Could more wrestlers be set to join the Don Callis family in AEW? Don’t count it out according to the faction’s leader. Callis held a family meeting in a vignette at AEW Collision Homecoming to discuss what happened on Dynamite. The meeting, consisting of Callis, Kyle Fletcher, Konosuke Takeshita, Lance Archer, and Brian Cage, focused on Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay teaming up against them. When an unconcerned Brian Cage argued that there’s five of them to the two of Omega and Ospreay, Callis teased more members, asking “Who said there is only five of us?”
"…and who said there's only 5 of us…." – Don Callis.
Callis gave no word on who could be set to join his family in their war against Ospreay and Omega. Trent Beretta was aligned with the Callis family before undergoing neck surgery last year. There is no word yet on when he will return to programming.
Whatever Callis has in store, Omega & Ospreay will face Fletcher & Takeshita at AEW Grand Slam: Australia. The first of its kind show will be a homecoming for Fletcher, leaving fans curious to see what kind of response he receives in the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the Don Callis family, as the veteran manager could soon have more wrestlers at his disposal soon enough.
Posted January 26th, 2025 in AEW. Tagged: Don Callis.
The Don Callis Family has brought a ton of heat so far in AEW. Now, Trent is their newest member.
During AEW Dynamite this week, Don Callis appeared in the ring to kick off the second hour of the show. He was there to supposedly extend an invitation to Orange Cassidy to join his family. Callis praised Cassidy, who then came out to greet him, receiving cheers from the LA crowd. Cassidy took Callis’ contract, ripped it up, and said, “Hey Don, no.”
Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway then joined them, as they stood on the entrance ramp. Stokely made a comment about Willow Nightingale, and Statlander accepted the invitation on behalf of her best friend. The attention then turned back to the ring, where Trent was standing in the corner, ready to strike.
Trent attacked Cassidy, bloodying him with punches. After the assault, Trent approached Callis, and they hugged, marking Trent’s entry into the Don Callis family.
Trent Beretta joined the DCF by hugging Don Callis right on top of Orange's Cassidy dead body.
WITH THE BEST FRIENDS ZOOM OUT AND EVERYTHING. He's already giving OC trauma… pic.twitter.com/clDcb0sw7k
The Don Callis Family, led by Don Callis, consists of Konosuke Takeshita, Will Ospreay, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Kyle Fletcher. Callis has been scouting Orange Cassidy in recent weeks.
Freshly Squeezed beat Trent Beretta at AEW Double or Nothing last Sunday in a grudge match between the former Best Friends. Cassidy won by rolling Beretta into a pinning combination after his usual finishers failed. Devastated, Beretta walked away dejectedly through the crowd without seeking revenge.
Fans wondered what was next for Trent and OC, and now we know that Don Callis is definitely involved.
Trent Beretta wants to take out Orange Cassidy FOR GOOD tonight.
Don Callis remained pretty callous following the news that Scott D’Amore was fired from TNA. D’Amore was let go from the company months ago as Anthem took reigns of the promotion and appointed Anthony Cicione as the new TNA President.
Callis was a big part of TNA during it’s Impact era, but had since moved on from the company after aligning with AEW. When speaking with “Sunday Night’s Main Event,” Callis was asked about D’Amore being gone from TNA and Callis claimed this was the first he heard about his exit.
“Scott’s not with TNA anymore? I don’t talk to Scott, so I don’t know… but here’s the thing: Scott D’Amore is five-foot-eight, but when he stands on his wallet, he’s 7 feet tall. So Scott D’Amore, we’re not having any tag days here for Scott D’Amore, no food stamps. If he lost his job, I don’t shed a tear because I don’t shed a tear for multi-millionaires, who now’s just gonna play more golf. Scott’s a smart guy but I mean, you know, no tears here so, but I had no idea. Thanks for letting me know.”
What Callis may also not know is that D’Amore is using that one-foot-four-inch thick wallet to likely relaunch Maple Leaf Wrestling as the name was just trademarked by D’Amore and “The Gimmick Attorney” Mike Dockins.
D’Amore was one of the primary proponents for getting the TNA brand back off the ground. Not only that, but it was evident D’Amore was greatly loved behind-the-scenes as many TNA talents wrote out a petition to bring D’Amore back after he was let go.
H/t to Andrew Thompson of POST Wrestling for the transcription.
