Kayfabe Wrestling Radio with Adam Pearce
Host: Alan Wojcik
Airs on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Interview available at WildTalkRadio.com

Being part of the "East Coast Invasion" angle early in his career: "You’re going back a ways as that was the Summer, going into the Fall of 1997 if I remember right. Yeah, that was very cool for someone like me. Coming up in Chicago and I was only in the business for about a year at that point, so I was green as grass and just getting the opportunity to work with guys who were working on a regular basis was appealing to me at that point and then to have the notoriety that some of those guys had like Reckless Youth, who was NWA North American Champ at the time meant a lot for a young wrestler to go out there and kind of have the opportunity to get the rub, so to speak, from some of these guys that were more of a I don’t want say household names as they were Independents but to Independent fans, they were critical names. It meant a lot for my career and allowed me to network and become friends with people who down the line would help me branch out so definitely it was a source of pride."

His One Last Ride tour and what that truly means: "Retirement is kind of like that joke (where no one truly retires in wrestling). I told Terry Funk when I hurt my neck about a year ago, a little over a year ago, and it’s what really spurred me on to doing the "One Last Ride" Tour as a way to say thank you and goodbye to promotions and people that I’ve been around this business with for the last 17 years, and my schedule blew up. I told Terry (Funk) that ‘Now I know why you retired like 25 times.’ One Last Ride for me has been a cathartic thing, like I said to give back to the business and say hello to people I haven’t seen in a long time and going to new places and saying goodbye to some old ones. So, without question, my time as an active performer is running out and it is a combination of many things but really, the bottom line is I’m not getting any younger and I’ve done just about anything I can on the independents. I don’t want to be 45 and still having to hustle for a payday if you know what I mean."

His Seven Levels of Hate Series with Colt Cabana: "It’s amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better opponent, really, than Cabana, in particular what we’re doing with the Seven Levels of Hate. You know, people should realize that is part of the deal. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers and builds into a lot of things. To answer your question, it’s great; it’s not bittersweet, there’s no bitter whatsoever, it’s just sweet. It’s great…Cabana currently holds a 3-0 lead on me, so it’s win or go home effectively for me. As I’ve said, the whole premise was if I can’t win the series, then I don’t need to be competing anymore. So, not to be a prognosticator, and considering I am involved with the damn thing, but I would advise anyone near Kansas City on Saturday to get a ticket."

His appearances and tryouts with WWE and WCW and any possibly frustrations he may have had: "No, not at all, because, in both cases, it was my choice. It was a great time, you know, to be 19 or 20 years old and have opportunities on both sides is ridiculous, when I think back on it. I mean, guys work 20 years and never get an opportunity and here I was, 2 and a half years in the business and I had multiple contract offers from WCW so there was no frustration there. I think the frustration came after the fact, when I look back and realized what was offered and some of the choices I made personally. I’ve said before, on the record, if I could go back and do one thing over I would have taken that first WCW offer in 1998; you know, that was the perfect time and I just thing I was mature enough, personally, to have handled it. I really don’t."

Anyone he’d like to face on his One Last Ride Tour: "There’s two, actually, there’s three; I’ll add a third to the list. I would love, and I don’t know how this hasn’t happened over the last 17 years, I’d love to have a match with Jerry Lynn. He’s one of my absolute favorite people that I’ve ever encountered in the wrestling business; actually in or out of the business. He’s just a wonderful human being and that would be an honor. Kevin Steen, who I’m a big admirer of and someone I was a big, big proponent for when I was running Ring of Honor. I think the sky is the limit as far as his talent; we only had one match in Ring of Honor during our time there together so it would be great now to see how he’s progressed and to mix it up with him. And then one of my favorite opponents ever was Brent Albright. He kind of took some time away from the business and he’s kind of now been dipping his toes in the water and it would be great to have one more with him. So, I’d put those up on the top of the list."

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