Sami Callihan Talks Impact's Potential Television Deal

One man that has been a featured player in a multitude of independent pro wrestling companies is Sami Callihan. With over a decade of experience under his belt, Callihan debuted in Impact Wrestling back in 2017 as one of the more domineering members of "Ohio Versus Everything" (oVe).

Rumors continue to swirl about Impact Wrestling being in serious talks about a new television deal, with AXS being reported as a possible new home for Impact. Callihan took some time to discuss the subject of Impact's new TV deal with WrestlingEpicenter.com.

"I think that's huge and that is the only thing Impact is missing right now," Callihan explained. "I ain't gonna hate on the Pursuit and Twitch deal, though. We've got a lot of eyes on Twitch! And the one good thing about Pursuit and Twitch is Impact Wrestling, over the past year, we have been able to do what we want. We haven't had a network telling us what we can and can't do; that is why Impact is striding. And that is why, once we get on a bigger network, it is off to the races!"

Callihan is excited for the shift that has been occurring in the independent pro wrestling scene as more companies continue to gain their footing. He did note, however, his annoyance at the fan's response to the boom in the indie scene.

"Wrestling right now is great. The one problem with wrestling right now is the fans – they want to pit every company against each other," Callihan stated. "You know you're allowed to like more than one wrestling? And, you know if someone likes a wrestling [company] you don't like, how about you just shut your mouth about it? Why does everybody have to have an opinion on something that they know nothing about?"

Callihan's goal is for audiences to drop their preconceived notions of what TNA/Impact Wrestling once was. He believes that this new variation of Impact is something truly unique in what they offer fans of pro wrestling.

"We are the true renegade company. We are the Island of Misfit Toys. We're the company that is not afraid to go out there and try something different," Callihan said. "We've been doing that. People may think of Impact as the old Impact. The Impact of old has been dead for a year and a half now. The Impact of new is something to mess with. I think [Impact] has been ahead of the curve for the past year and a half and I think now people are starting to take notice."

Peter Bahi contributed to this article.