Don Callis joined AEW when Kenny Omega won the AEW World Title in December 2020. As a top heel on the AEW payroll, drawing more boos than most of the roster combined, Callis has maintained a feud with Chris Jericho that continues to this day. They have a lot of history with each other, which Callis has helped draw from in their rivalry.
The recent online dispute involving Chris Jericho, CM Punk and Ace Steel’s lawyer Stephen P. New, and the NDA claim has escalated tensions. Chris Jericho had a few unfiltered posts about the subject.
Jericho publicly denied signing a non-disclosure agreement related to the Brawl Out incident, prompting a swift response from Stephen P New. He has since trended as fans discuss this topic with their own agendas attached.
The famous attorney asserted that everyone who was involved in the backstage brawl signed lifelong NDAs. The dispute then took a turn against Jericho when New stated that an NDA in written into the AEW Employee Handbook.
Don Callis’ Morbid Wish For Chris Jericho
Amidst this ongoing drama, Don Callis took to X and expressed his desire for Chris Jericho to face an uncertain execution date. He likened this to death row inmates who are unaware of their execution date.
In certain countries it is reported that death row inmates are not told their execution date. They wake up everyday wondering if that day is their last day on earth. I wish this for Chris Jericho
In certain countries it is reported that death row inmates are not told their execution date. They wake up everyday wondering if that day is their last day on earth. I wish this for Chris Jericho
Don Callis then found another post he wanted to share. That particular post shows a man getting stepped on by an elephant. The caption for that post was quite explicit.
Execution by elephant was an old method of capital punishment in South and Southeast Asia, particularly in India, where Asian elephants were used to crush, dismember or torture captives in public executions.
The animals were trained to kill victims immediately or to torture them slowly over a prolonged period.
Most commonly employed by royalty, the elephants were used to signify both the ruler’s power of life and death over his subjects and his ability to control wild animals.
Don Callis re-posted that image and caption, along with his own thoughts: “On second thought. I would like to introduce Jericho to an elephant,”
Don Callis is playing up quite a heel on AEW television. He may have some honest feelings of resentment that he is also able to let slip out there with posts like this.
Chris Jericho said that he will pick a new tag team partner to take on Ricky Starks and Big Bill for the AEW World Tag Team Titles. The Wizard said that he still has a contract for a match, and he will replace Omega after The Cleaner was taken out due to diverticulitis.
AEW fans may find out who Chris Jericho is replacing Kenny Omega with very soon. AEW Worlds End is going down on December 30th, so he only has a few days to make that call.
Ricky Starks and Big Bill address the status of the #AEW World Tag Team Championship match at #AEWWorldsEnd.
Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho were all set to challenge Ricky Starks and Big Bill for the AEW World Tag Team Titles at Worlds End on December 30th, but then the unexpected happened. Omega went down with a case of diverticulitis, and that changed everything.
Kenny Omega’s Current Condition
The most recent word we’ve heard is that Kenny Omega is doing better, but he is far from making a return to the ring. At this point, his comeback date is undetermined, because he must get healthy first.
Don Callis and Kenny Omega have a lot of history with each other, some good and some bad. Their most recent run-in on AEW television did not end in a pretty way, so there is storyline friction between the two.
Callis dropped all the kayfabe as he broke character for a sentimental post. He dropped a heartwarming video dedicated to his experiences with Kenny Omega, a reminder of everything the two have been through.
Although Don Callis did not provide any caption for his post, except to tag Kenny Omega, it is evident that he is wishing his old friend a speedy recovery. Kenny Omega’s illness was a shock for many, because it was kept very close to the vest, even up to his match against Ethan Page.
Don Callis probably wouldn’t break character like this on television to wish Kenny Omega well, but it’s good to see that he did on social media. This is another reminder of the real people behind those pro wrestling personas; no matter how good they are at making us hate them, like Don Callis.
Don Callis has offered a response to Roman Reigns’ rant on CM Punk.
Reigns turned quite a few heads with his recent comments about Punk. Punk is a former WWE star who had a nasty split from the company after creative differences and issues with the lack of time off. Punk made his return to the wrestling industry back in August, aligning with AEW.
Don Callis Takes A Shot At Roman Reigns Over Comments About CM Punk
For Punk, his return has been all about positivity but Roman Reigns hasn’t been impressed by what he’s seen. Reigns told Complex that he feels Punk has “lost a step or two.” He also brought up Punk’s shortcomings in the UFC and even went as far as to say he’d “big brother” the entire AEW roster.
