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Interview With Pro-Wrestler And Podcaster Colt Cabana
September 6, 2016
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Colt Cabana is a widely respected pro wrestler who has toured the world, including with the WWE. Cabana now sits down with fellow wrestlers and discusses the triumphs and tragedies of being being a professional in the sport as the host of the podcast, The Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana.
I asked him a few questions...
Photo by Ichiban DrunkHow did you, as a professional wrestler, become a podcaster?
In 2009, I was fired from the WWE. It was my dream job and now I found myself without an outlet to shine. No other wrestling promotions would give me an outlet. I did not want to quit professional wrestling and found starting my own podcast would allow me to connect with my fans and like-minded people more than anything.
2. Describe "The Art of Wrestling" podcast for people who may not have heard it.
I travel the world to different locker rooms and bring my podcasting equipment with me. I talk with friends and colleagues from this world. It's about our paths into the wrestling world. The sacrifices we've made, the ups and the downs. It's a look into the human psyche.
3. How has the podcast evolved over time?
I've been doing it for over 6 years now. The biggest way it's evolved is in the quality of the audio.
The podcast has always been based on the same principle, though, of my struggle to figure out why we do what we do to become pro wrestlers. But as I've evolved as a wrestler and person in that time, so has the show.
4. You also perform comedy. Tell us about some of the things you've done in this arena.
I just got back from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. It's the largest comedy and arts fest in the world. I love comedy. I love wrestling. Podcasting allows me to mix those worlds. So does actual wrestling if you've ever watched my style of performance. I bring my genre of pro wrestling and mix it with comedic values. You can see the equation on TV appearances of Maron and The Chris Gethard Show, a touring show of commentating on subpar wrestling, Youtube shows, and various other outlets.
5. How were you able to grow the audience for your podcast?
I was the first pro wrestler to really do wrestler-to-wrestler long form talks. Since I was established within the community, word started to spread about this show I was doing. Word of mouth was very powerful, especially since I was such an early adopter.
6. How does the podcast generate revenue, either directly or indirectly?
I'm fortunate enough to have enough listeners to sell ads. That's really nice.
As a wrestler, though, I'm always selling merchandise and doing live shows. The podcast has made more people aware of me as a performer and started bringing more people out to the shows I was doing. Because of my podcast, I began wrestling more and selling more merchandise.
7. Has podcasting opened doors to other opportunities for you? How?
This year, Xbox asked me to host videos at E3 in Los Angeles. That was single-handedly due to my podcast and I couldn't have been happier.
8. Tell us about some of your favorite interview moments over the years.
I was able to have long talks with some wrestlers who've passed. I feel happy knowing that I got to sit down with them before they left us, and that I was able to share those conversations with the world. Roddy Piper is a great example. We podcasted about 6 months before he passed. He was so kind and generous with his time.
9. What advice would you give to up-and-coming podcasters?
Have a point of view. Don't just talk to talk. Become an expert at something. There's a lot of podcasts out there, make sure you know why yours is better than the others.
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