Although AEW’s Aubrey Edwards isn’t the first female referee, she may be the most prominent, often straddling the line between official and star. She’s maintained order in some of AEW’s biggest bouts, and recently shared one from her resume that she considers a “dream match.”
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“I think the one that stands out most in my mind is WrestleDream [2023] with Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr.,” Edwards said on “The Wrestling Classic.” “I remember when it got announced … I immediately text Paul Turner, who’s their senior official and does all their assignments. I go, ‘Paul. I know I don’t ask for anything often. But this was literally my dream match before I ever stepped into the ring, so can I please do this?’ And he said, ‘Sure, yeah, no problem.'”
Edwards said it was a joy to watch Danielson and Sabre put together a mat masterpiece, noting that technical wrestling is her favorite style when executed well. But she also pointed to some challenges with the match that could’ve worked against her. She said having to ref the previous match tested her stamina, especially since she was also getting over an illness.
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“It was right before the Jericho match, so I had to do an hour straight in the ring for that show,” Edwards recalled. “And I was sick the weekend before, so I could only breathe out of one nostril. Both of my matches went extremely well, so I’m like, dude. This is my [Michael] Jordan ‘Flu Game.'”
Since AEW often highlights wins and losses, it’s worth noting that Edwards is undefeated in the ring. She once teamed with Mark Briscoe and his father to defeat Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, and Karen Jarrett on the June 16, 2023 episode of “AEW Rampage.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “The Wrestling Classic” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
