Sami Callihan Says The Pandemic Has Forced Performers To Be More Creative

Sami Callihan’s gamble on himself paid off on the way to becoming an IMPACT Wrestling mainstay.

Callihan found himself as a free agent in 2015, and ended up traveling the country before landing with the former TNA Wrestling. Callihan recalled the process when speaking to Fightful for an exclusive interview. 

“It was one of those things, I was always a huge IMPACT! Wrestling fan back in the days of the Wednesday pay-per-views. I was actually, before I was gonna get signed to go to the other place, there was some interest in bringing me into IMPACT! then and I was super excited. It was something that just didn’t happen. Then I got extremely lucky, I signed with Lucha Underground. Lucha Underground pretty much weren’t going to be running any more tapings so I had an opportunity to try to go wherever I wanted and I had a lot of friends at IMPACT! Wrestling. All it was, was a phone call saying I was interested and then we’re off to the races,” Callihan said, who also admitted he was very excited for this year’s nixed IMPACT vs. TNA show.

That show was canceled due to the unfortunate timing of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. The world has seen heavy changes, as has pro wrestling. We asked Callihan to try to find a silver lining, and a positive in the adjustments we’ve seen.

“I think it made people be more creative. It’s an unprecedented time in pro wrestling like none other. It gave people an opportunity to really step out of their comfort zone and do something different. Another positive was just seeing how much IMPACT! Wrestling actually cares for all of us. We all want to say, ‘Oh, well our company cares about us,’ even if it’s true or not true. But, it was truly proven how much IMPACT! Wrestling cares for us. They paid a lot of people when we weren’t doing tapings just to make sure everyone got by. Then all the protocols they took at tapings just showed that IMPACT! Wrestling, it’s really cliché, but IMPACT! Wrestling really is a family that does well to their own,” Callihan told us.

For Callihan, changing things up has involved him working with the likes of Rob Van Dam and Ken Shamrock. He’ll be in the corner of the latter as he takes on Eddie Edwards at IMPACT Wrestling Bound For Glory.

You can see our full interview with Sami Callihan at the top of the page. Check out IMPACT Wrestling’s Bound For Glory on Saturday, October 24, availble on FITE and other PPV platforms.