EG: You've been wrestling 9 years and have traveled the world, wrestled main-events against many of the legends and have even worked behind the scenes for the Calgary Stampede Promotion with the Harts. What have been some of your career highlights?

TK: I was in Calgary for 9 months working for Bruce and Ross Hart. Originally I just started out as a wrestler, but then they started putting more and more responsibilities on me like being a road agent. I was responsible for the crew on the road and the most challenging part was keeping them positive. Positive mental attitudes. Because there was a lot of long drives. Not much pay. A lot of the guys were away from their families. We worked on average 28 days out of the month. It's tough being on the road every single day. But it was a good experience. Absolutely. Just the knowledge that I gained. Being a part of the company that was responsible for some of the biggest names and best talent ever. Being in the center of it all. Being involved in all the main storylines; doing TV. It was my first real TV experience. I was even involved in a lot of the booking on the road.

EG: The Harts are such legendary personalities. Tell us a little about your experiences in Calgary and your take on them.

TK: First of all, coming from Brooklyn to Calgary, Alberta Canada I had no idea what to expect. And they just took me in as one of their own. Eating at their family dinners. I think they are very dedicated to wrestling. Ellie Hart, Jim Neidhart's wife said "This is all we've ever known. This is what we do. We're the Harts." Bruce is a genius. A lot of people didn't see what he was really going for, but I totally got it from the very beginning. As a good booker you have to focus on the strengths of the talent. Not everyone is equipped to do everything. He would bring out guys' strengths and that was what was displayed on TV in the angles. He made lemonade out of lemons. He did an excellent job with what he was given. A lot of the guys were really good, but some of them were green. Some didn't see the bigger picture; they couldn’t understand what Bruce was trying to create. And that's the thing I think that separated me from the rest of the pack from the beginning.

EG: What about some of the other legendary members of the family?

TK: I had the honor of sitting down with Stu many times and hearing his stories. So many stories. He painted such a vivid picture; it was like I was there. Helen definitely embraced me from the beginning. She was born on Long Island and we'd celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving with the Canadians and Helen and I would celebrate the American Thanksgiving! What a shame they're both gone…

EG: What about Brett? Owen?

TK: I never met Owen but Brett I met a few times at the house. We never really had much conversation. Davey Boy would often show up at the cards. He was really quiet but just a presence. Just stood out among everybody else. I heard that at the time he was working on a comeback with his son, but I think he was still recuperating from his injuries.

EG: Tell us about some of the other talent that was there…

TK: Cuban Assassin was in his 60s but just a ring general. Such a veteran with so much knowledge. And a lot of fun to be with. Bad News Allan Coage was part of the TV commentary crew and it was just great sitting there and getting his feedback and he always had so much to offer. He was in the Pan Am games and a medalist in Judo. A legitimate tough guy but one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Another guy from New York. His mother still lives in Harlem. Phil LaFon was there for a little bit. He showed me a lot of stuff in the ring. Grappling. Just mat wrestling. Really cool mat wrestling stuff that I still use. Sabu came in and I wrestled him many, many times. It was always an experience. I don't think I have ever been in the ring with someone as confident as he is. He'd call the match. The spots. Ask what I wanted to do. Just his whole manner was professional and confident. Like a real veteran.

EG: What about Calgary as a legendary training ground for young talent? Did you see any of the younger guys that you think will really make it…

TK: Definitely. Aside from Davey Boy Smith's son Harry, who is just a superstar in the making, there's also Ted Hart who is an amazing person. With me he's always been respectful, always nice to sit down and have a conversation with, and enjoyable to be around. He was always nice to me.

EG: Any memorable matches or things happen on the road while you were in Calgary?
TK: Many memorable matches. With Greg Pawluk. Also this kid called Hotshot Johnny Devine. And I wrestled Bruce a number of times. I learned from him that you don't have to be constantly doing high spots. There's a lot of things like timing, selling, and psychology that you learn when you're in the ring with a veteran like him.

EG: I have to ask you about the legendary dungeon…

TK: Oh yeah. I've been down there many times. Right between or after a tour ended. In between tours. So I was basically taking bumps every day I was in Calgary (laughs). It was hard. It was stiff. No give. But the absolute best was being stretched by Stu Hart! It was just an honor. Here was this legend and he was taking the time to make me squeal like a little girl (laughs). I felt special. One dungeon story involved Sabu.  Sabu had a broken neck and Stu clamped one on him and Sabu being as tough as he was, he wasn't squealing, but here was Stu with this shoot hold on him. You could just see the pain in his face but he wasn't squealing. None of us knew at the time about his injury except John "Pee Wee" Moore who was a ref for us and one of Sabu's friends.

