Colt Cabana On Interesting Backstage Stories From WWE SmackDown Run, Vince McMahon Yelling At Him
Indie veteran Colt Caban took to Twitter on Tuesday before WWE SmackDown 1000 and shared some interesting stories from his time with the blue brand.
After working several enhancement talent matches in 2005 and 2006, Colt officially debuted on the August 15, 2008 SmackDown episode as Scott Goldman, losing to The Brian Kendrick. Colt noted on Twitter that he was told the next week would feature a segment where he went to "court" with Kendrick. He referenced the recent court victory with CM Punk against WWE's Dr. Amann and wrote, "The night I debuted on Smackdown, I was told the next week I was going to take @mrbriankendrick to "court. We'd then do a series of skits where I'd lose & then take my opponents to court. The foreshadowing was almost scary."
The court segments never happened but Colt did compete in a Battle Royal the next week. The winner of that match would become the new #1 contender for a WWE Title Scramble at the Unforgiven pay-per-view. Kendrick won that August 22 Battle Royal after it was wrecked Big Show, who was not officially in the match. Colt, who was eliminated by Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins, noted on Twitter that he was yelled at by Vince McMahon because the match went 10 minutes under time. Colt wrote, "In this battle royal, there was an order of elimination we'd follow. When the person before me got thrown out, then I did...then Big Show. It went like 10 minutes under time & Big Show got yelled at, so guess who caught heat from the big guy next week :("
The September 12 SmackDown episode featured Colt and Sho Funaki losing a quick Handicap Match to Vladimir Kozlov. Colt says that show was originally supposed to feature a singles match with Kozlov, and that he was supposed to get a good amount of offense in. He wrote, "I was originally supposed to wrestle Kozlov one-on-one. I was going to get a decent amount of offense. Then it got changed to a handicapped match where me and @shofufu824 lost in less than a minute. It was great for my confidence :)"
Colt then wrestled The Great Khali the next week on the September 19 episode. Colt lost that match and says Khali yelled at him for not jumping high enough for his headslam finisher. Colt wrote, "I lost to the Great Khali. He yelled at me because he thought I didn't jump high enough for his finisher. (I thought to myself, CMON! you're the biggest strongest MF'r I've ever seen) I just said I'm sorry, I'm pretty sure he hates me."
Following the Khali match, Colt would be off SmackDown TV until January 30, 2009. He lost a Battle Royal that night and then his next match wasn't until the February 20 episode – a loss to Umaga. Colt was released from his WWE contract on the same day the Umaga match aired. Colt later worked a dark match before the August 2, 2011 SmackDown tapings but lost to Wade Barrett. He returned the next week to lose a RAW dark match to Curt Hawkins on August 8, 2011.
Colt also shared a conversation he had with John Laurinaitis in the Gorilla Position backstage before his SmackDown debut. He wrote, "In Gorilla for my debut, Johnny Ace asked me how I felt. I told him it was one of the greatest days of my life. Even though I knew it was going to be a rough start, I had worked so hard & they brought me up to the main roster. I felt proud. It was a great feeling."
Finally, Colt tweeted on when former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. told him they were going to make him the Santino Marella of the blue brand. Colt was optimistic but that changed the next week when they had him to the backstage puppet segment to taunt Khali. He wrote, "At one point @RealFPJr came up to me and told me I was going to be "The Santino Of Smackdown". My spirits were high! The next week they made me do this f–king lunchbag puppet. My spirits went low."
You can see Colt's pre-SmackDown 1000 tweets below:
The night I debuted on Smackdown, I was told the next week I was going to take @mrbriankendrick to "court. We'd then do a series of skits where I'd lose & then take my opponents to court.
The foreshadowing was almost scary#SD1000 pic.twitter.com/kITFiGtY18? Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) October 16, 2018
In this battle royal, there was an order of elimination we'd follow.
When the person before me got thrown out, then I did...then Big Show.
It went like 10 minutes under time & Big Show got yelled at, so guess who caught heat from the big guy next week :(#SD1000 pic.twitter.com/fDBLtbLIFs? Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) October 16, 2018
I was originally supposed to wrestle Kozlov one-on-one. I was going to get a decent amount of offense.
Then it got changed to a handicapped match where me and @shofufu824 lost in less than a minute.
It was great for my confidence :)#SD1000 pic.twitter.com/8Z1tunOYeG? Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) October 16, 2018
I lost to the Great Khali.
He yelled at me because he thought I didn't jump high enough for his finisher.
(I thought to myself, CMON! you're the biggest strongest MF'r I've ever seen)
I just said I'm sorry, I'm pretty sure he hates me.#SD1000 pic.twitter.com/7pAWosAgIV? Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) October 16, 2018
In Gorilla for my debut, Johnny Ace asked me how I felt.
I told him it was one of the greatest days of my life.
Even though I knew it was going to be a rough start, I had worked so hard & they brought me up to the main roster. I felt proud. It was a great feeling.#SD1000 pic.twitter.com/rmT92AB8Vb? Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) October 16, 2018
At one point @RealFPJr came up to me and told me I was going to be "The Santino Of Smackdown".
My spirits were high!
The next week they made me do this f–king lunchbag puppet.
My spirits went low.#SD1000 pic.twitter.com/zgQwK7RbE0? Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) October 16, 2018