Sami Callihan: “I Quit NXT Because I Wasn’t Complacent”

Sami Callihan has no real regrets about leaving WWE in his relatively brief tenure there a few years ago.

Wrestling as Solomon Crowe in NXT, Callihan was with WWE from 2013 to 2015 but his time on NXT programming only last for several months and he was not happy with the direction he was heading. Callihan said he doesn’t want to be complacent and was against the changes WWE wanted to do with his character, resulting in him wanting to leave.

“I quit NXT because I wasn’t complacent. I wasn’t happy just collecting a paycheck and just being a toy on the shelf. I saw myself as a top guy, I had to go out and prove it and I’ve done just that. As soon as I got there, they wanted to change everything about me and I knew it wouldn’t work. I could have sucked it up probably been on RAW or SmackDown right now, but I’m not complacent to be the third or fourth guy, I want to be the top guy and I’ve been able to do that, I’ve proven that a normal white kid from Ohio can be the face of a company when that’s not the norm, because I connect with people,” Callihan told Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT.

After leaving WWE, Callihan wrestled for various companies around the world, from MLW to Lucha Underground and even NJPW before heading ro Impact Wrestling. Now ruling as the company’s top champion, Callihan said he likes where is right now and is happy that Impact’s upper management has a hands-on approach. The creative freedom he and other wrestlers have is a key factor in Impact’s recent success, according to Callihan.

“Impact Wrestling is probably the only company where our bosses are right there backstage at all times. If we have a grievance, we can talk to them right there and then. They aren’t afraid to try anything right now and I really believe that’s what has helped us stand out,” Callihan said.

Callihan will defend his Impact World Championship against Tessa Blanchard at the “Hard To Kill” pay-per-view, taking place on January 12, 2020.