Post by Steve "Chuie" Johnson on Feb 3, 2015 21:58:57 GMT -5
Steve “Chuie” Johnson: Ladies and gentlemen, Chudes and Chudettes… My name is Steve “Chuie” Johnson and you have just tuned into The Chuie Channel!
“Are you ready for the best damn night of your life?!”
“Hell Yeah” by Rev Theory plays for thirty seconds before the music fades out.
Chuie: Now I hope y’all out there are doing alright, because I am doing Chunificently. And you should be doing more than alright, because you are checking out one of the finest podcasts on the internet. And you ought to be doing better than even that, because I had promised you that I had a big surprise today for all of the Chaotic Professional Wrestling fans tuning in and I know there’s a ton of you out there. Let’s be real, this podcast is pretty solid right now, but I’m never alright with just solid. I wanna stand out, so I got some help. That’s why I decided to bring you an exclusive interview straight to all of y’all.
Right here beside me, I have a CPW star that you might have heard of. He’s a very close and personal friend of mine, and the very first person I went to when I came up with this idea. This man is a huge star right now, a tremendous performer in the ring, and more importantly, he’s one hell of a guy. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the current Xtreme Chaos Champion himself, Kline Cambria! Yo Kline, say hey to everyone listening.
Kline Cambria: What's going on, everyone? It's good to finally be doing this.
Chuie: It sure is. I know wanted to do it sooner, but you’ve kind of had a lot going on lately, haven’t you?
Kline: Yeah, it's been pretty fun. I got to wrestle a few matches, live in Canada for a few months, get married...you know, normal stuff that isn't eventful in the slightest.
Chuie: (laughs) Yeah, yeah. Totally normal. I know I don’t got to say it again, but congratulations again on the marriage man. And to those of you not in the know, my boy Kline pretty recently got married to another CPW star, Steffi Miretti. And he’s surviving it pretty well so far, I think. Although I got to say man, I started to think it wasn’t going to happen. How long did you wait to get her on lockdown?
Kline: A lot longer than either one of us would've liked, that's for sure. (laughs) No, but seriously...I think a lot of people think that the two of us just decided to wait forever to get married for whatever crazy reason that they could come up with. I've heard some good ones over the years. But believe it or not, it's actually pretty tough to plan a good wedding when you're as busy as we are. Especially considering how, uh...popular...Steffi can be sometimes.
Chuie: Man, I know. A lot of people don’t get this, but when you’re in CPW, you got a lot going on. And when you’re one of the big guys like Kline and Steffi, you’re always doing something every day; you got constant appearances and obligations and anything else they ask you to do. It ain’t easy to get any personal time. But let’s hear it. Explain to the people what “uh… popular” means.
Kline: Sure. So, you've got what I guess is the obvious definition of popular. Fans love Steffi, so the company constantly wants her to make media appearances and things like that. It's nothing too crazy and you can generally take time off if you give the company enough notice. They just...don't tend to be too thrilled when one of their biggest stars wants to take over a week off from all of their obligations.
But, there's also the fact that so many people love messing with Steffi. She was such a big target for the longest time. So when you've got someone like Demona, for example, trying to carve Steffi's face with a spike...it makes it tough to plan a wedding. Who wants to be a bloody, bandaged mess for their wedding pictures? I know Steffi didn't. So that's why I always found it hilarious when people would, in one breath, make comments about how we weren't married yet to try and insult the two of us...and then in the next, threaten to try and end one of our careers. Like they didn't realize they were part of the problem.
Chuie: (laughs) Yeah, when I’ve ever mentioned wrestling on this podcast, I’ve always said that everybody in wrestling is an asshole. And I mean everybody. I think you got to be a little bit of an asshole to be in this business. I mean, you were an asshole, Steffi was an asshole, even freaking Joe Summers was an asshole once upon a time. And I was an asshole for a while too—but I think some of the fans would argue I was always some degree of asshole at all times of my career though. (laughs)
Kline: Yeah, I'd say most of us have had our share of problems over the years. Though, I'm curious. Have you run that 'everyone is an asshole' theory by Vicky yet? I'm not sure she'd agree with you.
Chuie: (laughs) Alright, alright. So we got one out of a hundred that ain’t an asshole. And please don’t tell her I sort of called her an asshole, because I don’t need to be in that dog house right now. But my point stands: we got assholes galore in wrestling. And since we’re on the subject, that’s why I wanted to interview you in the first place. Because I know your story but a lot of people really don’t, and I want them to because I think it’s legitimately interesting. So I kinda wanted to start back before you were Kline Cambria, wrestling superstar. Would you say that you were kind of an asshole before that?
Kline: Getting right to the fun part, huh? I probably shouldn't have expected any less from you. (laughs)
Chuie: Hey man, I told you I wasn’t going to hold back on questions.
Kline: But I guess it depends on how far back we're going. Because unlike a lot of people who have gone down the road that I did, I wasn't really a problem child when I was in high school or anything like that. I went to class, got good grades...you know, all the stuff that we tell kids we need to do. My problem was never that I messed up in school. Hell, my problem wasn't that I didn't have any ambition either. I had a plan in life, I knew what I wanted to do. It just...didn't happen.
