IMPACT’s Sami Callihan reveals how Footloose role and lifelong wrestling passion led him to greatness

The Death Machine has starred in musicals (Photo: IMPACT Wrestling)

Sami Callihan has the weight of IMPACT Wrestling on his shoulders as he battles AEW’s Kenny Omega this weekend at Slammiversary.

It’s a clash between the Death Machine and Best Bout Machine as the two promotions’ respective top stars go head to head in a No Disqualification match, and Sami is trying to regain the IMPACT World Title from the rival company’s decorated champion.

However, he’s not shying away from the responsibility as everything from a role in Footloose to his lifelong passion for wrestling – he was hooked from two years old – has prepared him for this moment.

He exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘Everything I did in my childhood was to lead me to having a professional wrestling career. I put all my eggs in that basket!

‘I got into amateur wrestling at a young age, thought it would help me in professional wrestling. I got into musicals and drama, thought it would help me professional wrestling. I got into public speaking, because I thought it would help me in professional wrestling.

‘I got into debate to help me in professional wrestling. Everything I did as a child was my growing point and my college to becoming one of the best professional wrestlers walking the planet today.’

While the idea of Sami treading the boards and trying out his hand at musical theatre might seem strange to some fans, the notoriously private star admitted it was all part of his masterplan.

Callihan takes inspiration wherever he can find it (Photo: IMPACT Wrestling)

‘Dude, I was Reverend Shaw in Footloose, I was in Brigadoon. There’s so many musical performances, as well as just straight up theatre and drama that I did growing up,’ he revealed.

‘Anything I do, I’m not half-assing! I never half-ass. I wanna be the best at everything single I did, so even when I was in drama and theatre I was like, “Yo, I’m gonna be the best person in our school”. That’s what I always try to be.’

Indeed, this is a rare insight in the man behind the camera, as Callihan insisted he doesn’t let fans peak behind the curtain at his private life, or what he’s having for dinner (a Subway was on the cards after our interview, though) as he wants to keep up the mystique.

‘I think I’ve made an entire career out of that because I don’t pull back the curtain that often. I don’t go on social media, tweeting about anything I feel about politics, about religion, about what’s going on,’ he said.

‘I tweet about professional wrestling and I tweet about what I believe I would say, because a lot of me as my character is me in real life. I think one of the biggest downfalls of professional wrestling right now is people put too much of their lives out there.’

He did open up on the way his real life and the wrestling world gets blurred, particularly when it comes to taking influence from other artforms to enhance his presentation in the ring.

‘Everything in professional wrestling has been done, overdone, recycled and done again! I take stuff from movies, I take stuff from musical eras, I take stuff from video game culture,’ he explained.

Sami has issued a warning to Kenny (Photo: IMPACT Wrestling)

‘If you just look at my promos or look at things I do, there are so many little nuances that I do people don’t even pick up on that I do because there will be that one person that picks it up and knows exactly what I’m referring to.’

Back to IMPACT, then, where he has risen up the ranks over the last three years, which have included a world title reign and back-to-back match of the year honours in 2018 and 2019.

‘It’s a goal I have every year, to win match of the year in IMPACT wrestling, to have one of the best matches in all of professional wrestling. This year, it’s gonna be a great feeling getting back to that run,’ he said with confidence.

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He’s going up against some with a reputation for stellar in-ring performances, which all but guarantees a top level bout – although Sami has promised fans they’ll be seeing another side to Omega.

‘This ain’t gonna be your typical Kenny Omega match. He’s not gonna have time to have a feeling out process, and pull this into a 45, 55, 65-minute time range where he pulls people into deep waters and he figures out a way to beat them,’ he insisted.

‘As soon as that bell rings, I’m coming for Kenny Omega. There ain’t gonna be a lockup, there ain’t gonna be a headlock. There’s gonna be me trying to bash Kenny Omega’s brains in.’

‘No matter what, win or lose, Kenny Omega is not gonna be the same after this match,’ Sami warned. ‘He has a date with the Death Machine.’

*Watch Sami Callihan vs. Kenny Omega for the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship on Saturday (July 17) at 1am on Fite TV.

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