On the fire-table spot from his hardcore match with Mick Foley at Mania 22:
“Generally speaking, if you see me do something stupid, it was my idea. Whether it’s the AA’s off the ladder against Cena – my idea. Jeff Hardy jumping off of me through a ladder to take me out of a match at WrestleMania 23 – my idea. The flaming table – my idea. What I didn’t think all the way through was the gel they put on me had already almost been sweat off by that point. I’m not wearing layers, and I’m diving face-first into this thing. I remember running towards Mick going, ‘Huh, he’s got two flannels on. He’s going in back first, which is gonna suck, but I’m going in face-first into this thing.’ I did not fully think this thing through. Because we had backed ourselves in a corner in a promo, it was like well that has to be the finish now. Do the spear off the apron through it. There’s no other way for the culmination of this thing to happen. It’s WrestleMania, and you know if you pull this off, it’s the kind of thing that’s gonna solidify and cement your brand. You always try and find those scenarios at WrestleMania. They aren’t always possible, but you know if you have Mick Foley as an opponent who wants to have his WrestleMania opponent but also wants to cement me as a main event player, all of those things coming together in this perfect storm – yeah, I’m diving headfirst into flaming tables with thumbtacks in my back. That was the springboard and one of the reasons I can be sitting here talking about Edge all these years later.”
Says he quickly shot down the idea of ending the Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak when they fought at 24:
“In the lead-up to it, I was asked, ‘What do you think about ending The Streak?’ I said no. Adamantly no. I don’t think it ever should’ve ended until what we knew was his final WrestleMania, and then even maybe not. I just didn’t think it was right. I also didn’t think at that point in my career I needed it. I think that that should have been saved for someone who you want to strap the rocket to and you know and you trust. To me, Roman Reigns was the guy to do it. That’s what it should’ve been. Brock Lesnar didn’t need it. I get that’s he a believable one to do it. OK, great, but this is professional wrestling. It’s not MMA. So, to me, you did it with a character you think is gonna pull your cart for the next 10 or 15 years. Edge was already established. I already had my heat. To me, give that to someone who could need it and use that going forward. I could use a multitude of other things, and I knew that. Pretty quickly that got shot down. Taker, I think he was open to it. But I just didn’t think it was right.”
Check out the full interview below. (H/T and transcribed by 411 Mania)
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