O’Shay Edwards had a hell of a weekend. There’s no denying that – Bandit last Thursday, the SCI Futures Showcase on Saturday, and Southern Underground Pro on Sunday. Hell, our own John Mosley rated his match with Kerry Awful as the second best match of the entire weekend. All in all, a great opportunity to showcase his ability. But, his willingness to get out, network, meet the fans, and shake hands was something that caught my eye, too.
But, while all of that was going on, something else had to be looming in the back of his mind….because at the conclusion of Sunday’s SUP show, Edwards undid all of the positive buzz he had generated over the previous three days.
He aligned himself with Brett Ison and Curt Stallion at the conclusion of Stallion’s “I Quit” match. For those who missed what has been dubbed the “Music City Murders,” Stallion was beating A.J. Gray to the edge of consciousness when Dylan Hales stepped in and threw in the towel on behalf of Gray. But, that victory didn’t stop Stallion, who continued to mercilessly strike down Gray, even slamming Hales in the process. When The Carnies (Awful and Nick Iggy) came to stop the violence, Ison and Edwards followed them out.
The beating that followed was a glorified execution, leaving Gray and The Carnies in a jumbled mess in the ring – it was an affront to the entire state of Tennessee. Respect for fellow talent and the fans alike flew out the window in that moment. It was about making a statement and putting the totality of Tennessee wrestling, SUP included, on notice.
It’s difficult to process why Edwards would act in such a manner. Personally, I thought he and Awful stole the show on Sunday. Awful pinned him, completely legally and within the rules. I understand that can frustrate a competitor, but it’s no excuse to instill vigilante justice as one sees fit. I wanted to know why he did it, and I think it’s fair for SUP fans all over the region to hear his justification for such heinous actions.
The reason why, I found out, went much deeper than any of us could’ve imagined.
I had the chance to catch up with Edwards and we talked about his busy weekend, the atmosphere at SCI and SUP, and what led him to that violent scene at the end of SUP on Sunday.
“Big Natural” Stoney Keeley interviews O’Shay Edwards
SK: You’ve had a busy few days in what has become the biggest weekend of the year in Tennessee wrestling – the Bandit show on Thursday, SCI Futures on Saturday, and SUP on Sunday. What was your own personal highlight of this weekend?
OE: Honestly, it was SUP on Sunday. But the entire week has been nothing but a giant highlight for me personally and professionally. And I’m excited to see what comes out of it.
SK: This was your second year booked for SCI. You and I had the chance to chat a bit about the atmosphere surrounding the event on Saturday, but from a talent perspective, what’s it like to be apart of something so frenetically energetic?
OE: It’s really infectious in a good way, being around that type of talent that’s performing on such a high level is pretty damn good to be apart of. Even if I’m not taking apart in the marque event, the fact that I get the chance to listen, conversate, and learn from those who I aspire to be like in itself is rather humbling.
SK: You can watch an O’Shay Edwards match for ten seconds and tell right away that it ain’t pleasant taking one of those punches, clubs, or elbows. Has anyone been able to describe what being hit by you feels like? How many concussions do you figure you’ve dished out?
OE: According to others, it looks like a runaway train when I hit someone else…and from those who’s been hit, it’s like getting hit by a Tank. In terms of how many concussions I’ve doled out, well, I don’t count. It’s either give concussions or take concussions…I like to think I’m a very generous giver.
SK: I thought you and Kerry Awful had one of the more physical bouts on the SUP card. What was it like stepping into the ring with Kerry in such a gritty environment?
OE: When I first started in this business, Kerry was one of the few guys that went out of his way to make me feel at home and really took a personal and vested interest in me. I don’t think I would be where I am without him.
SK: Okay, now the question everyone is asking this week. You had such a great thing going in SUP – the people were literally chanting your name before your match. They loved you out there! You lost, fair and square, and it’s okay for that not to sit well with a competitive dude like you. But, it’s no justification to go out there and lay the beating you did at the end of the show. Why risk losing those fans? Why align yourself with someone as universally hated as Brett Ison? Why’d you do it?
OE: Let’s get this out of the way, you always hurt the ones you love the most. And I wasn’t lying when I said that I LOVE Kerry Awful…I love him as if he was blood and this was never about losing. I’ve lost before and honestly, this has nothing to do about that match in general.
But I brutalized Kerry…I decimated Nick…because I had to. It was a necessary evil that had to be done because I need you and everyone else in Nashville and everyone else in SUP to know who I am.
Everyone forgets that that I’m a BONA FIDE killer…but you let my smooth words, you let my jovial attitude gloss over the fact that me being where I am is no accident.
I didn’t trip and fall and make my way here, I don’t get the benefit of the doubt, and I sure as hell don’t have anyone’s Seal of Approval. Everyone was getting too comfortable, everyone thought that they had me pegged…and you all needed a reminder of what I am, what I do, and how I got here.
I step into the ring and I destroy people. It’s how I got as far as I did, it’s how I got my house note and a car payment…I destroy people because it gets me paid.
Well, when it comes to Brett Ison, like-minded individuals tend to flock together and we both realized that if we wanted to get where we wanted to be in Nashville…in this business, well… …we would have to close the Circus and that’s what we did. I make no excuses, I make no apologizes for what I did. If given a chance, I’d do it again.
SK: What’s next for O’Shay Edwards? Where will you be and where can people buy your merch?
OE: For those ‘fans’ who are left after this weekend’s antics, you can find my online store here. In terms of what’s next? Well…the journey to become one of the biggest, if not infamous, names in the region is never littered with gold. As for those who want to find me, you don’t…I find you.
Thoughts
Edwards was one of those guys that everyone was talking about over the long weekend, and in endearing terms, too. Sure sounds to me like that didn’t sit too well with him, and he wanted to make a statement and remind people of just how dangerous he can be. If that was indeed his mission, he certainly executed it well.
The Nashville wrestling community is buzzing about the guy, and now that he’s aligned himself with Stallion and Ison, I imagine the rest of 2018 is going to be pretty eventful for Edwards.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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