Interview: A conversation with Sami Callihan regarding Eddie Edwards, Impact management, and more
After a very controversial two weeks, Sami Callihan joined the weekly Impact Wrestling teleconference to speak with the media regarding the incident, and so much more.
Prior to getting on the teleconference, Impact play-by-play announcer Josh Mathews joined the call and provided some huge news regarding WrestleCon in New Orleans. Eddie Edwards will get a chance at revenge as he will take on Sami Callihan in an I Quit Match in New Orleans during WrestleMania weekend on April 6th.
Josh Matthews first thanked the fans for the last two weeks as the ratings have seen an increase overall for Impact Wrestling. He went down what to expect in this week's edition of Impact Wrestling including a sit-down interview with Austin Aries after his title defense against Johnny Impact, as well as the return of Feast Or Fired.
I was able to ask Matthews a question before we got to Sami Callihan. I asked what his general thoughts were on Lucha Underground vs Impact Wrestling at WrestleCon and if he would like to see a partnership going forward.
"Yeah, I think it would be great. I was thrilled when I found out it was going to be Impact v. Lucha Underground at WrestleCon on April 6th. If I can take myself out of being a part of the wrestling business for 20 years, as a fan it's great to see that. I like Lucha Underground, I like what they do, I like their presentation of how they do everything, so for them to work with us and have this relationship, and it brings you back to where you were a kid watching wrestling you never knew what was going to happen on any given night. Who would show up where and who would do what, and I sorta feel like that's the feeling that we have right now."
The host of the teleconference, Ross Forman, would then welcome in Sami Callihan to the call, and immediately Callihan wasn't happy at the fact that he learned of this match against Eddie Edwards over a conference call. Callihan said, "It ain't gonna happen" and he is not coming to WrestleCon to wrestle for Impact Wrestling (which probably means he's wrestling for Lucha Underground instead).
Ross stated that there is a lot going on nowadays with Sami Callihan and he asked Callihan to bring us up to speed with everything going on.
"I'm the most hated man in wrestling right now. So be it. I don't care! I really don't care anymore because this incident has launched me into the next atmosphere. Right now I'm signed to two nationally televised wrestling companies, Lucha Underground and Impact Wrestling, and you never know where I am going to show up next. It's going to continue to be like this. People think that just because go and outrage and wrestlers want to talk trash to me online that it's going to hurt my bookings, but I'm being booked more at a higher rate, so everything you guys are trying to do is backfiring."
From there, I was able to ask Callihan three questions during this 30-minute teleconference session. My first question was regarding the recent incident with Eddie Edwards, has Impact management had a word with you, given you any sort of warning, or has there been any sort of conversation?
"Dude, Impact management came at me as soon as it happened. And Eddie Edwards wanted to act to my face like nothing's wrong and now he wants to go on these interviews and try to tell people that he thinks I might have done this on purpose to get myself over. Eddie. I have worked with you for over 10 years and we're supposed to be friends and he gonna think I did this on purpose, so be it. Now people want to make me out to be a monster, it's time to be a monster. I don't care anymore. You know what, I'll keep saying this over and over and over and over and over. Scott Hall said this, 'you know what, I have a bunch of friends, I want some money now.' That's how I feel, I have the friends that I need and that I want, so now it's time to make some money."
My next question was fairly simple, what makes the baseball bat his weapon of choice?
"I don't know, I saw it laying around in the back and you know what I said, I said it's going to be pretty good to start attacking people with this, and that's what I did. A lot of times what goes through my head, there is no rhyme or reason, things just happen, and that's how I live my life. I'm a spontaneous person, and I'm going to continue to be a spontaneous person. This moment isn't going to calm me down. I just turned 30 years old and people say it's time to grow up. You know what, I'm not growing up anymore, I like the person that I am and going to continue to be the person I am."
Callihan would then talk about the comparisons to Sting, who famously used a baseball bat after his transformation from the bleach-blond surfer to the dark Crow gimmick.
"If people want to call me the new Sting, then so be it. I mean Sting was a pretty badass dude that carried a baseball bat. The difference between me and Sting is that I'm not going to be hiding in the rafters, I'm going to be coming at you face-to-face."
I then asked if he was looking to monetize or cash in off of the baseball bat.
"Ah bro, I already got 20 of these custom baseball bats coming to sell at indie shows. You don't think I'm going to pad my pockets with the sales of baseball bats at show?"
Finally, I asked what sort of differences, if there are any, does he see with Jeremiah Crane with Lucha Underground and Sami Callihan in Impact Wrestling.
"Well Sami Callihan is just an extension of myself. At this point, I've kinda lost track of who I am as a real person and who I am as Sami Callihan anymore. The lines are blurred. Now Jeremiah Crane on the other hand, he's a way more messed up individual than I am. When I go to the Temple, and I have to put on the gear, and have to become that different person, I do. It's Jekyll and Hyde, people don't like wrestling me as Jeremiah Crane because Jeremiah Crane is a mean son of a b****. I'm glad Jeremiah Crane doesn't come out that often because my body would be dead right now if I had to put it through the kind of stuff that Jeremiah Crane puts his body through. I'm glad I get to wrestle as Sami Callihan 90% of the year."
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