Punch-Out: ESPN’s Arda Ocal on being WWE’s Kyle Edwards, Aftermath with Renee Paquette
Arda Ocal
Just over eight years ago, a man known to plenty of Canadian pro wrestling fans (and U.S. ones as well) began his career in WWE after a run that began on frozen tundras in his native country and eventually took him to both Canadian sports TV and radio on SportsNet 360.
While you may not immediately remember the name Kyle Edwards, you likely remember the man or know the name behind that manufactured name: Arda Ocal — someone I have wanted to have on Josh Nason’s Punch-Out for quite some time.
Arda, now an on-screen regular for ESPN on both SportsCenter and their NHL coverage, talked to me for an hour about a ton of stuff: his days in WWE and why they ended, how Vince McMahon had a say in his name, his days on both Aftermath and Right After Raw with Renee Paquette and Jimmy Korderas, what’s he doing now with ESPN, and everything in-between.
That in-between includes a Canada-only WWE DVD focusing on the country’s wrestling talent that I found on YouTube.
I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will as well.
Join me on this week’s Punch-Out with the former Kyle Edwards in WWE, longtime wrestling fan, and Star Wars aficionado Arda Ocal of ESPN.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:10:46 — 48.1MB)