SG> How did you get your start in pro wrestling?
CC> I've always known I wanted to be a pro wrestler. It was my one and only true dream as a kid and as a teen. I originally wanted to move to the east coast to train after graduating college. After playing one year of college football, I couldn't take not being in the business anymore. So inbetween Freshman and Sophomore year, I trained at a school in Chicago called The Steel Domain. Ace Steel and Danny Dominion taught me everything I needed to know to start my journey as a pro wrestler.
SG> What were your goals breaking into the business and how have they changed over the years?
CC> Originally, I knew exacctly how I wanted to do stuff. I just wanted to train and learn and travel while I finished my college degree. So I told myself, for the next 3 years (1999-2002) I was going to just do the indies and try and make a name for myself and learn as much as I can. I was hoping to then try and go fulltime somehow with it after college. To an extent, my goals and plans have worked out well. As a kid, I definitly wanted to be in the WWE. To a point I do now, but the fact that I get to live my life as a pro wrestler and have a lot of freedom in my job is just great and fulfilling.
SG> Tell us about Wrestling Society X. Your thoughts on the product and the direction of the project?
CC> When I first spoke to Kevin Kieinrock about it, we both were totally on the same wavelength. We are both 20something kids, MTV kids if you will. To me, WSX is not all about pro wrestling. It's about just a normal dude sitting and watching Jackass, then Made, then WSX. The wrestling fans will always watch wrestling when it's on TV. That's because we just love wrestling. WSX's goal is now to get the average MTV viewer to watch wrestling like it was just part of the regular viewing schedule.
SG> Do you think WSX can be competition to TNA and WWE?
CC> I think TNA is trying to compete with WWE. I think WSX is trying to compete with shows like Two-A-Days and Real World. I think it's a great concept and I hope we can grab a lot of casual viewers. Hopefully then, those casual viewers will now have some appreciation for the "new era" of pro wrestling and maybe they'll do some research and come check out some of us in ROH!
SG> You have worked WWE matches, but have yet to sign with them. Why do you believe WWE has never signed you?
CC> I have a lot of friends that I've came up through the Indies with that are doing well in the WWE. I don't even think they knew who I was up until the last couple of times I wrestled for them though. I watch so much random and different wrestling because this is my line of work and think it's smart to be up to date within my industry. I don't think the decision makers in WWE do the same. I might be wrong, but that's just the impression I get.
SG> Could you envision yourself in WWE? If so, on which brand?
CC> I think I was made to be in the WWE. I'm sure a lot of other wrestlers feel the same about themselves too. I have a very entertainment-based in ring style that I think the WWE could benefit from. At the same time, I believe my style is so dfferent from everyone on the indies, it helps me seperate myself from the rest of the wrestlers and allows me to stand out on each show.
SG> Is there any wrestlers that you pattern your in ring style after?
CC> I have many influences. I think right now, Les Kellet is such a huge impact on my philosiphy of in ring wrestling. Him and hundreds of the British World of Sport wrestlers have influenced my wrestling style. I also like to pattern my connection with the fans and happy energy with Dusty Rhodes and Jimmy Valient. I would say some of my influences, and I know this is wierd, is patterened off stand-up comedians.
SG> I know you have worked several matches overseas. Have you ever wrestled in Japan?
CC> I have done two tours for Zero One Max in 2006. They were both dreams come true. My favorite match was where I wrestled Steve Corino at Korakuen Hall. It's available on my new DVD, "Chicago Globetrotter". I believe with the great relationship that ROH now has with both Dragon Gate and NOAH that more opportunites to go to Japan are very near in the future.
SG> What is your most memorable match, and why?
CC> I don't have a particular most memorable match. I have so many that I look back on and they make me happy to be a wrestler. My Japanese debut with Zero1Max, my two european rounds matches with Johnny Kidd, having Bobby Hennan manage me, having Harley Race referee me, being in the ring with Eddy Guerrero, wrestling and tagging a milion times with CM Punk, wrestling with Nigel McGuiness and so on and so forth.
SG> Your opinion of CM Punk in ECW?
CC> I feel like an ass, but I don't get Sci-Fi with my cable plan. I feel like a shit friend every tuesday after I have to ask him who he wrestled and how he did. I'm very greatful that Paul Heyman saw what the rest of us did and gave him such a great opportunity to shine in ECW. I know Paul's not around at the moment, but I think Punk's so talented and different from everyone else. Hopefully as long as the people speak like they did with Matt Hardy, he won't be ignored and will be forced to greatness because the people demand it.
