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THE SYSTEM WORKS

Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards In Conversation With Pro Wrestling Illustrated

The reigning TNA Wrestling World tag team champions reflect on their success to date and get real about their competition ahead of this weekend’s “Under Siege” event.

TNA Wrestling's The System: Eddie & Alisha Edwards with Brian Myers
TRUST THE SYSTEM: Eddie & Alisha Edwards talk shop with Brian Myers at a recent TNA Wrestling TV taping at South Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena. (PHOTO BY KEVIN McELVANEY)

FOR TWO VETERANS like Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards, spending your days basking in former glories could be a perfectly acceptable way to spend one’s career at this point. That’s not what motivates these men, however. Not content to ever phone it in, the accomplished duo are the current, reigning TNA World tag team champions. And Myers & Edwards spoke with PWI’s Jason McVeigh just days before competing at TNA’s Under Siege event. In the conversation below, they tell our readers how it feels to be on top of TNA Wrestling as part of the faction known as The System … and how they still strive to steal the show each and every night.

McVEIGH: So, Under Siege is coming up this Friday. You’re involved in a big six-man tag team match against Matt Hardy and Speedball Mountain. I guess I’ll ask Brian first, what can we expect from the match?

MYERS: I mean, it’s going to be very exciting, right? Six top-tier wrestlers in the main event, you know, anything’s possible in that situation. The System right now is really cooking … we’re out to prove a point, we’ve had some of the best six-man matches the past four months. Put them up against any other trios matches in the entire business. And this will be no exception. And if Matt Hardy thinks he’s going to rejuvenate his career at the expense of The System? He is very, very wrong.

PWI: Just on that one, Eddie, talk a little bit about Matt Hardy. This is Matt’s first match back in TNA, obviously. Is there anything you’re concerned about going against him?

EDWARDS: I’m not concerned. I think Matt, should be the one who’s a little concerned. You know, he’s been gone for quite a while now. Things have changed since he’s been gone. The System is at the top of the mountain right now. And it’s something that he has to understand, like Brian said: Matt’s not going to come in and get the buzz off of beating The System. And we already beat Speedball Mountain. Now, Matt’s back to get a taste of it, too. It’s going to be exciting because it is the first time Matt is back in a TNA ring in however many years. And that’s a cool thing, and it’s going to be cool to be a part of that. But it’ll be even better to put an end to it pretty quickly.

PWI: You guys are the TNA World tag team champions right now and you’ve spent a lot of weeks as a ranked team on Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s web and print rankings. Why is this partnership working so well?

EDWARDS: It’s because there’s a lot that goes into it. It’s not just the stuff that happens in the ring. We are friends outside the ring. Me, Moose, Alisha … we’ve been best friends outside of the ring for a while now. So, this has been percolating for a while before The System formed. And me and Brian, when we get in the ring, we have that same trust and that same respect for each other in the ring that we do outside of it. I think that shows every time we’re in there. Because you can see that having fun, we’re kicking ass, we’re doing it together, and we get to have these great matches together.

MYERS: Yeah, it’s a mutual admiration for each other. We’ve always had that, and then we’ve become best friends. And that shows in the ring. Thenm there’s the professional side of it where you literally have two of the most accomplished tag team wrestlers of our generation, coming together to be a super team. So, all things have fallen into place.

PWI: You kind of touched on it there, Brian … you both are very accomplished tag team wrestlers. What is it that keeps tag team wrestling exciting for you both?

MYERS: I love tag team wrestling. Obviously, I love being a singles competitor, too. I just love wrestling in all shapes and sizes. But I think what we have going now is Eddie and I are out there to steal the show every single night and try to improve on our performance every time we go out there. And I feel like these past four months, we’ve really done that. Each time just gets a little bit better and a little more in sync. That’s what you look forward tom and that’s what keeps me heading into these TNA weekends where I’m like, Okay, sick, we can keep this frigging thing going.

PWI: The System has seen a lot of success in TNA this yearm and it’s been a lot of fun to watch you guys do what you’re doing. Can you speak a little bit on the dynamic of the group? You know, not just the two of you, but Alisha and Moosem as well?

EDWARDS: Yeah, I think it’s a family group. Like I said, we are best friends outside the ring and Alisha keeps us in line. She’s kept me in line for so many years. But also, she’s done that in the back for so many years at this point, that I think it comes across on screen and in the ring, as well. It’s tough to find a group where people aren’t selfish, and they’re not focused on themselves. But this group isn’t. And it’s because we do have this relationship outside of the business.

MYERS: The bottom line is: The System’s real, and that’s why it’s working. And that’s why it’s going to continue to work. It’s as real as it gets in whatm at times, is a very fake industry.

PWI: What can we expect from The System going forward?

MYERS: I see no end in sight, nor do I look forward to that. I want this to go on for as long as we can. I want to live in the moment and be present, knowing that this is a great time in my career. We’re all having a freaking blast being best friends, doing what we do best, and stealing the show, and having fun. That’s what my life and career is about right now.