EG: So you took this as Stu being helpful…not sadistic…

TK: Stu just took pride in his knowing these holds. He was definitely teaching. His intention was to show you. On one occasion I remember him saying, "If someone ever tries to take liberties with you in the ring, this is what you should do…" But some of the toughest guys in the world like Bill Kazmaier squealed when Stu put the holds on him.

EG: Tell us about some of your world tours and some of the greats you've worked with.

TK: I toured Saudi Arabia in 2000. I had the honor of being in the ring with Yokozuna and Carl Oulette— Pierre of the Quebecers. Just being in the main-event against those guys was like a dream come true.

EG: Tell us what it was like being in Saudi Arabia in general. It must have been culture shock…

TK: For me, to be honest, it wasn't so much because my Mom is Muslim. A lot of the stuff I was raised with; I knew a lot of what to expect. But seeing it for the first time was unusual. Like seeing all women covered from head to toe. I didn't realize until a few days into the tour that there wasn’t any women in the audience! We were preoccupied with so many other details that we didn't even realize it at first. The camels are the coolest things ever! (laughs) I insisted they took pictures of me with the camels.

EG: So culturally when you travel to a very different type of society, things are going to be quite different. As a legitimate Indian whose grandparents are from India, what's your take on the WWE breaking into this market?

TK: I think it's a great idea. I think there's a lot of opportunity for growth there. The only concern is that a lot of the in your face type angles I don't think the people will be ready for. I just don't think they're generally as open-minded as Westerners are. But nonetheless it will be a great experience for everybody involved and it will bring some quality entertainment. At the same time, though, I think they're going to need some wrestlers and staff that not only understand the culture, but realize what lines not to cross.

EG: What about some of the other countries you've worked? You've been a true world traveler.

TK: Lebanon was interesting. After a show one night we went into a McDonalds. The following night we tried to find the same McDonalds. Somehow, though, we got lost and ended up in another McDonalds only to find out the one we were at the previous night was bombed. Someone drove a car bomb directly into the front entrance. So it was kind of good we didn't find it the second night! As a matter of fact, it was around the same time, too. Imagine? I was on the tour with Kurggan, Stevie Ray, and Konnan. Stevie Ray was great to be around. And Gamma Singh. He's another Indian wrestler but he's in his 50s now.

EG: That leads me to the question, why are there so few legitimate Indian wrestlers in this country? I know of Tiger Jeet Singh and his son Tiger Ali Singh and Sonjay Dutt and yourself, but I can't think of too many others over the 30 plus years I've been watching wrestling.

TK: My parents, for example, wanted me to pursue medicine. Culturally, a lot of Indian kids are just accustomed to obeying their parents.

EG: Any other countries of note?

TK: I was in England twice. Just a good experience but a lot of driving. PN News was pretty cool. The Barbarian. Luna Vachon and Gangrel are awesome people. They were my hang-out buddies. I hung out with Luna and Gangrel every night. I trained with the Barbarian every day. I love that guy. Just being in the gym with him was such an honor. Here was a guy I grew up watching.

EG: You had a wild experience in Trinidad…

TK: Oh yeah. In Trinidad I cut a promo on a live card and the fans were basically throwing garbage at me. I said, "I've been all over the world. And tonight I'm in Trinidad." So they clapped. "As a matter of fact, my parents grew "right over that hill." We were in Port of Spain. The Capitol. So they started clapping even more. But then I suddenly said, "But this is the dirtiest, most disgusting, piss hole of a country I've ever been in! And you people are the dirtiest, most disgusting I've ever seen!" And they started throwing stuff! Oh God! The announcer had to pull the mike from me before I even finished.  

EG: You also did a lot of behind the scenes work in a promotion called UCW out of NY a few years ago.

TK: That's where I met you, Evan Ginzburg. That was a good learning experience. It was a lot of stress. That's where I got introduced to the Harts as Bruce was being flown in for the shows. And Neidhardt. I did everything for that promotion from coming up with the talent, bookings, reservations, even the sound guy. Everything you could do, I did for that promotion. And I got really little sleep!

EG: So what did you learn about promoting from that experience?

TK: Advertise. Advertise. Advertise.

EG: What are your goals in the business?

TK: To learn as much as I can. To travel as much as possible. To get in the ring with as many other guys as possible. To make a living in professional wrestling.