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WF: We are pleased that ’’The International
Star’’ Kage has taken time for Wrestlingfever.de. We hope you are fine?
Kage: Thank you so much for this
opportunity. I’m very excited for the
opportunity to talk with you. I’m doing
very well. I’ve been staying very busy
with wrestling, booking shows for 3DW Wrestling, and my studies in college, but
I love staying busy and I welcome the challenges.
WF: You have been active since 2001, now 34 years old and having traveled to
several countries, tell us a little about your beginnings. How did you get into
wrestling? Where did you start?
Kage: I got into wrestling after going
to an independent show in Elmira NY and talking with the promoter about
attending his school. At that time
though I decided I wasn’t quite ready, and then 5 years later I said it’s now
or never so I contacted him again and the rest is history. I started training
with the United States Wrestling Federation based in Buffalo NY in August of
2000. While still training I started
doing shows as a manger to get the feel for being in front of a live
crowd. I was working with New Millennium
Wrestling, Superstars of Wrestling and Buffalo Championship Wrestling. At first I was very nervous in front of a
live crowd and looked more like a robot.
But as the years have gone on, I’ve become more relaxed and just let my
personality shine when I’m in front of a crowd…It’s so much fun once you loosen
up and interact with the fans.
WF: Who were your coaches?
Kage: My trainers were T.C Reynolds who trained in the same class as The
Franchise Shane Douglas and Mick Foley. Chris Maxon (Big Poppa Chill) a 17 year
veteran, who I have had the pleasure to travel the road with and work with many
times. Rob Cook (IB Green) who is a 12
year veteran and is my brother in this business. We have been up and down road so many times
together, and have had so many classic battles inside steel cages and in other
matches. I trust him with my life. Throughout my career I’ve had the honor of
training with such stars as Kenta, Mike Dibiase, Ted Dibiase, Dr. Tom
Pritchard, and Jim Cornette among some others.
The one big thing that has helped me over the years is my ability to
always learn from those I work with and those I work shows with. I think that has allowed me to evolve as the
years have gone by.
WF: Baby Beefcake, Rik Lesnar, Egak, Dino Szili, Kage ... you used many
different names and gimmicks, what can you tell us about them?
Kage: I have had some more names but
these are some of the more interesting. The Baby Beefcake name was given by a promoter in the Upstate NY area
who took one look at me at 6’1 300lbs at that time and said you look like Baby
Beefcake. Stars and Stripes Championship
Wrestling brought me in for a show and the promoter thought I resembled Brock
Lesnar and wanted me to do a gimmick with me that said I was Brock’s
brother. With the EGAK name it was given
to me by Johnny Graham and Tiffani Monroe with PWE. A year prior I had lost a Loser Leaves PWE
match to Former ECW Star Glen Osbourne.
But Glen felt he needed to use a steel chain to finally take me out to
get the win. So a year later, to bring
me back, PWE put me under a mask and called me EGAK, which is Kage spelled
backwards. I did my match, then during
the Glen Osbourne match I came out and stood toe to toe with him and while a
look of confusion came across his face, I lifted the mask off and the crowd
went crazy. Dino Szili was play off the
Italian side of me and I was basically some kind of Italian bully. That was for AWWL in Michigan. And Kage was basically a name I picked that a
friend of mine gave me after we were sitting and pondering what should I call
myself. So that name stuck with me the
most through the years.
WF: You're stuck with ''The International Star Kage” now, who came up with the
idea of that gimmick and how would you describe Kage?
Kage: After completing tours of
Germany, Denmark, Canada and the United States I felt it was time to add a
little something to the name Kage and so I went with the International
Star. Kage isn’t flashy but he is
intense and very motivated to the best he can be in this industry. Sometimes the best gimmick comes just being
you, not reinventing the wheel so to speak. So with me, the fans get to see a well built guy who spends 4 hours a
day in the gym training, and who watches his diet come to ring and deliver the
most intense match possible leaving the fans on the edge of their seats every
time. The one big thing most people notice
first is that I have the LOOK of a wrestler which is really important today.
WF: You faced countless legends in the past. For example you had a tag match
against King Kong Bundy in 2006. What are your memories of this match? How was
the person King Kong Bundy?