EDWARDS: Yeah, it’s the same for me. We all realize that we’re doing something special, and it feels like a special time for our careers, but also for the company. We want to capitalize on that. We don’t want to sell ourselves short or do anything to dilute the group. We want to run with this as long as we can to continue to drag TNA up that mountain.

PWI: There’s been a lot of changes in the company recently, but both of you have been loyal to the promotion for a while. Why is TNA the right place for Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards?

EDWARDS: For me, I’ve been here for over 10 years at this point. And I have said all along that the company has always treated me with respect and treated me right. So, that’s the reason that I’ve stayed here all along. But, at this point, it’s about what I want to do with my career. I don’t want to be on the road all the time. I enjoy the schedule that we have. I have a family; I have a daughter at home that I love being home with. And I love our locker room. It’s a group that I can truly buy in on. I buy in to what we’re doing. And I feel that we all have that same sense backstage, where we all know what we’re doing, and that we are all trying to drive this company forward. We keep chugging away, I’ve been trying to learn for 10 years, but I like where we’re going. That’s why I’m still here. And that’s why I believe in TNA.

MYERS: TNA is one of the best things that ever happened to me in my career. It’s just been such a perfect fit for so many reasons. They allow me to be the best version of myself. It’s been a collaborative effort, and a fun creative thing.

PWI: We are still only a few months into this run that The System are having. But are there any moments that stand out?

EDWARDS: Winning the tag team title for sure. And just being in the ring together. The first time we hit our pose in front of the hard cam … that was cool and something that’s burned into my mind.

MYERS: I would say the debut of Nic Nemeth at Hard to Kill, also. Even though it didn’t exactly turn out great for The System on that night, the upside I saw was that it was going to get a lot of people talking about us and about TNA. So, to be a part of that and hear the reaction was a big deal.

PWI: Favorite TNA tag team of all time?

MYERS: I loved America’s Most Wanted. When Matt (Cardona) and I were breaking into the business and were clueless 18-year-olds trying to figure out wrestling, AMW were the best babyface tag team in wrestling, and we really tried to watch their stuff and see what they were doing right. Because they were really getting after it at the time.

EDWARDS: Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin. They’re two of the absolute best on their own and as a team. What they’ve accomplished is next level. And also, a team that was in TNA and so many other places is the Hardys. I was lucky enough to be in there with them when I was a member of The Wolves. I was a big fan of Matt and Jeff growing up, and just everything they accomplished. So, I put them up there, as well.

PWI: What do you want PWI readers to know about Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers in 2024?

EDWARDS: That we’re not going to stop. We’re in it for the long haul, and this is just the beginning.

MYERS: Yeah, and that The System is the real deal and we’re out there trying to steal the show every night and bring more eyeballs to TNA. We’ve got the hardest-working locker room [at TNA], and we are a part of that.

MORE INFORMATION ON TNA UNDER SIEGE

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The Return of Alex Shelley

The Return of Alex Shelley

TO SAY THAT Alex Shelley has been everywhere and done almost everything in wrestling is an understatement. The Detroit, Michigan, native has plied his trade in Ring of Honor, IMPACT Wrestling, and New Japan to much success—and even cropped up in NXT for a brief time in early-2020. Away from the ring, he has worked just as hard in pursuit of academia and his day job. Now, after some time away, Shelley is on the cusp of a return to the ring as part of Major League Wrestling. PWI recently caught up with him to find out just what it is that keeps the former Motor City Machine Gun coming back for more.

PWI: A lot of fans are excited to hear that you are returning to wrestling again. Why is MLW the right place for that to happen?

Shelley: It’s the right place, right time. They contacted me about a year and a half ago, and it didn’t really work with my schedule because of my career outside of wrestling. But now, it does. On top of that, for me personally, I want to be creatively inspired. I want to be challenged. And I want to be excited about the wrestling I am going to produce. And when I saw the MLW roster, that appealed to me, as well.

PWI: MLW has announced that you will face TJP at the Fightland event on October 2 as part of the Opera Cup tournament. TJ is someone you are quite familiar with. What can fans expect from that match?

Shelley: I’ve known TJ since 2004. We both competed in the Jeff Peterson Cup in Florida when TJ was (wrestling as) Puma at the time. He was a guy who I had actually watched before I met him. I had watched CMLL and PWG, and he had been in both places. I thought he was very good. Then, I found out he was close to my age, too, When we first met at that Peterson Cup in Florida, Chris Hero and I had been sparring in the ring that day for close to an hour before the show started, just training. When we were done and got out of the ring, TJ came up to me and said “Where did you learn to do all that?”

A group photo of the 2005 Super 8 participants. On the right, Alex Shelley poses behind a crouching Puma (TJP), whom he’d first met the year prior. (Photo by Joe Zanolle)

Now, keep in mind, this was a peer of mine. He had more experience and better training than me—albeit different training. But that’s really where our bond was formed: over a love of wrestling, and technical wrestling in particular. And, if that doesn’t give you an idea of how this match will be, then I don’t know what will.