Chuie: I think we all had plans like that. I was supposed to be in the NFL by now myself. What was your plan though?
Kline: I wanted to be a doctor. Which tends to surprise a lot of people for some reason. I dunno. But, it was something that I'd really looked into, and something that I'd been set on for years. So, the only thing that I really had to do was make it happen. But, unfortunately, I didn't have parental support or anything like that. My parents were business people that went down a...questionable path to make their wealth, and they were dealing with that at the time. My brother Adrian had just recently gone to rehab for what I think was the first time. My personal life was a bit of a mess, and the last thing on my mind was my education.
So, the question that I had to deal with was...what do I do? I had convinced myself that school wasn't a viable option, though I gave it a bit of a shot. I wasn't content with taking some minimum wage job and getting in that rut. That doesn't really leave too many options for someone that was as young as I was. But, one of my dad's, uh, 'business partners' came up to me one day with an offer to do a few odd jobs for him. And unfortunately, I was too young to know any better.
Chuie: What kind of odd jobs are we talking now?
Kline: He left it pretty vague when he explained it to me. But, you know, when you're young and you need money, you...ignore things like that. I figured I'd be a glorified intern or whatever. In reality, the guy basically made a living ripping people off. That's the simplest way I can think of putting it. He was involved in pyramid schemes, and he tried to get me involved with them. He had me work as a bit of an enforcer at times since I'm obviously not a small guy and I was dumb enough to go along with it. I sat in on, uh...negotiations with some legit investors that he had no intention of helping out. Stuff like that. He was just a pretty bad guy in general.
Chuie: Now, I never knew that much. I think myself and a lot of other people just assumed you just started off thinking that you had a knack for tricking people and getting what you want from them, so you just became a con artist. You know, like a prodigy in the movies and TV. So it’s pretty interesting to hear that before all of the con artist, you had a history of some bad influences in your life.
Kline: See, the problem is...I was good at it. If I wasn't good at it, it probably would've lasted a few weeks and that's it. But, it just kept on happening, and I got better at it. I'm not proud of the fact that it's something I was good at, but, I was. So, not only did I start going down a dangerous road, but...I was practically sprinting down that road, you know? It didn't seem like anything was gonna stop me.
Chuie: Man, I know you’re good at it. You somehow managed to con people into thinking you’re actually an interesting wrestler. (laughs) But what’s the kind of thing you used to do? Run me down like, I dunno, an average con for you. Do you even call them cons or…?
Kline: You don't really call them anything. It's hard to explain. I guess the simplest way that I could think of putting it is...you'd find someone that was either looking to invest in some sort of business idea, or you'd basically promise people that you'd make their ideas a reality. A lot of stuff like that. I wasn't really involved on the back end of things, so I couldn't really tell you about what happened after that. I don't know, and I never really cared to know, either, to be completely honest with you.
Chuie: Nah, that’s fair man. So then you’re doing this for a long while. You’re making damn good money, I’m guessing. You’re having a pretty good time with it too, right? So what happened? Why’d you stop?
Kline: Well, first, I think should clarify that I wasn't really having all that great of a time doing it. Most people don't really enjoy being terrible, you know? (laughs)
Chuie: (laughs) My bad.
Kline: But, I basically got out of it because I started wrestling. The two go hand in hand. Like I said, I wasn't really involved on the back end, so...I can't talk about specifics since I don't know them. But I'm pretty sure the guy my dad worked with...knew someone that was involved with CPW at the time, and he wanted me around him because he was worried that things were gonna fall apart. So, you know, I go through the whole hiring process that we've both enjoyed at one point or another, fully expecting to hate it because wrestling's a lot of work and I wasn't exactly thrilled with those rare moments where I was called upon to be an enforcer of sorts. I'm thinking it's gonna be the worst thing that's ever happened to me. And then it wasn't. Because...here I am.
Chuie: That’s one hell of a way to get into the industry. I don’t know if it was better than being brought in by an obnoxious little Chinese dude or not though… Now how did you get trained? Were you kind of just thrown into it like I was or did they at least try to make sure that you could play the part before they forced you into it?
Kline: Not a ton of training, but I might've had more than you. I already had much more experience brawling than I'd care to admit, and I'd been lifting for years, so...I had the size and the strength to maybe do something. I basically got told the basics and thrown out there, but...it makes sense when you think about it. I wasn't really there to be a champion or anything. So, who really cared if I was good or not? I ended up doing a lot of learning on the job.
Chuie: Yeah, and it’s surprising how much you learn when you just have to go out there and do it. Or you just watch other people do it knowing that you got to do it too. You just pick stuff up. So how did you break it to the guy you were working for that you wanted out? Did it become some kind of scene from a movie where you say “I want out,” and you’re informed the only way out is that when they say you’re out and then the fight scene happens and you run, or was it a bit less dramatic than that?
