Edge and Christian open today’s show by speaking about the death of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. They’re both at a loss for words as they try to discuss Neidhart’s passing. They note that Neidhart was a legendary character in the wrestling business and he was a great family man as well, and they both send their regards to Natalya and the rest of the Neidhart family.

Edge notes that the SummerSlam Kickoff show features two very different matches, Vega/Almas vs. Rusev/Lana and Alexander vs. Gulak. They note that the 205 Live guys are probably sick of working the pre-show, and they all continue to raise their game in order to get noticed. They’re both looking forward to this Cruiserweight bout.

Christian likes the Constable Corbin character, as this has added some layers to Corbin’s presentation. Edge agrees, but doesn’t like that Corbin wrestles in street clothes. He’d prefer to see Corbin wrestle in a Bret Hart-like singlet. Edge wonders if we’ll see The Demon return at SummerSlam, as he’s been away for a while now. Christian notes that The Demon is better left for special events.

Edge says he’s very happy for The B-Team because those two guys are extremely talented and deserving of this run, but he feels it’s The Revival’s time. Christian says he’d enjoyed The B-Team’s run as well, but he’s unsure how long WWE can go with these guys winning in a flukey nature.

Edge and Christian note that Braun Strowman’s a big, kickass babyface who doesn’t need to sneak around looking for an opportunity to cash-in, but someone like Kevin Owens could get a ton of mileage out of the Money in the Bank briefcase. Edge points out that putting the briefcase with Strowman is the equivalent of putting the briefcase with The Undertaker; he just doesn’t need it.

Edge points out that Dean Ambrose looked jacked and rejuvenated during his return on Monday Night Raw last week. He loves Ambrose’s new look and he thinks WWE can really do something with Ambrose here if they play their cards right. As for the Intercontinental Title match between Rollins and Ziggler, Edge thinks those two guys are going to tear the house down.

Edge & Christian welcome Mauro Ranallo to the show.

Ranallo says he thinks Ronda Rousey has taken to professional wrestling like a duck to water. He also calls Alexa Bliss “money”, so although Sunday night could be Rousey’s time, Bliss is so good that it wouldn’t surprise him to see her hold onto that RAW Women’s Title for a little while longer.

Edge notes that fans are really behind Becky Lynch as well. Ranallo says that Lynch has the “It Factor”, Charlotte Flair continues to excel even though she’s in the shadow of her father’s name, and Carmella has continuously improved since joining the main roster. He points out that Carmella is the last of the trio she debuted with in NXT, and nobody could have seen that coming.

Ranallo points out that the WWE Title match is a hardcore fan’s dream match, as A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe will do battle. On the other hand, some hardcore fans are likely to hijack the Universal Title match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. Ranallo and Edge mention that they’re looking forward to both matches.

Ranallo says his broadcast and commentary career has taken him to places he never could have imagined. He truly loves what he’s doing, and he’s thrilled to be able to live his dream. He notes that life isn’t guaranteed and it could be over at any moment, so he’s determined to chase his dreams.

He mentions that his commentary style is very excitable, and the recent video of his reactions from the last Takeover really showed that. He admits that maybe he’s not supposed to do that kind of stuff but he says, “I don’t give a shit”. That’s who he is and it’s being celebrated right now, so he’ll take it for as long as it lasts. Edge points out that it’s tough to keep people’s attention nowadays, and Ranallo’s style helps viewers stay glued to their television.

Ranallo notes that some people might critique professional wrestling, but it has influenced an entire generation of boxers and mixed martial artists. Guys like Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor, Chael Sonnen and more have all been influenced by professional wrestling’s ‘salesman’ approach and have brought it to their respective sports.

Edge thinks WWE’s competition now comes from NXT. Ranallo notes that there should be competition between the brands. He thinks NXT is the best brand in sports entertainment and he hopes that Takeover: Brooklyn 4 is the most talked about show during SummerSlam weekend. He jokes that hopefully he won’t get in trouble for saying that.

Ranallo points out that he tries to pick his spots to show a high level of excitement, but jokes that he talks too much from time to time. He thinks his job is all about providing lyrics to the wrestler’s stories, and he really appreciates when talents come up to him and offer him ideas or insights for their matches. He adds that Nikki Cross and Kassius Ohno are great at doing that.

That sums up this week’s episode of E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness. You can listen to the show yourself anytime here, and I’ll catch ya next week for another recap!