PWI: You touched on it earlier, but you do have a career outside of wrestling as a physical therapist. That obviously comes with its own responsibilities and was a key reason why you had to step away from IMPACT Wrestling earlier this year. A lot of wrestlers don’t plan for careers away from the ring. Is it something that’s been difficult for you to balance?

Shelley: I think it was different for me and for where I fell generationally. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, even though I’m still only in my late-30s. I remember very, very clearly around 2008, in TNA, due to the way the company was structured and how they operated at the time, I remember thinking that I don’t want to do this here forever. I don’t enjoy it. I love wrestling, love it so much, and I’ve given so much to it. But that environment just wasn’t good for younger wrestlers. That’s when I started making a contingency plan, and the obvious answer was to get an education. So, I got my first Bachelor’s degree in 2012. Then, I went to Japan for a little while, and Japan was an amazing experience.

But I fell in love with learning then. And, even though my first degree was in business, I got to thinking about physio. Everyone gets injuries, whether you’re a wrestler or not, right? New Japan had two trainers who went on the road with us, and I was around them for years. They helped the wrestlers get into the ring. Like, if you saw what goes on behind the scenes, with the amount of work that these guys put into the wrestlers, and what the wrestlers are then able to do after treatment, it’s very inspiring. And, at that point, I got very inspired to go in that direction.

Alex Shelley and Kushida teamed up in New Japan to form the two-time junior heavyweight tag champions, Time Splitters. While in New Japan, Shelley was inspired to pursue physical therapy as a vocation away from the ring. (Photo ©2013 New Japan Pro-Wrestling, LTD.)

And I thought, Well I guess it’s time to get another four-year degree (laughs). So, I went back to school after my New Japan contract was up in 2015, and that was all she wrote. But I was splitting my time between wrestling and school, and it was so exhausting. I was in Ring of Honor at the time. I gave them all I had, but wrestling requires a certain amount of mental study outside of the ring. I wasn’t able to do that as much as I would’ve liked. Because I couldn’t. I had to learn all sorts of stuff about joints and anatomy and systemic illnesses and oh, my gosh! That was easily the most stressful period of my life. But I got through it, and now I’ve got a degree in Physical Therapy. Now, I’m able to work in physio 40 hours per week and wrestle, too. And I’m not saying it’s easy—because it’s not—but it’s a grind that I love because I love both fields.

PWI: You have been everywhere and done everything in wrestling. And you have a Monday-to-Friday job away from the ring. So, what keeps you wrestling? Is it that desire to be creatively inspired, like you talked about earlier?

Shelley: Yes it is. It’s very much a love of creativity. But also, wrestling is supposed to be fun. Wrestling is a sport, and what do you do with sports? You play sports! And I was that kid that grew up playing sports. I loved it because I loved helping people, and I loved pushing myself, and loved just being in the moment and feeling that stress—not the bad stress, but the good stress, which is what you feel when you’re in the ring. You almost go into autopilot … And I think that’s the most fun. And to be paid to do that is such an honor, such a privilege. And to be able to use your body and to help other people, I mean, to anyone who has ever spent one minute watching me, thank you so much!

Alex Shelley attempts a submission on Mark Haskins at Ring of Honor’s Free Enterprise PPV in February 2020. Though Shelley is well known for his high-flying abilities, he’s also a sound technical wrestler. (Photo by Ring of Honor/Zia Hiltey)

PWI: Away from wrestling and physical therapy, you’re a big music guy. You sing and play guitar, and are a big punk rock fan. What kind of stuff is Alex Shelley listening to these days?

Shelley: For the most part, I revolve around the same things. Like, the bands that I like are going to be making music until the day they die because that’s just what they do. But, lately, there’s been this whole West Coast indie punk rock scene that’s popped up in the last ten years, and there’s this band called Wavves … f’n awesome man! It’s basically one guy. But he put out a new album not that long ago, and I love it because I can learn to play it, too, you know? It’s all basic chord parts, but so well structured. When I look at Wavves or Together Pangea or Fidlar or Guided by Voices or Electric Six … bands that I’m a huge fan of, they don’t tend to veer too far off [the same chords], just the strumming pattern is different. But they make the most out of the least, and it’s just so cool.

PWI: It’s quite clear that being creative is a big thing for you. With wrestling, your education, music … it’s a fire that burns pretty bright within you. You’re obviously going to bring that with you to Major League Wrestling. What can fans expect from you in MLW?

Shelley: I don’t want to say anything finite because it’s going to change from opponent to opponent. I’m going to wrestle TJP differently than I’m going to wrestle Calvin Tankman or Matt Cross. But I can promise you this much: Whatever I’m doing, or whoever I’m in there with, I’m going to work my ass off!

(MLW Fightland takes place this Saturday, October 2 from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA)