Colt Cabana, who is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling, recently spoke with Chris Van Vliet on how he took a 50% pay cut when he left the independent scene and signed with the WWE in 2007.
Colt Cabana said:
“That’s just what it was.” “I remember my friend. . . who was in the same boat as me, maybe a year-and-a-half before, and he [said], “This is the sacrifice you have to make, because the potential is there. And the potential isn’t there on the indies.’ And what’s funny is, years later, when I came back and I started my own thing, it got to the point in the 2012 or 2013, or whatever, where I was making more money than some of the lower card, or even mid-card WWE guys. Which, was not a thing, I don’t think it ever was a thing. It’s crazy that I can sit there and say that."
“At that point in 2007 [and] 2006, there was a ceiling to independent wrestling and independent wrestling money, for most people. So, I took it and invested in myself. And I said, ‘If I’m going to become a millionaire. . . I guess WWE is the only way I can do it. So, I’ll dive in, move to Louisville, and let’s give it a shot.’”
Cabana then talked about when he felt things weren’t working out between him and the WWE.
Colt Cabana said:
“Oh, the first day.” “It wasn’t not working. I always knew I [wasn’t] a bigger and larger than life guy. I didn’t look like Ricky Ortiz, who was [in Ohio Valley Wrestling], I didn’t have Dolph Ziggler’s body, I didn’t look like Jake Hager. These were all people who were there with me in OVW. I didn’t look like Drew McIntyre. I always knew I had to sneak in as a bit player.”
Cabana then talked about his time in OVW.
Colt Cabana said:
“I [thought], ‘I’ll be in the system, I’ll be really good, I know I can get over in Louisville.’” “I had wrestled [in Louisville] for years in IWA. So, when I started in OVW the crowd knew who I was, so I was over right away. Me and Shawn Spears were the two times Tag Team Champions, I was a Television Champion. In that little system, I was over and I was good to go. But that doesn’t mean anything in the big-time system.”
You can check out Colt Cabana's comments in the video below:
