Backstage Reason For Edge Going Over Grayson Waller On WWE SmackDown

Friday's "WWE SmackDown" featured a surprise match between WWE Hall of Famer Edge and former "NXT" star Grayson Waller. After Edge appeared on "The Grayson Waller Effect," the multi-time world champion laid out the challenge for a singles bout, noting that it was time to see whether Waller would sink or swim.

Edge vs. Waller ended up being the longest match of the night at nearly 15 minutes in light of The Bloodline's lengthy segments to progress the "Civil War" storyline. In the end, Edge was victorious with a Spear, while Waller suffered defeat in his main roster in-ring debut. During the latest "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer provided the reasoning behind Edge going over.

"They still have the idea that if you get beat by a star, you're seen as a bigger star because you're in the ring with them," Meltzer said. "And depending on how the match works, sometimes that's the case... I was surprised [Waller] wrestled because I didn't think he'd be back this soon."

Waller was drafted from "NXT" to "SmackDown" at the end of April, however, he hasn't competed since April 25 when he challenged Carmelo Hayes for the "NXT" title. Waller claimed he suffered a broken leg in that bout and has been rehabbing ever since. The Australian native has still appeared on "SmackDown" several times by hosting his in-ring talk show with various WWE superstars.

Edge last competed on the May 12 "SmackDown" in a first-round triple threat match in the World Heavyweight Championship tournament. AJ Styles prevailed in that bout. With six matches under his belt in 2023, it remains to be seen what's next for the "Rated-R Superstar."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.