Colt Cabana on What He Appreciates About AEW, The Company Bringing an Indy Mindset to a Corporate Level

Colt Cabana was on the AEW Unrestricted podcast and discussed why he chose to sign with the company, as well as what he appreciates about it. Cabana initially appeared in the Casino Battle Royal at All In before AEW was a thing, and ultimately signed on in February of this year and made an appearance at AEW Revolution.

Talking with Aubrey Edwards and Tony Schiavone, Cabana talked about how the company has the mindset of an independent company while still maintaining a corporate level. You can check out the highlights and audio below:

On what what he loves about AEW: “I was part of this, kind of movement very early. And you know, I don’t know what exactly who thinks of what AEW is. But the way I see it is, essentially when Matt, and Nick, and Kenny, and Hangman, and Cody and everyone kind of like, started tapping into the potential of underground wrestling and the underground fan who was just sick of what was put on television for so long, and it was our only option. And so, the idea of tapping into this fan that wanted something different is something that I have believed in for so long now, just because I never really thought I would get to a higher, higher, higher stage in my career.

“But I loved wrestling and I always had this crazy entrepreneurial spirit in my veins. And I wanted to be a pro wrestler, and I achieved the idea of being a pro wrestler. But not like a rich pro wrestler, like a real struggling artist. And for long, I always championed those days of the independent wrestler and the independent thought. Kind of doing the thing that makes you happy and doing the thing that makes wrestling fans happy, and not under some kind of crazy structure. And I really believe that it’s all molded into AEW through those guys, and a lot of the EVPs. And obviously Tony [Khan] giving the platform, allowing it and taking a risk and a gamble. That’s just what I think, this idea of ‘Let’s do wrestling the way we think we should do wrestling and not the way somebody else should do wrestling.'”

On AEW carrying a independent feel at a corporate level: “It’s weird, right? Because the ideas are a lot of underground thought, but the reality is it’s on Turner Broadcasting and it’s, there’s a lot going behind it. So you know, a lot of people, they play it so safe. And AEW does play it safe to a degree because you have to in some manners. But when there’s all this money and all this corporate stuff, you just don’t want to make anybody mad. But AEW seems to really still have that heart and spirit of like, ‘Let’s just do whatever’s fun and cool.’ You talk about the idea of Best Friends coming down in Trent’s mom’s van. And you know, anywhere else in the back of the locker room, everyone’s going, ‘That’s the greatest idea ever. Let’s do that.’ And then it gets to a point, and it gets thrown away, and you’re like, ‘Come on, for real though. What are we doing?’And the idea in AEW not only was it like said in a locker room once, it was then brought up the chain and everyone was like, ‘The best! That’s the best.’ And so I think that really — I think Sue Beretta really demonstrates the ideals of AEW.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit AEW Unrestricted with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.