pointed out that Edge would be the future WWE World Champion. That fan is probably now raking in a few dollars as a fortune teller.
When we had enough footage, WWE and Blockbuster officials let us into the store right on cue. We were the press, we were special. Edge's fans had to suffer more of the unforgivable Canadian winter.
After a little more waiting, the camera man I snagged an interview with the future WWE Champion. He was really friendly. While Edge might not be the 'devoted husband' or 'faithful best friend' in his personal life, on camera with the local media, he knew how to act in front of the camera.
There was a little talk about the man's future aspirations as a wrestler and a fulfilled
promise to snag the world title. He was even nice enough to give our local news program First Local a ten second plug on camera.
Thirty seconds of Edge on a two minute news story was the money maker. The cameraman and I packed up and returned to the news station. The piece would be aired later that evening.
When the story aired, our station manager scolded our producer for airing the piece. The obvious fact that slipped the minds of all the guilty parties. We had just advertised our competition. The story had aired across the Greater Toronto Area with not only an Edge interview, but also an interview with a senior official from Blockbuster Inc.
The piece was pulled from all the replays. Edge got to be live for two minutes but being at the wrong place and the wrong time.
Tempers flared at the time with just cause, but now it's a memory of sheer comedy and a sense of irony. For two minutes, the Roger folk looked like clowns while Blockbuster had a great laugh and some free publicity.
On RAW, in front of a world wide audience, the R-Rated Superstar can say anything he wants but for two minutes on a local news channel, he was censored. How's that for irony.