Callis, who manages Kenny Omega on AEW TV, took to his Twitter account to take a dig at Reigns.
What does “a built in Ground “ mean? Can Paul help with these promos please https://t.co/4suT0WdJhY
“What does ‘a built in Ground’ mean? Can Paul help with these promos please?”
Reigns’ comments come at an interesting time. On Oct. 15, AEW and WWE will be going head-to-head for a half-hour. SmackDown will be airing on FOX Sports 1 this night and will extend a half-hour. This means the first half-hour of Rampage will be competing with it.
Both companies have made efforts to entice viewers. AEW will be running the opener of Rampage commercial-free and will have a free one-hour Buy-In show (see the live steam here).
SmackDown will feature Brock Lesnar and a match between Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks. The last half-hour of SmackDown will run commercial-free.
Tonight on AEW’s Grand Slam Dynamite in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson will face-off in non-title action. Ahead of tonight’s show, Omega and Don Callis spoke with Jim Ross.
“It could be a dream match for you, it could be a dream match for other people, to me, it’s just another Wednesday,” Omega said of his match with Bryan Danielson.
“People talk about dream matches,” Callis added. “Some people like to make people’s dreams come true, we like to crush people’s dreams.”
Omega also spoke about accepting Danielson’s challenge for a non-title match when he did not have to. He and Callis also spoke about people coming from other promotions and wanting to face top talent immediately.
“Here in AEW, we have a win-loss record thing going, I’m sure you’re aware of it,” Omega said to JR.
“It’s the arrogance of the Stamford Supermax people that come in here and say ‘we’re entitled’,” Callis said.
Omega continued to say that Danielson doesn’t deserve a title shot, and so he is not putting the title on the line.
“You came here thinking you deserve a handout, that you deserve something for free because everyone knows your catch phrases, everyone knows your face,” Omega continued.
This will be just the second time that Omega and Danielson have had a singles matching their careers. The first took place at a PWG show in 2009. Danielson won the match.
Omega and Callis’ comments can be heard in the Tweet below:
Don Callis has been a major player in the recent partnership between AEW and IMPACT wrestling. The cross-promotion heel Elite he has created is drawing heat from wrestling fans across the board.
Talking at the Double or Nothing post-show media scrum, AEW President Tony Khan addressed Callis’s position in AEW. Especially after his recent status change with regards to his position as an IMPACT Wrestling executive.
“He helps in Kenny’s segments, and he’s involved. He’s doing that here,” Khan stated. “There was a point where he’s been here every week. I think it makes sense. We’re doing TV. We’re going back live every week.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CN3135HpQ9F/
With AEW getting back to a fully live weekly show, now that fans are allowed back into the arena, it does change the nature of things a bit. Without the ability to tape segments in advance, character availability is crucial.
“Kenny’s defending other titles. He’s got the Impact and AAA Titles. He’s (Callis) will be with Kenny wherever Kenny is. I think Kenny’s signed here for years, so Don will be here for years whether you like it or not.”
Don Callis is drawing the ire of many with his involvement with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks but playing the heel role well. Looking at Tony Khan’s words, it is clear that Don Calis still has a big role to play with AEW.
Callis also has strong ties to NJPW, which is another company AEW have cross-promotion involvement with. Love or hate the character he plays, Don Callis is a connected man.
Don Callis is no longer an Impact Wrestling executive and he has been relieved of his backstage duties with the company according to latest reports.
The former NJPW commentator was present for the latest Impact tapings. However, he only stayed around to film his content with Kenny Omega and left after day one of the four day taping schedule.
This made many wonder if Callis is no longer working in a backstage capacity for the promotion and a latest report from PWinsider confirms these speculations.
According to reports, the Impact star had been preparing for his exit for a while and he had slowly been decreasing his responsibilities outside of the Impact creative team in the past year.
Don Callis finally left the creative team in April as well, marking the end of his tenure as an executive for the company. He is now only working as an on-screen personality for the promotion.
Though this exit was not dramatic and he remains on friendly terms with Impact officials. The former WWF star is expected to continue his on-screen role as the manager for Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers.
Impact wrestling has streamlined their creative team since his exit. The team of Scott D’Amore, Tommy Dreamer, RD Evans and Jimmy Jacobs are overlooking creative process now. There is no plan to replace Don Callis as of now.
