Former WWE Superstar and current Impact Wrestling star Sami Callihan recently appeared as a guest on The Interactive Wrestling Radio Show for an interview. Below are some of the highlights.
On his Impact Wrestling debut at the Bound For Glory pay-per-view: “It was great, man! One of the things I really pride myself on is I like to be unpredictable. You don’t know when or where I’m going to show up. I can legit show up anywhere. I think that kind of adds to my aura and makes me cool.”
On negative media attention directed at Impact Wrestling: “Well, the first week I was there man, it is pretty bad ass. They are pretty much giving us the opportunity. I think the big thing is management hasn’t always been the best. The best way I can describe it is if you were a fan of WCW back in 1992-1993 when people were running WCW that wasn’t wrestling fans, that didn’t know wrestling. That kind of thought, “I’m going to run this company and do what I want.” I kind of attribute it to that. That kind of is where TNA (Impact) was for a while. But now, they have smart people on top. They have guys on top that were on top when TNA was at their best. Now, Scott D’Amore is helping with, majorly helping with the company. Sonjay Dutt, majorly helping with the company. Abyss, majorly helping with the company. These are guys that were helping with the company when it first was amazing. Change doesn’t happen overnight. But, these guys are slowly putting plans into motion to change TNA back to what it was. Within the next year, TNA is going to totally pull a 180 and people are going to start noticing it again.”
On wrestling outside of WWE: “I think wrestling outside of WWE is the new wrestling boom. In the 80’s, it was the Hogan era. In the 90’s, it was the Attitude Era. In the 2000’s, it was the Ruthless Agression John Cena that really peaked business again. But, now, it is independent wrestling. It is all these other companies from around the world that now have the access to the fans through the Internet, through social media, and screaming devices. Right now, I truly believe that everything else is what is booming the wrestling business and is making everything better as a whole.”
On being one of the first of several to request a release from WWE: “I don’t think I was a trendsetter. I just was… mediocrity is dead with me. I’m not complacent just sitting around collecting a paycheck. It really didn’t matter about being a trendsetter. I wasn’t going to jsut sit around collecting a paycheck, even though it was a very good paycheck to do nothing. I was ready to go out and show them why hired a 5’7 kid in the first place.”
On Lucha Underground: “I thought it was amazing. That is the way wrestling is going. I love that style of wrestling. I love to be in a fictitious world where zombies can exist and undead goblins, dragons, and time travelers… I love that aprt of pro wrestling. Thinking of it in a logical way, I’d like wrestling to have more in common with Game of Thrones than an actual sporting event. It doesn’t change the fact that we’re going out there and doing some of the coolest things on the planet and are some of the greatest athletes on the planet and can do everything in one take. But, the whole back end of it, that is the kind of wrestling that I love.”
On whether or not he will return for season four of Lucha Underground: “You never know, man. That’s the thing about me. You never know where I’m going to be. I love to have that secrecy, that aura. Like, the Undertaker never got on social media for years upon years upon years. That is why he had such a cool aura. Sure, I have social media. I run my mouth a lot. But, I also like to be unpredictable. People don’t know where I’m going to show up. One day I’m in California, the next day I’m in Maine!”
Check out the complete Sami Callihan interview from The Interactive Wrestling Radio Show at WrestlingEpicenter.com.