Kline: A lot less dramatic than that. Sorry to break it to you and anyone listening. (laughs) I think whatever he was trying to do fell apart in the end, and...I was successful. My first match was a tag-match with Steffi where the two of us beat the Golden Stars. So it wasn't like I was just gonna...disappear, you know? I was here to stay. And I think it was a lot easier for everyone involved to just...leave me be until the wrestling thing fell apart. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
Chuie: You know, I totally forgot your first match was you teaming with Steffi. Now I think I popped around maybe a little bit before or a little bit after, but I had been following CPW casually, you know? But when I first saw you two, my immediate reaction was “Man, these two are such freaking jackasses.” Because let’s be honest—back then, Steffi sucked. And back then, you weren’t too great either. You were big though, and big guys like us can make at least some kind of splash. But I just remember people really not liking you two at all, and not really giving you both much credit despite actually having a bit of success.
Kline: Yeah. Steffi had just broken up with Jan a bit before that, and the thing is...people joke about it now, but back then, she really was nothing but a cheerleader. But, she was convinced she could be more than that. So, you know...when you're young and have a bit of an ego, whether you deserve it or not...you tend to annoy people. It probably didn't help matters any that after spending the past few years making a living by being a terrible person in general, I wasn't the nicest guy in the world, either. So, you basically had two people that just...rubbed people the wrong way using each other to try and get famous. It's hard to blame people for not being too thrilled with us at first.
Chuie: Oh, for sure. Now can you explain what was going on with you and Steffi at that time? Because it’s been years since then, and all I can really think of to remember it is that it was just… weird. Like, I got bits and pieces, but only enough to just say your deal with her was… weird.
Kline: Well, it was basically what I just said. I saw someone that was easily manipulated, and she saw someone that could cover for a few of her weaknesses and help make her famous. It was a mutually beneficial relationship for both of us--just not in the way that most people would think.
Chuie: (laughs) Nah, come on man. You and I both know there was a lot more than that going on. Ain’t this around the time that you both started with your relationship? Because I remember some sexual tension there, some extremely awkward moments, and thinking “This might be cute if they weren’t a pair of douchebags.”
Kline: We became friends, yeah. But...Steffi and I didn't really start dating until a good year or two after we started teaming together. I mean, there was some tension, I'm sure. But no 'serious' relationship until 2006.
Chuie: Man, what the hell took you? (laughs) But at some point, you and Steffi just kind of stopped teaming up after you both improved a lot and had some great success, right?
Kline: Yeah. We did the team thing for a while, and we were obviously pretty good at it. Both of us started to come into our own as wrestlers. Steffi ended up improving a lot quicker than I did, which makes sense because she's just so good at wrestling. But, between that and the fans taking a liking to her...we both figured there was no harm in seeing what she could do on her own. At best, she'd become the star that she is today, and at worst...we'd just team again. Not like we had anything to lose in seeing how we'd do on our own.
Chuie: What was crazy was just how much bigger Steffi got than you did. I mean, no offense, you were still damn solid, but she blew up and a lot of people started to think that you might not amount to a whole hell of a lot at first because you weren’t seeing the same success that she was.
Kline: Well, she's the best wrestler in the world for a reason. (laughs) But, yeah. She was an absolute star from the beginning. She connected with the fans, which gave her opportunities, which...she obviously ended up making the most of. It was a bit slower with me. I had the success, which a lot of people tend to forget. I've held almost every championship that CPW has to offer. I just didn't have the presence that she did, I wasn't quite as good at wrestling as she was, and...I didn't have the friends that she did, either. People like Axl and Duke Jupiter became good friends with Steffi, and they were willing to help her out. I didn't really have that.
Chuie: But you know what was even more crazy was the perception people had of you for not being as successful as Steffi was just that you didn’t care enough. Like, everyone would say that you just don’t really seem like you were driven—apathetic, is what I think people called you. Myself included, once or twice, which if I remember right didn’t exactly go over well. (laughs) Like, how was that making you feel exactly? And how did you deal with that?
Kline: Well, people are gonna think whatever they want, you know? All you can do is work your ass off and try to prove them wrong. I didn't change anything about my approach to make people look at me differently. I just kept making the most of my opportunities. You win enough matches, and people start to pay attention. It's pretty simple. I just had to keep on trying until people opened their eyes and realized that I was actually a good wrestler. Took a little longer than I would've liked, but...it worked out in the end, didn't it?
Chuie: I think people really did start coming around. I mean, you had an Air Raid Championship run and you won the Brutal Havok Championship a few times too. I remember that it was around that time that people actually started to really come around on you when you had that really successful time with that belt. People started to respect you because holding that Brutal Havok Championship just sucks. I had it once, and I was almost resentful of it because all of those matches were just hell. I know you went through a lot of freaking wars over that thing too.
Kline: Yeah. That was when Hyde came back and decided to have some fun with me. No one really knew why or anything like that. But, the two of us pretty much went to war with each other, and the Brutal Havok Championship was in the middle. When I won that and beat him in that Last Man Standing match a few years ago, people really started to pay attention, I think. That's why people started to think that it might be my time.
Fast-forward a few months later, and I'm the Devastation Champion, too. I have my run with that. There's an actual, like...groundswell that thinks I might be able to become the Xtreme Chaos Champion. It was new, to say the least. Definitely wasn't used to it. But, I just kept trying, and doing what I had been doing. And...it all worked out.
Chuie: You had some good times with the Devastation Championship too, but then you had what I think is your real breakthrough moment last year when you won the King of Chaos tournament. Because once you get that, you usually ride that to the top with the Xtreme Chaos Championship. What were you thinking when you won the King of Chaos anyway? Did you think now that “Hey, this is when I get my time at the top” or anything like that?
Kline: Yeah, pretty much. I know that sounds pretty simple, but...winning the tournament guarantees you a shot at the championship. At that point, it doesn't really matter if you win or lose. You give a good enough performance when you're competing for the Xtreme Chaos Championship, and people pay attention. I was fortunate enough to win it my first time, but, it's really just about getting your name out there and letting people know what you can do. You need to show the world that you've got what it takes to be one of the best.
Chuie: And what I liked was that everyone was on board at that point. Because you worked hard, paid your dues, and you were there when you were good and ready. Like, there was nothing that anybody could say because you worked your way up, while a lot of people nowadays just seem like they want it right now without having to do the climb to get to the top like you did. Kline Cambria did it, and he made sure that nobody could say anything about it, you know? And so far you’ve had a really successful run, haven’t you?
Kline: Outside of a little bump in the road against Disturbed for a while, yeah, it's been great. And even then, the fact that I survived Disturbed is a pretty big deal. Have you seen what he's done to the Slade family these past few months? The man's a monster. And I know some people have said that he didn't care about me the way that he cares about them, but, I dunno. I was actually in the ring with the guy. I was the one who was actually dealing with him. Believe me, he would've been perfectly content to end my career the same way that he'd be perfectly content to end theirs. You don't go through what we did if you just want to beat somebody.
Other than that, though...it's been great. And I have the feeling it'll continue to be great, too. I assume I've got Giovanni Vitali coming up eventually. That should be a lot of fun. Not too much to say on that right now, but don't worry...I'm sure you'll be hearing plenty from the two of us in the coming weeks. That's how these things usually go.
Chuie: Man, I remember those battles with Disturbed, but it seems like Giovanni Vitali is a whole different animal. He ain’t going to beat you down and try to end you or anything, but he wants to win. And sure, he was around before and trolled around with the Elimination Championship, but it seems like he’s… I dunno, got a lot more going for him this time. Like he’s got a whole master plan set up or something.
But here’s the thing Kline, and you’re one of my best friends so don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but there are a lot of people out there who think that Gio’s got your number. He’s managed to rock your world when it counts, and even when you tried to call him out recently, it ended with you getting beaten down. So I can’t let you leave here until I get something from you about him, because you and I both know there’s a lot more to say about that. What’s your mind set going up against Vitali right now?
Kline: I'm not worried at all, Chuie. I'm really not. And that's not arrogance speaking or anything like that, either. I have nothing but respect for what Gio's capable of. The man is a fantastic wrestler, and like you said...he's definitely thought things through. But that doesn't scare me. I don't know when he plans on having this match or anything like that, but…I'm gonna be ready for him. I know I am. And that's all there is to it.
Chuie: Alright, alright. I can respect that. Then I guess I got one last question for you man. What is your favorite match that you’ve had?
Kline: Wow. Tough question. I'm sure I'm skipping something, but, the obvious answer is the main event of last year's Super Brawl against Denni. That was the match that defined my career, you know?
But if people want two underrated options, there's my Last Man Standing match with Hyde back at Super Brawl IX, which was an important match to me in a few different ways. And then, to go way back in time...Seek and Destroy 2005. That's when Steffi and I beat Kannon and Clipper for the Dual Pandemonium Championships. Might not be the most fun match in the world to watch now, but, if you were paying attention back then...you know how good of a team those two were. So, for the two of us to find a way to beat them for the championships...it was awesome.
Chuie: All very good choices, my man. So that about wraps it up for me, so I can let you go. As I said before Kline, you’re a great guy and a great wrestler, and I hope that after listening to this that a lot of people know a little bit more about you and you journey to the top. Because if anyone deserves to be wearing that Xtreme Chaos Championship right now, it’s certainly you.
Kline: I really appreciate it, man. Thanks for having me. And thanks to everyone who bothered to take some time out of their day to listen to me, too.
Chuie: And thanks for doing this for me. I know the fans are going to love it. And who knows, maybe I’ll bring you back on sometime. Like after the Jets win the Superbowl or pigs fly or something.
Kline: I'm sure one of those things will eventually happen. Maybe.
Chuie: (laughs) Yeah, yeah. Thanks again Kline.
“Hell Yeah” by Rev Theory fades in for about ten seconds before fading out again.
Chuie: And there you have it: the exclusive interview with Kline Cambria that you can only get right here on The Chuie Channel. Kline is a cool, cool guy and I have nothing but good things to say about him. And I hope that you all really liked it too, because I did it for all of y’all. Chudes and Chudettes, let me know what you thought about this interview. What did you like? What did you not like? Do you like Kline more after it? Do you now hate him after it? Do you hate me after it? Whatever you want to say about it, let me know. Shoot me a Tweet @realchuie and talk to me. And if you want to see more of these interviews, I can pull some strings with Chaotic Professional Wrestling and see who else I can get to be on the show! I’ll try my damnedest to get whoever you want on here.
Again, I hope you all enjoyed it and remember to tune in again. I’ll see y’all next time on The Chuie Channel. Peace!
Rev Theory’s “Hell Yeah” plays out the rest of the show.
“Are you ready for the best damn night of your life?!”
“Hell Yeah” by Rev Theory plays for thirty seconds before the music fades out.
Chuie: Now I hope y’all out there are doing alright, because I am doing Chunificently. And you should be doing more than alright, because you are checking out one of the finest podcasts on the internet. And you ought to be doing better than even that, because I had promised you that I had a big surprise today for all of the Chaotic Professional Wrestling fans tuning in and I know there’s a ton of you out there. Let’s be real, this podcast is pretty solid right now, but I’m never alright with just solid. I wanna stand out, so I got some help. That’s why I decided to bring you an exclusive interview straight to all of y’all.
Right here beside me, I have a CPW star that you might have heard of. He’s a very close and personal friend of mine, and the very first person I went to when I came up with this idea. This man is a huge star right now, a tremendous performer in the ring, and more importantly, he’s one hell of a guy. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the current Xtreme Chaos Champion himself, Kline Cambria! Yo Kline, say hey to everyone listening.
Kline Cambria: What's going on, everyone? It's good to finally be doing this.
Chuie: It sure is. I know wanted to do it sooner, but you’ve kind of had a lot going on lately, haven’t you?
Kline: Yeah, it's been pretty fun. I got to wrestle a few matches, live in Canada for a few months, get married...you know, normal stuff that isn't eventful in the slightest.
Chuie: (laughs) Yeah, yeah. Totally normal. I know I don’t got to say it again, but congratulations again on the marriage man. And to those of you not in the know, my boy Kline pretty recently got married to another CPW star, Steffi Miretti. And he’s surviving it pretty well so far, I think. Although I got to say man, I started to think it wasn’t going to happen. How long did you wait to get her on lockdown?
Kline: A lot longer than either one of us would've liked, that's for sure. (laughs) No, but seriously...I think a lot of people think that the two of us just decided to wait forever to get married for whatever crazy reason that they could come up with. I've heard some good ones over the years. But believe it or not, it's actually pretty tough to plan a good wedding when you're as busy as we are. Especially considering how, uh...popular...Steffi can be sometimes.
Chuie: Man, I know. A lot of people don’t get this, but when you’re in CPW, you got a lot going on. And when you’re one of the big guys like Kline and Steffi, you’re always doing something every day; you got constant appearances and obligations and anything else they ask you to do. It ain’t easy to get any personal time. But let’s hear it. Explain to the people what “uh… popular” means.
Kline: Sure. So, you've got what I guess is the obvious definition of popular. Fans love Steffi, so the company constantly wants her to make media appearances and things like that. It's nothing too crazy and you can generally take time off if you give the company enough notice. They just...don't tend to be too thrilled when one of their biggest stars wants to take over a week off from all of their obligations.
But, there's also the fact that so many people love messing with Steffi. She was such a big target for the longest time. So when you've got someone like Demona, for example, trying to carve Steffi's face with a spike...it makes it tough to plan a wedding. Who wants to be a bloody, bandaged mess for their wedding pictures? I know Steffi didn't. So that's why I always found it hilarious when people would, in one breath, make comments about how we weren't married yet to try and insult the two of us...and then in the next, threaten to try and end one of our careers. Like they didn't realize they were part of the problem.
Chuie: (laughs) Yeah, when I’ve ever mentioned wrestling on this podcast, I’ve always said that everybody in wrestling is an asshole. And I mean everybody. I think you got to be a little bit of an asshole to be in this business. I mean, you were an asshole, Steffi was an asshole, even freaking Joe Summers was an asshole once upon a time. And I was an asshole for a while too—but I think some of the fans would argue I was always some degree of asshole at all times of my career though. (laughs)
Kline: Yeah, I'd say most of us have had our share of problems over the years. Though, I'm curious. Have you run that 'everyone is an asshole' theory by Vicky yet? I'm not sure she'd agree with you.
Chuie: (laughs) Alright, alright. So we got one out of a hundred that ain’t an asshole. And please don’t tell her I sort of called her an asshole, because I don’t need to be in that dog house right now. But my point stands: we got assholes galore in wrestling. And since we’re on the subject, that’s why I wanted to interview you in the first place. Because I know your story but a lot of people really don’t, and I want them to because I think it’s legitimately interesting. So I kinda wanted to start back before you were Kline Cambria, wrestling superstar. Would you say that you were kind of an asshole before that?
Kline: Getting right to the fun part, huh? I probably shouldn't have expected any less from you. (laughs)
Chuie: Hey man, I told you I wasn’t going to hold back on questions.
Kline: But I guess it depends on how far back we're going. Because unlike a lot of people who have gone down the road that I did, I wasn't really a problem child when I was in high school or anything like that. I went to class, got good grades...you know, all the stuff that we tell kids we need to do. My problem was never that I messed up in school. Hell, my problem wasn't that I didn't have any ambition either. I had a plan in life, I knew what I wanted to do. It just...didn't happen.
Chuie: I think we all had plans like that. I was supposed to be in the NFL by now myself. What was your plan though?
Kline: I wanted to be a doctor. Which tends to surprise a lot of people for some reason. I dunno. But, it was something that I'd really looked into, and something that I'd been set on for years. So, the only thing that I really had to do was make it happen. But, unfortunately, I didn't have parental support or anything like that. My parents were business people that went down a...questionable path to make their wealth, and they were dealing with that at the time. My brother Adrian had just recently gone to rehab for what I think was the first time. My personal life was a bit of a mess, and the last thing on my mind was my education.
So, the question that I had to deal with was...what do I do? I had convinced myself that school wasn't a viable option, though I gave it a bit of a shot. I wasn't content with taking some minimum wage job and getting in that rut. That doesn't really leave too many options for someone that was as young as I was. But, one of my dad's, uh, 'business partners' came up to me one day with an offer to do a few odd jobs for him. And unfortunately, I was too young to know any better.
Chuie: What kind of odd jobs are we talking now?
Kline: He left it pretty vague when he explained it to me. But, you know, when you're young and you need money, you...ignore things like that. I figured I'd be a glorified intern or whatever. In reality, the guy basically made a living ripping people off. That's the simplest way I can think of putting it. He was involved in pyramid schemes, and he tried to get me involved with them. He had me work as a bit of an enforcer at times since I'm obviously not a small guy and I was dumb enough to go along with it. I sat in on, uh...negotiations with some legit investors that he had no intention of helping out. Stuff like that. He was just a pretty bad guy in general.
Chuie: Now, I never knew that much. I think myself and a lot of other people just assumed you just started off thinking that you had a knack for tricking people and getting what you want from them, so you just became a con artist. You know, like a prodigy in the movies and TV. So it’s pretty interesting to hear that before all of the con artist, you had a history of some bad influences in your life.
Kline: See, the problem is...I was good at it. If I wasn't good at it, it probably would've lasted a few weeks and that's it. But, it just kept on happening, and I got better at it. I'm not proud of the fact that it's something I was good at, but, I was. So, not only did I start going down a dangerous road, but...I was practically sprinting down that road, you know? It didn't seem like anything was gonna stop me.
Chuie: Man, I know you’re good at it. You somehow managed to con people into thinking you’re actually an interesting wrestler. (laughs) But what’s the kind of thing you used to do? Run me down like, I dunno, an average con for you. Do you even call them cons or…?
Kline: You don't really call them anything. It's hard to explain. I guess the simplest way that I could think of putting it is...you'd find someone that was either looking to invest in some sort of business idea, or you'd basically promise people that you'd make their ideas a reality. A lot of stuff like that. I wasn't really involved on the back end of things, so I couldn't really tell you about what happened after that. I don't know, and I never really cared to know, either, to be completely honest with you.
Chuie: Nah, that’s fair man. So then you’re doing this for a long while. You’re making damn good money, I’m guessing. You’re having a pretty good time with it too, right? So what happened? Why’d you stop?
Kline: Well, first, I think should clarify that I wasn't really having all that great of a time doing it. Most people don't really enjoy being terrible, you know? (laughs)
Chuie: (laughs) My bad.
Kline: But, I basically got out of it because I started wrestling. The two go hand in hand. Like I said, I wasn't really involved on the back end, so...I can't talk about specifics since I don't know them. But I'm pretty sure the guy my dad worked with...knew someone that was involved with CPW at the time, and he wanted me around him because he was worried that things were gonna fall apart. So, you know, I go through the whole hiring process that we've both enjoyed at one point or another, fully expecting to hate it because wrestling's a lot of work and I wasn't exactly thrilled with those rare moments where I was called upon to be an enforcer of sorts. I'm thinking it's gonna be the worst thing that's ever happened to me. And then it wasn't. Because...here I am.
Chuie: That’s one hell of a way to get into the industry. I don’t know if it was better than being brought in by an obnoxious little Chinese dude or not though… Now how did you get trained? Were you kind of just thrown into it like I was or did they at least try to make sure that you could play the part before they forced you into it?
Kline: Not a ton of training, but I might've had more than you. I already had much more experience brawling than I'd care to admit, and I'd been lifting for years, so...I had the size and the strength to maybe do something. I basically got told the basics and thrown out there, but...it makes sense when you think about it. I wasn't really there to be a champion or anything. So, who really cared if I was good or not? I ended up doing a lot of learning on the job.
Chuie: Yeah, and it’s surprising how much you learn when you just have to go out there and do it. Or you just watch other people do it knowing that you got to do it too. You just pick stuff up. So how did you break it to the guy you were working for that you wanted out? Did it become some kind of scene from a movie where you say “I want out,” and you’re informed the only way out is that when they say you’re out and then the fight scene happens and you run, or was it a bit less dramatic than that?
Kline: A lot less dramatic than that. Sorry to break it to you and anyone listening. (laughs) I think whatever he was trying to do fell apart in the end, and...I was successful. My first match was a tag-match with Steffi where the two of us beat the Golden Stars. So it wasn't like I was just gonna...disappear, you know? I was here to stay. And I think it was a lot easier for everyone involved to just...leave me be until the wrestling thing fell apart. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
Chuie: You know, I totally forgot your first match was you teaming with Steffi. Now I think I popped around maybe a little bit before or a little bit after, but I had been following CPW casually, you know? But when I first saw you two, my immediate reaction was “Man, these two are such freaking jackasses.” Because let’s be honest—back then, Steffi sucked. And back then, you weren’t too great either. You were big though, and big guys like us can make at least some kind of splash. But I just remember people really not liking you two at all, and not really giving you both much credit despite actually having a bit of success.
Kline: Yeah. Steffi had just broken up with Jan a bit before that, and the thing is...people joke about it now, but back then, she really was nothing but a cheerleader. But, she was convinced she could be more than that. So, you know...when you're young and have a bit of an ego, whether you deserve it or not...you tend to annoy people. It probably didn't help matters any that after spending the past few years making a living by being a terrible person in general, I wasn't the nicest guy in the world, either. So, you basically had two people that just...rubbed people the wrong way using each other to try and get famous. It's hard to blame people for not being too thrilled with us at first.
Chuie: Oh, for sure. Now can you explain what was going on with you and Steffi at that time? Because it’s been years since then, and all I can really think of to remember it is that it was just… weird. Like, I got bits and pieces, but only enough to just say your deal with her was… weird.
Kline: Well, it was basically what I just said. I saw someone that was easily manipulated, and she saw someone that could cover for a few of her weaknesses and help make her famous. It was a mutually beneficial relationship for both of us--just not in the way that most people would think.
Chuie: (laughs) Nah, come on man. You and I both know there was a lot more than that going on. Ain’t this around the time that you both started with your relationship? Because I remember some sexual tension there, some extremely awkward moments, and thinking “This might be cute if they weren’t a pair of douchebags.”
Kline: We became friends, yeah. But...Steffi and I didn't really start dating until a good year or two after we started teaming together. I mean, there was some tension, I'm sure. But no 'serious' relationship until 2006.
Chuie: Man, what the hell took you? (laughs) But at some point, you and Steffi just kind of stopped teaming up after you both improved a lot and had some great success, right?
Kline: Yeah. We did the team thing for a while, and we were obviously pretty good at it. Both of us started to come into our own as wrestlers. Steffi ended up improving a lot quicker than I did, which makes sense because she's just so good at wrestling. But, between that and the fans taking a liking to her...we both figured there was no harm in seeing what she could do on her own. At best, she'd become the star that she is today, and at worst...we'd just team again. Not like we had anything to lose in seeing how we'd do on our own.
Chuie: What was crazy was just how much bigger Steffi got than you did. I mean, no offense, you were still damn solid, but she blew up and a lot of people started to think that you might not amount to a whole hell of a lot at first because you weren’t seeing the same success that she was.
Kline: Well, she's the best wrestler in the world for a reason. (laughs) But, yeah. She was an absolute star from the beginning. She connected with the fans, which gave her opportunities, which...she obviously ended up making the most of. It was a bit slower with me. I had the success, which a lot of people tend to forget. I've held almost every championship that CPW has to offer. I just didn't have the presence that she did, I wasn't quite as good at wrestling as she was, and...I didn't have the friends that she did, either. People like Axl and Duke Jupiter became good friends with Steffi, and they were willing to help her out. I didn't really have that.
Chuie: But you know what was even more crazy was the perception people had of you for not being as successful as Steffi was just that you didn’t care enough. Like, everyone would say that you just don’t really seem like you were driven—apathetic, is what I think people called you. Myself included, once or twice, which if I remember right didn’t exactly go over well. (laughs) Like, how was that making you feel exactly? And how did you deal with that?
Kline: Well, people are gonna think whatever they want, you know? All you can do is work your ass off and try to prove them wrong. I didn't change anything about my approach to make people look at me differently. I just kept making the most of my opportunities. You win enough matches, and people start to pay attention. It's pretty simple. I just had to keep on trying until people opened their eyes and realized that I was actually a good wrestler. Took a little longer than I would've liked, but...it worked out in the end, didn't it?
Chuie: I think people really did start coming around. I mean, you had an Air Raid Championship run and you won the Brutal Havok Championship a few times too. I remember that it was around that time that people actually started to really come around on you when you had that really successful time with that belt. People started to respect you because holding that Brutal Havok Championship just sucks. I had it once, and I was almost resentful of it because all of those matches were just hell. I know you went through a lot of freaking wars over that thing too.
Kline: Yeah. That was when Hyde came back and decided to have some fun with me. No one really knew why or anything like that. But, the two of us pretty much went to war with each other, and the Brutal Havok Championship was in the middle. When I won that and beat him in that Last Man Standing match a few years ago, people really started to pay attention, I think. That's why people started to think that it might be my time.
Fast-forward a few months later, and I'm the Devastation Champion, too. I have my run with that. There's an actual, like...groundswell that thinks I might be able to become the Xtreme Chaos Champion. It was new, to say the least. Definitely wasn't used to it. But, I just kept trying, and doing what I had been doing. And...it all worked out.
Chuie: You had some good times with the Devastation Championship too, but then you had what I think is your real breakthrough moment last year when you won the King of Chaos tournament. Because once you get that, you usually ride that to the top with the Xtreme Chaos Championship. What were you thinking when you won the King of Chaos anyway? Did you think now that “Hey, this is when I get my time at the top” or anything like that?
Kline: Yeah, pretty much. I know that sounds pretty simple, but...winning the tournament guarantees you a shot at the championship. At that point, it doesn't really matter if you win or lose. You give a good enough performance when you're competing for the Xtreme Chaos Championship, and people pay attention. I was fortunate enough to win it my first time, but, it's really just about getting your name out there and letting people know what you can do. You need to show the world that you've got what it takes to be one of the best.
Chuie: And what I liked was that everyone was on board at that point. Because you worked hard, paid your dues, and you were there when you were good and ready. Like, there was nothing that anybody could say because you worked your way up, while a lot of people nowadays just seem like they want it right now without having to do the climb to get to the top like you did. Kline Cambria did it, and he made sure that nobody could say anything about it, you know? And so far you’ve had a really successful run, haven’t you?
Kline: Outside of a little bump in the road against Disturbed for a while, yeah, it's been great. And even then, the fact that I survived Disturbed is a pretty big deal. Have you seen what he's done to the Slade family these past few months? The man's a monster. And I know some people have said that he didn't care about me the way that he cares about them, but, I dunno. I was actually in the ring with the guy. I was the one who was actually dealing with him. Believe me, he would've been perfectly content to end my career the same way that he'd be perfectly content to end theirs. You don't go through what we did if you just want to beat somebody.
Other than that, though...it's been great. And I have the feeling it'll continue to be great, too. I assume I've got Giovanni Vitali coming up eventually. That should be a lot of fun. Not too much to say on that right now, but don't worry...I'm sure you'll be hearing plenty from the two of us in the coming weeks. That's how these things usually go.
Chuie: Man, I remember those battles with Disturbed, but it seems like Giovanni Vitali is a whole different animal. He ain’t going to beat you down and try to end you or anything, but he wants to win. And sure, he was around before and trolled around with the Elimination Championship, but it seems like he’s… I dunno, got a lot more going for him this time. Like he’s got a whole master plan set up or something.
But here’s the thing Kline, and you’re one of my best friends so don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but there are a lot of people out there who think that Gio’s got your number. He’s managed to rock your world when it counts, and even when you tried to call him out recently, it ended with you getting beaten down. So I can’t let you leave here until I get something from you about him, because you and I both know there’s a lot more to say about that. What’s your mind set going up against Vitali right now?
Kline: I'm not worried at all, Chuie. I'm really not. And that's not arrogance speaking or anything like that, either. I have nothing but respect for what Gio's capable of. The man is a fantastic wrestler, and like you said...he's definitely thought things through. But that doesn't scare me. I don't know when he plans on having this match or anything like that, but…I'm gonna be ready for him. I know I am. And that's all there is to it.
Chuie: Alright, alright. I can respect that. Then I guess I got one last question for you man. What is your favorite match that you’ve had?
Kline: Wow. Tough question. I'm sure I'm skipping something, but, the obvious answer is the main event of last year's Super Brawl against Denni. That was the match that defined my career, you know?
But if people want two underrated options, there's my Last Man Standing match with Hyde back at Super Brawl IX, which was an important match to me in a few different ways. And then, to go way back in time...Seek and Destroy 2005. That's when Steffi and I beat Kannon and Clipper for the Dual Pandemonium Championships. Might not be the most fun match in the world to watch now, but, if you were paying attention back then...you know how good of a team those two were. So, for the two of us to find a way to beat them for the championships...it was awesome.
Chuie: All very good choices, my man. So that about wraps it up for me, so I can let you go. As I said before Kline, you’re a great guy and a great wrestler, and I hope that after listening to this that a lot of people know a little bit more about you and you journey to the top. Because if anyone deserves to be wearing that Xtreme Chaos Championship right now, it’s certainly you.
Kline: I really appreciate it, man. Thanks for having me. And thanks to everyone who bothered to take some time out of their day to listen to me, too.
Chuie: And thanks for doing this for me. I know the fans are going to love it. And who knows, maybe I’ll bring you back on sometime. Like after the Jets win the Superbowl or pigs fly or something.
Kline: I'm sure one of those things will eventually happen. Maybe.
Chuie: (laughs) Yeah, yeah. Thanks again Kline.
“Hell Yeah” by Rev Theory fades in for about ten seconds before fading out again.
Chuie: And there you have it: the exclusive interview with Kline Cambria that you can only get right here on The Chuie Channel. Kline is a cool, cool guy and I have nothing but good things to say about him. And I hope that you all really liked it too, because I did it for all of y’all. Chudes and Chudettes, let me know what you thought about this interview. What did you like? What did you not like? Do you like Kline more after it? Do you now hate him after it? Do you hate me after it? Whatever you want to say about it, let me know. Shoot me a Tweet @realchuie and talk to me. And if you want to see more of these interviews, I can pull some strings with Chaotic Professional Wrestling and see who else I can get to be on the show! I’ll try my damnedest to get whoever you want on here.
Again, I hope you all enjoyed it and remember to tune in again. I’ll see y’all next time on The Chuie Channel. Peace!
Rev Theory’s “Hell Yeah” plays out the rest of the show.