Aubrey Edwards has broken through as one of very few referees who have themselves become a personality beloved by the pro wrestling fan base.
During a recent appearance on Under The Ring, the AEW referee spoke about her growing popularity and how she enjoys being a role model to young girls.
“It’s surreal (to get the reactions I get from fans),” she said. “I think the first time I ever saw a little girl dressed like me at a show, I was just completely taken aback that this is something — we’re changing the world and that seems like a very hyperbolic statement. But, I’ve always been a big proponent of representation in media. Coming from software and it also being male-dominated, it’s always something that I’ve kind of thought about being a woman in the role that I am. Knowing that there are girls growing up watching wrestling who seeing a female referee for them has always been normal, it was never a new thing, kind of how we talked about before. We’re changing what wrestling is for them.”
She continued, explaining how she appreciates the cheers she gets from crowds, but wishes they would save the applause for the wrestlers themselves.
“They don’t know it but their normal is different than what our normal was when we first started watching and to hear from parents that they’re so happy that their kids, both their daughters and their sons, they see this strong, authoritative woman on TV who doesn’t take any crap from people,” she said. “That’s a really, really important thing to see strong women in a role who lay down laws and people have to listen. It’s not something that you see commonly. So, I’ve been very, very grateful to be given these opportunities and I’m just completely awestruck. Any time I see someone with a sign or in a ref shirt or any time they chant my name, I’m like, please, just hold off. Save it for the wrestlers (she laughed). They’re about to come out and do something really cool.”
Check out the complete interview at Apple.com. H/T to POSTWrestling.com for transcribing the above quotes.
