This interview was conducted Saturday, April 28th after Spring Beatings where Team 4:20 successfully defended their tag team titles against Chills N' Thrills and Mean Marcos and Big Cat. Any feedback or use of this interview can be sent to me at toddb16@juno.com.

TB: How did you get started in the wrestling business?
CS:I got started by a couple of other wrestlers from my area that were going to a training camp that I knew for probably about five years before they got started in the wrestling business. And they all said to me, "Chip, cruiserweights are in it, you're a cruiserweight," because obviously I'm not a big guy and they said, "Come up to the camp for one weekend, you'll be hooked." And sure enough after that first weekend of just bumping and going through the school, people like HC Loc was up there. And Loc and I ended up starting together for probably a good year and a half, every weekend. Even if there was not a class going on after we graduated, every weekend I'd make the trip from Albany to Elmira, bunk up with Loc and his family, and we'd be in the ring Saturday morning at nine in the morning and Sundays same thing and probably go till like three or four. Then take the two and a half hour drive back to Albany, so that's how I got started. Danger, who is not on my high priority list, but he also got me started along with Johnny Kain, who I am still really good friends with. And the rest is history. I've been in the business for five years so I must be doing something right. I have some artificial joints in the body but I'm still going until my body says no more.

TB: Who were or has been your biggest influences coming into the business?
CS:I've always been a huge Arn Anderson fan, even though he is somewhat on the heavyweight level, Arn Anderson is what got me hooked into wrestling. I've got pictures of me being three months old sitting on my father's lap watching wrestling. You've heard of Blackjack Mulligan and Barry Windham, I'm related to him so that's how that whole thing got started. My grandfather married Blackjack Mulligan's cousin, and that was many years ago. So I grew up watching wrestling with my father at three months old in front of the TV. I knew how it got done, didn't know how rough it really was. And people say "Oh, wrestling's fake, wrestling is this, wrestling is that," until you go to wrestling camp and learn it, you learn it for real, not fake. You learn how to do it right by doing it wrong and getting hurt, and that's the truth. I messed up my shoulder seven months into wrestling camp. A guy almost dropped me right on my head, I turned at the last second and my shoulder moved to halfway where my chest was in the middle. Popped it back into place and kept wrestling for another year. The doctor said my joint had totally deteriorated and my spent that New Year's Eve in the hospital, getting artificial hooks, pins, and plates put into my shoulder. But growing up watching wrestling, I loved Pedro Morales and watching the old-timers. What's nice is that these old-timers still wrestle on the indy circuit. I remember watching King Kong Bundy at Wrestlemania II, and I've wrestled on shows with Bundy. I'd get him laughing every time cuz I'd say to him "You're probably the worst looking person in this locker room." And he'd throw me down and start giving me the boots. I also went on a two-week tour of Pennsylvania with Jimmy Snuka and we were drinking beers every night. We were both staying at the same hotel and the hotel bar was supposed to close at one in the morning, they'd stay open till 4 AM for us. Before I donned the tights and had my first match, for the first six months I was a referee. I've refereed for guys like Rikishi back when he was doing the Sultan gimmick. I refereed for The Bushwackers and they're the hardest people to ref for because if you screw up, they will rip you apart in the locker room. But um, Arn Anderson and Pedro Morales, and growing up you gotta love Ric Flair. So I'd say those three guys.

TB: If you could pick any wrestler in the business to either wrestle or team up with, who would it be?
CS: On an independent level or a professional, like WWF, level?

TB: Either/or?
CS:I would probably love to team with Billy Kidman. I had a chance to wrestle Dean Malenko, but he was a total snob and snubbed me because he had no idea who I was, which is fine because I guess it's something he felt he had to do. But I'd love to team with Billy Kidman and I'd love to wrestle Eddie Guerrero and those are the two without a doubt. I think with my style and everything I could keep up with him if I was inspired enough. There's a deep pocket of tricks that I haven't pulled out yet that would probably stun a lot a lot of people. When the time is right, I'll pull out a trick. I remember when I wrestled Candyman I did a dive over the top to the floor, I think I was the first person here to that at that height, at that level. If it calls for something big to happen, I'll do it. But it would be teaming with Billy Kidman and wrestling against Eddie Guerrero.

TB: What are some of the independent promotions you've worked for?
CS:Let's see, I've worked for the USWF, USWL, New Breed Wrestling (NBW),World of Hurt, UCW, New Dimension Wrestling, Yankee Pro Wrestling,Eastern States Wrestling, New Millennium Wrestling, and two other indies that I can't think of right now, but as you can see I've been around the block more than a few times.

TB: Out of all those promotions you've worked for, where do you feel you've had your most success?
CS:I would say New Breed Wrestling and New Millennium Wrestling. I've won numerous titles for several independent promotions, but I'd say have had the most success with those two.

TB: So far, what do you consider to be the biggest highlight or most defining moment of your career?
CS:Coming back from reconstructive shoulder surgery and regaining the NBW Cruiserweight Title five months later from HC Loc. I was bedridden for five days. I couldn't move, and my parents had to take care of me and basically do everything for me and it sucked. It was the worst time in my life and I'm just very lucky and fortunate to come back from something like that and come back and still do what I love to do most and that's wrestle.

TB: Is there anything about the business that you hate or can't seem to understand?
CS:Yeah, I hate it when a wrestler has a problem with you and doesn't have the balls to say it to your face. They would rather tell someone else or go on a computer and tell the world who he's got a beef with instead of telling the one person who doesn't know about it who should know about it more than anybody else.

TB: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into the business?
CS:Make sure you get your education first, make sure your set money-wise and that your financially stable, and remember where you came from.

TB: Do you have any goals or aspirations you would like to accomplish before you leave the business?
CS: Well my goal was to work for the WWF and I've done that. But if there's one aspiration I'd love to achieve it would be to wrestle a show in my hometown and everybody that laughed at the idea that I am a pro wrestler can kiss my ass. I grew up in a small town and people always used to joke around and make fun of me when I was younger. And now I can go back and say I've made it and I'm doing what I've always wanted to do and I love what I do and that's something they can never take away from me.

TB: What does the future hold for Chip Stetson?
CS:As far as Chip Stetson goes, Chip Stetson is only a character that I portray and in the world of wrestling, names like that can get squashed in one night. So I live my life one day at a time.

TB: And now I'd like to play a little game of word association with you. I'll give you a name or a topic and you'll tell me the first thing that comes into your mind.
CS:Ok, cool.

TB: The Puerto Rican Nightmare
CS:Better than he thinks he is.

TB: Hellcat
CS:My boy, my partner in crime.

TB: Titles
CS:Like them, but don't need them.

TB: The state of the independents
CS:Overcrowded

TB: ECW
CS:Fast fall.

TB: Vince McMahon
CS:Best mind in the business.

TB: Backyard wrestling
CS:Gives professionals a bad rap.

TB: The road
CS:Long and often traveled

TB: Respect
CS:Must be given to be received, if that makes any sense.

TB: The fans
CS:Is what makes a show

TB: Chip Stetson
CS:Tries hard and will enjoy the memories.


TB: And finally, NMW
CS:Nicest bunch of workers I've ever had the pleasure to be with.

Thanks to Chip for taking the time to do this interview. There will be more interviews with the stars of NMW to come in the near future.