Sami Callihan was a recent guest on IMPACT Wrestling’s Press Pass podcast, and I had the chance to ask him about his more ‘hardcore’ antics in the ring. The 2018 IMPACT Wrestler Of The Year has been introducing more unorthodox weapons in matches lately—his use of lemons and paper cuts in his match with Jimmy Havoc at United We Stand was noted as one example. Sami says he didn’t invent those spots in matches, but he’s paying tribute to those that did and he wants to be the first guy that brought them to a national television audience.
“That’s one thing for sure. Here’s the thing—people seem to forget that at one point, I was considered one of the best technical wrestlers and just ‘strong style’ wrestlers on the planet. Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten back into the hardcore wrestling and deathmatch wrestling because I was bored doing wristlocks. I was bored doing headlocks, and I want to be the first guy to do a lot of different stuff on television and on this national platform.
I’m not saying I invented the LEGOs, I’m not saying I invented lemons, the salt, or anything else like that. But I will be the first guy that brings it to television as a homage to all of the guys that I looked up to when I first got in the business.”
Later in the call, Sami talked about having ‘muscle’ in Madman Fulton for OVE, noting the size difference between Fulton, himself and the Crists. I mentioned Sami’s history with IMPACT World Champion Brian Cage and their time on the indies as a team called ‘Twins’ and asked Sami if there was any desire to recreate that ‘non-traditional’ team look with big man / small man. Sami said he never looked at Fulton in that aspect, but instead wanted to work with Fulton out of loyalty. He said he doesn’t feel like Fulton has ever had a fair shot in wrestling yet, and he took Fulton under his wing because he knows how much potential really is there.
”No, I was a big advocate of getting him in there because I knew what he was capable of. I don’t think anywhere in the wrestling world he’s been given a true chance. He’s another guy that I’ve taken under my wing and helped make who he is. He’s grown leaps and bounds over the past year since moving back to Ohio. If people work hard for me, I work hard for them. I’m a very loyal person.”
Check out the full Press Pass podcast with Sami below:
