AEW's Aubrey Edwards On The Similarities Between Wrestling And Ballet

Most people probably won't find many similarities between watching a performance of "The Nutcracker" and an episode of "AEW Dynamite," but that isn't the case for Aubrey Edwards, who has a legitimate history in classical ballet. Furthermore, she believes there are similarities between the two as far as her personal role as a referee.

"When I retired I needed something else to do, someone suggested I try reffing," she revealed to "Under The Ring." "It is surprisingly similar to being like a background dancer in 'Waltz Of The Flower' or 'Nutcracker,' I am just wearing pants instead of tights now. I am there helping other people tell stories and helping put on a show for an audience and it's great."

While there are times when Edwards has been front and center during a match, such as when she has to confront a wrestler like Chris Jericho, or during her recent rivalry against Karen Jarrett, the majority of times she's in the background. A good referee should be someone you don't really notice, but they do play a key role in helping a match tick over.

"You end up having the sugar plum fairy or the person on the poster that's selling all the tickets, right? Then you have all of these people behind her essentially standing there, making her look really, really great. You're there in a support role to help her tell a story, whatever that story may be," she said. "That's essentially what my job as a referee is. The wrestlers are telling a story, and I am there to help facilitate that."

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