Cabbie Interview.

By P. Staniforth 2005.

Here’s an interview with one of the nicest guys on the independent scene, star of WXW and many other promotions; Cabbie.

PETER) : Thanks for making the time for this interview. Can I start by asking a little about your childhood?

CABBIE) : My childhood was interesting to say the least, I came from a broken home….which by today’s standards I guess is pretty normal. I attended Military Academy for five years and at the age of twelve years old I went to the Jr. Olympics for Tae Kwon Do. Also for about fifteen years I swam competitively, and made it to districts and states a number of times.

PETER) : That’s very impressive. When did you first view wrestling?

CABBIE) : I have been watching wrestling since I can remember, but my earliest memory of wrestling was watching Adrian Adonis attack ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper in the Flower Shop segment that Adonis used to do.

PETER) : That sure is a classic angle. Did you know you wanted to be a wrestler, or did it just kind of happen by surprise?

CABBIE) : I always wanted to be a wrestler, but never thought I could actually go through with it. I pretty much figured that there was no chance in the world that I could do what they do.

PETER) : How did you get your first break in the business?

CABBIE) : I got my first break by a friend I used to work with named Dale, who wrestled under the name Tombstone. We would work Drum and Bugle Corp. competitions in Allentown each year, and he would tell me about his shows and different matches he saw. That’s when I first discovered that there even was an indy wrestling scene. Finally one day he asked if I was interested in giving it a shot, and of course I said I was. So we met up, and he took me down to where he trained. I was so nervous that I had to pull over to the side of the road, and puke my guts out. I went for the tryout, and the next thing I know a couple of weeks later I am on my way to becoming a wrestler.

PETER) : Who trained you to wrestle?

CABBIE) : I was trained by a number of people, you could say I am the bastard son of a thousand trainers! My main trainers however were Mark and Troy Mest, along with Buck Wylde, The Cremator, Dave Patera, Max Havok, Johnny Rock, Ronnie Raines and Max Crimson. They trained me out of this warehouse located in Blandon, Pennsylvania; that was right across the street from a mushroom factory. The smell was so intense that in the beginning you just wanted to vomit your brains out, but after a while you just got used to it. I would train with Buck Wylde for about five hours straight in the hot summer and we would be drenched with sweat; take a ten minute break and then continue for about another three hours. And of course you never really stop training, if you do then you might as well pack up your gear, head home and never step back into the ring.

PETER) : I agree completely. What would you say your first matches were like?

CABBIE) : My first matches were horrible, I had no clue what I was doing and still didn’t know if I could actually do it. In the beginning, my trainers would only have the new students who were ready for matches be in tag matches with them, just so they could keep us safe and make sure we didn’t get completely lost. Once I started doing single matches, that is when I started getting more and more daring with moves and overall ring presence. My first singles match was with a guy I began training with named Pedro. We were given three minutes to figure out our match before our music hit. So for it being the first singles match for both of us, then I think it went rather well.

PETER) : How would you describe yourself as a wrestler?

CABBIE) : I would describe myself as a swiss army knife of wrestling. I try to learn all styles so that I am ready for any match and type of situation that may arise at a show.

PETER) : What would be your favourite match or show that you’ve been involved in?

CABBIE) : My favourite match that I have been involved in as to date, would be when I went against The Missing Link in March of 2005. It was exciting to work a legend of that caliber and he helped me understand the business a little bit more. Of course I marked out a bit when he said I swung a chair as well as Bruiser Brody….now I could take that as bad or good….I am taking that as a good thing, so let me believe that!

PETER) : Who are your riends in the business?

CABBIE) : I hate this question only because I have so many friends and I don’t ever want to leave anyone off a list like this. So for my sanity, and so my friends don’t get offended that I forgot to put them on this list, I would rather take the fifth. Plus they know who they are.

PETER) : Good move! What has been your lowest point in wrestling so far?

CABBIE) : The lowest point in wrestling so far for myself would have to be the death of the man who brought me into this sport/world, Dale aka ‘Tombstone’.

PETER) : What do you like to do in your spare time?

CABBIE) : In my spare time I like to chop wood, write books, go ghost hunting, help out with my church, read, play paintball, cook and think about wrestling.

PETER) : What five words you feel describe you best?

CABBIE) : Devoted, honorable, perfectionist, sarcastic, and creative.

PETER) : Looking to the future, what do you want to achieve?

CABBIE) : My plans are as follows, do as much as I can and work for my ultimate goal as best as I can; that way on my death bed I can at least say that I gave it my all.

PETER) : What are your thoughts on WWE and TNA?

CABBIE) : WWE shot themselves in the foot by buying WCW, and raising the bar of wrestling to a point where the fans are now smarter than the workers. TNA is okay from what I have seen, but I haven’t watched it all that much so I really can’t comment on it.

PETER) : Who do you like to watch or learn from?

CABBIE) : The people that I like to watch and the people that I like to study are two way different lists. So the people I like to watch are people like Repo Man, Papa Shango, Undertaker, Gangrel, Brutus Beefcake, Vampiro, Roadkill, Legion of Doom, Ludvig Borga, Waylon Mercy, Kanyon, Rock and Roll Express, Freebirds and Jim The Anvil Neidhart.

Now as to who I like to study…Christopher Daniels, Keiji Mutoh, Dragon Gate, Bobby Heenan, Jim Cornett, Lance Storm, Reckless Youth (Tom Carter), Sting, Barry Windham, Larry Zybysko, Magnum TA, Ted DiBiase, Curt Hennig, AJ Styles…and these are just to name a few. You see I am a major tape watcher and studier, and most people would tell you that I probably have the largest collection and varied range of wrestling tapes. I go from Smokey Mountain to All Japan, from WWF to WCW to ECW, from ROH to MLW…and these too are only to name a few. In all I would have to say I am working on about 2-3 bookcases full of tapes.

PETER) : That, is something we have VERY much in common! To finish up, is there anything you'd like to promote, or anyone you'd like to thank?

CABBIE) : I would like to thank everyone I have met along this path of life, and those who I haven’t met yet. Of course there are those that stand out for reasons that they know of. People like Mana, SLG, Greg Spitz, Mike Kehner, Rebel, George (Vertigo Video), Mark Mest, Troy Mest, Jimbo, Buck Wylde, Cindy Rogers, C.J., Drew, and Lilly just to name a few.

PETER) : Thanks for this interview, and all the best for the future.

CABBIE) : Thank you, Peter.

-------
Peter writes (columns,interviews,&video reviews) for the following websites - www.prowrestlingdaily.com , www.wrestlingclothesline.com , & www.ukevents.net .

He writes the press releases for WWE Euro Shop - http://wweeuroshop.com/?tid=ps101 - who are the UK & Europe's official WWE merchandise company.

Peter writes video reviews for the following video tape traders - Simon, at www.simania.co.uk (the UK's number one tape trading website); for www.modtrom.com (the official production company behind Jersey All Pro Wrestling) ; for Vicious Verne at www.a1wrestlingvideos.com ;for Shaun at www.violentjtapes.com ;and for Rob at www.goldenboytapes.com .

Peter has been mentioned on EWR 4.0 on the credits page (downloadable at www.adamryland.co.uk ); and please feel free to leave a message for Peter at the following link - http://globalguest.com/gb2/PWDPETER/guestbook.html

When using any of this information give proper credit to Cactusb and the Wrestling Clothesline at http://www.wrestlingclothesline.com

Questions? Comments? Results? Wrestling Related items? Send them to us here. If we use them on the page you will be given full credit for supplying us with it!