ROH Star Matt Taven recently spoke with Scott Fishman of Channel Guide Magazine, and below are some interview highlights:

On the new incarnation of The Kingdom, following the ROH departures of Mike Kanellis and Adam Cole:

“I think this version is very similar to the last one just because it was a natural chemistry,” he said.

“It was something you can’t fake in a lab and slap together. Me, Adam [Cole], Mike and Maria are as close as can be friend-wise. We would travel together and do everything together. When Adam was out of surgery, he would come spend a week at my house. We are always on the phone together. Me and Mike run a school to this day, so we see each other all the time. But in the background while all this has been going on Vinny has been a guy that has been extremely close to me and Mike since the beginning for years now.

On former Kingdom member Mike Kanellis’ recovery from addiction:

“The toughest thing to do is acknowledge your own faults and actually look in the mirror and say, ‘This is what is going on,’” Taven said.

“It’s hard for me because at some point you second guess yourself. You think, ‘Did I see something here or a sign there?’, or, ‘I should have done more.’ But when it comes down to it, all you can do is be there for him. I talk to Mike almost on a daily basis. We’ve been through so much. It’s one of those things that we have always known were there for one another. I’m just happy that he has come to this realization and is making steps to make his life better. That’s all I want for my friends is for them to be happy. He has a baby on the way. I literally just talked to him yesterday. He is in Italy right now. He is having a great time. The best part about it is he is clean, he is healthy and couldn’t be happier. So, I’m happy for him.”