SG> In 2003, you worked with Eddy Guerrero in the ring. What was your impression of him at that time?
CC> Eddy gave me some of the greatest advice that I'll never forget. After our match he told me to "stay humble exactly like you are, it's a good trait to have". Eddy just seemed like a down-to-earth guy. I was fortunate enough to go out to eat with him and spend a little time with him. Never did he come off as thinking he was bigger than he was or anything. I think that was the most admireable part.
SG> Do you consider Ring of Honor as the top independent promotion in the country?
CC> I consider ROH the best wrestling promotion in the country. By default, I guess that makes us the best independent. Where does the line draw on whether or not we're an independent wreslting company? I look at ROH as just a Pro Wrestling Promotion. A great one at that.
SG> Where do you envision ROH will be five years?
CC> I guess I just see ROH with the same business model that seems to be working now. I think in five years, ROH will be playing bigger venues, bigger buildings with a bigger fan base. I would love to still be apart of ROH in five yeras. That would be a great accomplishment for myself.
SG> What was the real story of your October 2006 automobile accident?
CC> HAHA. Adam Pearce, Dave Prazak and I were all in my car driving from Dayton to Chicago. It had literally rained 3 days straight. We decided to drive back to Chicago direcetly after the show. It was raining so hard and heavy that eventually my car just started hydroplaning and lost control. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. We hit the median 3 or 4 time while the car was spinning around. Luckily, nobody was behind us at the moment to hit us and nobody in our car was hurt. My car was completely totaled and so was my confidence in driving. Luckily, all of my toes were and are still in place.
SG> You have won several independent wrestling titles. Is there one that is more special than the others?
CC> I take great pride in being an ROH tag champion. I think my tag reign with Punk was great and sometimes I feel bad and selfish about cutting it short with my decision to move to England in the summer of 2004. I also love tagging with Darren Burridge over in England for 1PW. We are the current Tag Champs at the moment and I think we make such a fun team. When I started in IWA there were so many great wrestlers that were there and that have been there. Eventually, I became an IWA Midsouth Heavywieght champion and at the time, it was great honor for Ian Rotten to have me as his champ. Especially since I won the belt in a threeway match with CM Punk and Eddy Guerrero. Since then, I question some of the champions, but at the time it was such a great feeling to carry that belt in my bag.
SG> Are you still friend with Matt Cappotelli?
CC> I can't say I'm great friends with Matt, but I have talked to him after his announcement was made public. I think we'll always have a bond for being two kids coming from completely different backgrounds playing college football, but with a completely different dream. Matt's a truely class guy and I could tell that right away when I first met him back in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
SG> Is it true your brother Greg is involved with "The Family Guy?"
CC> Yup. My brother Greg is one of the top directors for the show Family Guy. He's an extremely talented animator. He's been involved in shows like 3 South, Invader Zim, Dilbert, Mucha Lucha, South Park and Powder Puff Girls. The great thing about my family is that my parents had two children who knew exactly what we wanted at a young age. We both weren't afraid to go and pursue the life that we wanted most. I think that says a lot about my parents and the way they brought my brother and I up.
SG> What is your opinion of TNA?
CC> I will always support pro wrestling on TV. When I was a kid, I loved any kind of wrestling on TV, even the cable access stuff. For that alone, I support TNA and I'm glad that kids get to watch more than WWE on television. I also think they're trying to be or beat WWE. I'm not sure which. Vince McMahon will run the pro wrestling industry until the day he dies. I don't see a point in trying to emulate his product and beat him at the game he perfected.
SG> Have you ever been contacted by TNA to work for them?
CC> CM Punk and I did a dark match for them in January 2003. After the match, no one had anything to say to us or any interest in us. After there was some buzz that WWE liked Punk, then TNA seemed to have interest in him. As for me, I think they could care less about me.
SG> Any thing you'd like to plug or any message for the multitude of Colt Cabana fans?
CC> Please help support me at www.COLTCABANA.com or www.MYSPACE.com/COLTCABANA. By selling Tshirts, DVD's and other goodies, it allows me to make a living as a pro wrestler. If I didn't have you fans, I'd be flippin burgers at Burger King. I realize that and I appreciate all of you for it. Please take a look at some of my friends to, www.THEBESTBETONSPORTS.net for a great sports betting system. Also, my gear maker at www.MAINEVENTRINGWEAR.com and the best DVD Production team at www.BLACKBUNNYPRODCUTIONS.com
