DALE PIERCE: First off, tell readers about yourself and where you wrestle.

STAN CALLAHAN: I wrestle in Texas and have for about the last ten years. I've been known by several names--Muleskinner Red and Stan Callahan the majority of the time.

DP: You were trained by. . . ?

SC: George DeLaIsla, he is running Capital of Texas Power Wrestling right now. He's been in the wrestling business for 30 years. One of the nicest guys in the toughest business.

DP: Do you have a Web page or place where fans can reach you?

SC: www.stancallahan.com. I try and update it often, but anyone with a Web page knows how that goes.

DP: Who are some of the people you have wrestled since starting?

SC: Almost all the Texas guys. I did a few shows in Mexico and got to work some of the local stars from there.

DP: Whom would you like to have a bout with?

SC: La Parka. Whether you like lucha style or not, that guy can work his ass off.

DP: Are there any favorite indy promotions you love working for and could recommend?

SC: CTPW. That's where I work the most. But NWA-Southwest and PCW were pretty cool. PCW was the first place I ever wrestled that had a "Titan-Tron." Hard to wrestle when you are watching yourself on the big screen.

DP: Are there other groups or individuals you would flat not work with again?

SC: Nope. I'm usually pretty picky about who I wrestle for. All that I have wrestled for so far are straight up.

DP: Heel or baby, what style do you prefer?

SC: Heel. It's way easier to wrestle as a heel. You don't have to do much but act normal. . . .

DP: Have you had any major injuries?

SC: Glad you asked. I just got through with some PT for a bankart repair. My shoulder seperated on three different times, all three times I put it back or it went back in by itself. The surgeon said I couldn't have done it three times. After the surgery, he went straight to my wife and told her I would never wrestle again. On my first visit to him after the surgery, he said he now believed I did put the shoulder back. I had shaved the head of the arm bone done. Now I only have half of a shoulder joint in my left shoulder.

DP: Among the name wrestlers, so to speak, which ones do you respect the most?

SC: Konan, Norman Smiley, Booker T, Stevie Ray, and The Road Warriors. I worked shows with these guys, and they were all cool as hell. Acted like they knew you all their careers.

DP: Were the indys a let-down for you or pretty much what you anticipated?

SC: Hey, the indys are and always will be the indys.

DP: What are some of the pitfalls in working with the indy groups?

SC: A lot of the promoters and bookers are out for themselves most of the time. If another wrestler sees you as a threat to his job, he'll do anything possible to stab you in the back and get you out of that promotion. I always tell my friends that this is probably the crookedest business I have ever been in.

DP: What about the advantages? There have to be some.

SC: You get to really see and hear the crowds. Even if there are 50 people in the crowd, they are so close to you. It's just a real difference than going to see the WWE, even front row is 20 feet from the ring. The fans really get to hang around a talk. Most of the other wrestlers are pretty cool. You get to see most of the same guys in many of the towns.

DP: What do you do for training and conditioning?

SC: Over the last eight months, I haven't done much of anything because of my surgery. When I did though, I did 45 minutes on an eliptical trainer and then just the normal weight work.

DP: How do you feel about wrestling today? Do you like the sports entertainment approach, or would you prefer to go back to the old-school style?

SC: I kinda like both. The crowd comes to be entertained, so you have to entertain them. But at the same time, they want to see some guys beat the hell out of each other. You have to give them a happy medium.

DP: What are big problem areas people wanting to get into wrestling should avoid?

SC: They really need to check out who they are going to be training with. Make sure the person really has business training someone. Watch out for others talking crap about everyone else, that's just how tings go in this business. Check everything out for yourself, period.

DP: If you could have one bout with someone, a fantasty bout, living or dead, which wrestler would it be?

SC: I would have to say Dusty Rhides, Cactus Jack, or Terry Funk.

DP: How would you describe your style? Have you patterned yourself after anyone?

SC: I just kinda go out and wrestle or brawl. You'll probably never see me go higher than the second rope. A couple of fans have said I look like Blackjack Mulligan when I wrestle. Which is actually funny, I really loved watching him when I was a kid.

DP: What are your future plans?

SC: Right now, just to get my shoulder in working order. The doc finally admitted he may let me wrestle again around April of next year. For now, I do lots of commentating for local promotions. After I get back in the ring, I think I'm going to spend a lot of my time trying to get into NWA-TNA or Mexico. I'm already too old for WWE.

DP: Closing remarks?

SC: As many things as I've found wrong with this business, I would never give it up. Once you get involved, it's really hard to get out. For the fans, come by and check out my site, and let me know you are out there. Oh yeah, thanks to all the people who have given me encouragement and kind words during my recovery.