Kage: I have had the pleasure of
working King Kong Bundy in singles and tag matches. But in this match it was, Former ECW Star
Glen Osbourne and myself, taking on King Kong Bundy and Chris Steele in what
was a very intense battle. The fans really
got behind Bundy and Steele and even though we feel short in the match we got
our revenge at the end…After we conducted our interview after the match, the
guy that interviewed us said we were so intense that it was like interviewing
the Legion of Doom…A very high compliment.
WF: You're going to take on other legends
such as the Axl Rotten and Justin Credible this year. In the states you had so
many matches against the legends, has it become routine for you ... are you
still nervous ... or do you just feel honored that you got the chance to step
into the ring with them?
Kage: Without question I always feel
honored to step in the ring with those who paved the way for me. I have also had the pleasure of becoming
friends with many of the legends over the years. I don’t really get nervous but I always feel
anytime I step in the ring with a legend that I need to step up my game.
WF: Optical you fit the image of a ''WWE Superstar. You had several try-out
matches. We have already seen you on television at WWE, which is not known by
many fans. How did that come about? How did you get in contact with WWE? Who
were your opponents at your try-out matches and who were your opponents on TV?
Kage: I had been trying to get bookings
with WWE but was told by Dr. Tom Pritchard and then Tommy Dreamer that I needed
to trim down before they would consider using me on their shows. So I trained extra hard and dieted as well
going from 300lbs to 245lbs. I presently
go between 238lbs and 245lbs lean on a 6’2 frame. After staying in contact with the talent
office and sending video footage for what seemed like years, Tommy Dreamer
finally saw something that he though WWE could work with and on July 26th
2005 I made my Smackdown TV debut teaming with Former ECW Star Chris Hamrick vs
the newly crowned World tag Team Champions The Legion of Doom. Two days prior they had won the belts at the
Great American Bash. I got to work out
in the ring with John Heidenreich and Big Vito before the show. I was also booked for the New Year’s
Revolution PPV in Albany NY in January 2006.
At the last minute they pulled the angle I was going to be used in, but
it was a great experience to be booked on a WWE Pay Per View.
WF: What was it like for you to be as ''No Name'' at WWE? What are your
impressions?
Kage: It was quite surreal. I mean you grow watching the Undertaker,
Triple H, and all of the WWE Stars and now you get the opportunity to work with
them and to learn from them. It’s a
humbling and exciting opportunity and I’m glad I had the chances. Hopefully there will be another chance in the
future for me to showcase my talents for the WWE.
WF: You had a try-out weekend for TNA including Robbie E who was signed with
TNA after that. How did it happen, what are your TNA impressions?
Kage: Like getting a shot at WWE, it was
an honor to get a tryout in front of TNA Talent Agent Terry Taylor. I got word of the tryout by my friend Tom
Brandi who helped set everything up. I
think TNA could have taken a look at a few more guys than they did. I think it came down to a game of politics
and with Robbie E, he just happened to fit the bill with the whole Jersey Shore
angle. But of course I’m very happy for
him, he is one hell of a talent.
WF: When you compare WWE and TNA, are there
any big differences? What makes WWE better than TNA and vice versa?
Kage: There is no question that the WWE
is the big dog of the yard. They have a
more professionally run company, and things are done to build and make sense
and to further storylines for the future, while TNA seems to struggle to book
good matches and angles while recycling old angles and even older talent that
the fans don’t care to see which is evident by the ratings. WWE is going through what you would call a
rebuilding phase so to speak after losing some top stars and now find
themselves developing younger talent that will be the future of the company for
years to come. But through it all, WWE
knows how to market new talent and to get the fans to buy into them. There are so many wrestlers out there that
could help TNA, but they seem to drop the ball in talent scouting and
development. That’s where WWE is smart,
they keep their eyes and ears open to the indies to get the best of the best.
WF: What is the situation currently, are you still in contact with WWE or
possibly TNA? Is it possible to see you soon in one of these leagues?
Kage: I have been in contact off and on
with both within the past year. In this
business, you never say never, but if I had to pick one where I could see
myself showing up first, I would say WWE…And I would welcome that opportunity
with open arms.
WF: You were in Germany three times and belong to the regular roster of Pro
Wrestling Fighters. How did you get in contact with PWF? What are your current
impressions of Germany, the german fans and especially the various promotions?
