It’s difficult for anything to live up to the feeling he gets competing in the ring, but Colt Cabana is enjoying the work he does backstage in AEW.
A new episode of AEW Close Up premiered this week with Renee Paquette interviewing Cabana. During their conversation, Cabana discussed his backstage job as a producer, which gives him the opportunity to use the wrestling knowledge he’s built up over the years in a different role.
“I like it. I do like it. The performer in me will always want to perform, so there is a little bit of heartbreakness going on,” Cabana said. “But as a producer, I’m in the trenches. And I like being in the trenches. And I also — I feel I know wrestling. I was and am so immersed in it for so many years now. I like that that knowledge can be used. I like to use that knowledge.
“Some people like different things about producing, I really like when I’m talking to the [production] truck and it’s like I’m almost in the middle of the match. You hear it takes three people, the wrestlers and the referee, but I feel like the fourth person. I really enjoy it. I enjoy it.”
Cabana still competes on the indies but admitted that his in-ring career has probably started to wind down. Wrestling provides him a unique kind of joy, but Cabana loves performing in any capacity, whether that’s comedy, podcasts, or even his producer job.
The 45-year-old Cabana has had a well-traveled career as a comedy wrestler and starred for ROH both in the ring and on commentary. He’s now been with AEW for more than five years.