Kage: I remember back in 2008 receiving
an email from the owner of Pro Wrestling Fighters Marcel Mollen asking if I
would be interested in working with PWF and of course I couldn’t turn that
opportunity down. Through my career one
of my goals has been to wrestle overseas and this was my opportunity. I love coming over to Germany. I tell everyone it’s my home away from
home. Everyone treats me like family and
welcomes me with open arms. The fans are
the best in the world. They love good
solid wrestling. Old school wrestling. They want to be entertained and feel a part
of the show and not given spot fest matches that look like nothing more than
just glorified training sessions. The
promotions like Pro Wrestling Fighters, Dansk Pro Wrestling, and Nordic
Championship Wrestling are all run so professional with rosters that are solid
from match 1 to the Main Event. Shows
are run so well and the promotion of events is second to none and shows with
the big crowds. It’s so nice to stay
after the shows and talk to fans and take pictures and sign autographs. Just a great honor to wrestle in front of the
German fans.
WF: When and where will we see Kage back in Germany again?
Kage: I was just in Germany March 3rd-6th
wrestling for Pro Wrestling Fighters and Nordic Championship Wrestling. I’m hoping to be back in either October or
November 2011 or possibly both months.
Still have to wait and see, but I’m hoping both months.
WF: What countries would you like to visit? Mexico? Japan? Many of your
colleagues rave from these countries ...
Kage: I would love to work in Japan,
England and Puerto Rico. But I’m also
looking at Poland and some other countries as well. That’s my biggest goal is to do even more
work overseas.
WF: Let's talk again about your WWE time. You were a part of the world’s
biggest promotions from 2005 - 2006. We assume you would sign there again and
if you had the choice – how would the gimmick of Charles Szili look like?
Kage: That’s hard to say because it all
depends on what they want and what kind of vision they would see me being a
part of. I think the one thing I could
say is that the character of Kage would be that of an intense hardworking
fighter looking to move up the ladder and compete for the top prize in the
business today, the WWE Championship.
WF: You certainly have idols or you are a fan today! Can you tell us why these
wrestlers are your idols or why and how they’ve inspired you?
Kage: Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and the
Undertaker are my biggest idols. I’ve
had the opportunity o work with all three of these legends and the one thing
that stands out is how they have stood the test of time and can still put on 5
star matches. They bring heart and
dedication and a will to compete that can’t be matched by anyone else. They have the “it” factor and that unique
ability to take things to new level on the biggest stage in the world on any
given night.
WF: Let's get to something else ... the internet and the smartmarks. What do
you think of so-called spoilers. You can already read planned storylines and
feuds sometimes weeks before they’re aired on television nowadays. Whoever is
to blame? The so-called insider or workers who take this information to the
outside? What consequences would you start?
Kage: The internet has been a killer to
the wrestling business. I can’t stand
all the spoilers. The blame falls on
those who go to the events and report the information on the internet. I’m not sure that this will ever change with
the internet being such an integral part of everyday life. Hopefully there can be a solution to this
issue at some point in the future. I
think this would help the business a lot.
When you take away the anticipation factor it affects the whole product
no matter how good it is.
WF: How do you feel about the very critical smartmarks? Do they damage the
business or are they indirectly right?
Kage: I don’t think smart marks
represent the greater fan base of the business.
And often I find their opinion is based on nothing substantial when
talking about other shows that they feel are less superior to the ones they
like. With everything in life, variety
is the key. When you can have your
heavyweight matches, tag team, cruiserweight and everything in between, you can
appeal to many different tastes that will keep the fans coming back to see what
will happen next.
WF: Let's assume you have offers from TNA and WWE, which promotion would appeal
to you and why?
Kage: WWE. They are the worldwide leader in sports
entertainment, with the greatest athletes in the world and the most
professional promotion on the planet.
They know how to market their stars and they have the ability to evolve
as a company so that they continue to be the dominating force in sports
entertainment. To work for a company
like that is what I think everyone aspires to do. Whether it’s in wrestling or in another
field.
WF: Kage, we thank you for the interview and wish you all the best for your
future! Stay healthy!
Kage: Thank you so much for this
opportunity to tell the world a little about myself. It was a pleasure and thank you for the well
wishes. I look forward to talking with
you again. Thank you.
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