Impact Wrestling continued to build to Under Siege this week. 3 more qualifying matches for the 6-person #1 contendership match on the PPV took place as well as El Phantasmo making his debut. Juice Robinson and Doc Gallows also went one-on-one.
Impact Wrestling 5/6 Quick Results:
Under Seige Qualifier Chris Sabin defeated Rhino
Taylor Wilde defeated Susan
Under Seige Qualifier Trey Miguel defeated Rohit Raju
Doc Gallows defeated Juice Robinson
El Phantasmo defeated VSK
Rachael Ellering defeated Kiera Hogan
Under Seige Qualifier Moose defeated James Storm
Moose Moves One Step Closer To Facing Kenny Omega
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKMSytLwiwk
This week’s main event was a qualifying match for the #1 contendership 6-way at Under Siege. Before the match, Don Callis visited Moose in the back and appeared to be buttering him up for something. Callis said that Moose shouldn’t have to qualify for the match and that Impact management isn’t treating him fairly. Moose didn’t appear to be falling for Callis’ disingenuous routine, however.
Moose focussed on Storm’s leg for much of the match and this played into the finish. Storm was unable to deliver a crucifix bomb due to his injured leg, Moose was then almost able to hit his Lights Out Spear as a result but Storm countered with a superkick. The move cost Storm, however, who favored his leg heavily after and was unable to make the pin. Moose then got up, delivered the spear and got the win.
After the match, Moose wrapped Storm’s leg in a chair and stomped on it. Chris Sabin ran out to help his partner but the damage had been done.
Doc Gallows Defeated Juice Robinson, “Coach Kenny” Helps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbsnLw0DDBs
Kenny Omega agreed to come out and be at ringside for Doc Gallows’ match against Juice Robinson this week. The finish of the match came when Robinson was setting Gallows up for his Pulp Friction finisher but was distracted by Anderson who had gotten up on the ring apron. He then turned his attention to Omega and Callis who did the same. The distraction allowed Gallows to recover, counter the Pulp Friction, hit a bicycle kick followed by a slam for the win.
After the match, Omega and the Good Brothers kept up the assault on Finjuice. Eddie Edwards attempted to make the save but the Elite still had the numbers advantage and took him out too. They then celebrated in the ring to end the segment.
El Phantasmo Makes His Impact Debut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV_tVJqeLI
2x Super J-Cup winner and 2x IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag champ El Phantasmo made his official debut for Impact Wrestling this week. He defeated VSK, who has worked a fair bit on episodes of AEW Dark. VSK got a surprising amount of offence in this match but in the end, ELP was able to finish off his opponent with a super kick. It did look as though ELP may have loaded up his boot before delivering the kick, however.
Chris Sabin Qualifies For Under Siege
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzOMw-A4SW8
Two former world champions faced off in the night’s opening match with a spot in the Under Siege #1 contendership match on the line. Sabin’s speed and technical ability gave him the advantage at numerous points during the match, but Rhino’s stablemates from Violent By Design always did something underhanded to give their guy the advantage. It looked like Rhino had the match won when he was setting up his opponent for the Gore but Sabin avoided it and rolled him up in a cradle and got the 3-count.
Brian Myers ran into Rosemary and the members of Decay backstage this week. Myers was upset he wasn’t given another chance to qualify for Under Siege when Rosemary attempted to tell him what the cards had in store for him. Myers tried to flee the situation but promptly got headbutted by Taurus for his trouble. Decay then laughed over top of him to end the scene. Myers vs Taurus was later announced for Under Siege.
Taylor Wilde Does Not Want Tenille Dashwood’s Help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwXZxRAZVVA
Taylor Wilde faced Susan this week on Impact. Wilde would have to contend with Susan’s ally, Kimber Lee on the outside as well. Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb sauntered out to the ring area during the match as Dashwood has been lobbying to form a tag-team with Wilde. The finish of the match came when Kimber Lee grabbed Wilde’s leg from the outside prompting Kaleb to pick her up in a fireman’s carry to prevent further interference. While the ref was distracted with that, Dashwood gave Susan a neck breaker along the ring ropes just before Wilde delivered a German Suplex for the win.
After the match, Dashwood wanted to celebrate with Wilde but she was having none of it. Wilde bailed out of the ring before Kaleb could get a photo of the two posing together.
W. Morrissey Is No Longer “One-Half of a Catchphrase”
"You associate this face with one half of a catchphrase…so it was entirely up to me to rebuild myself after I was shattered into pieces." @TheCaZXL is here to make everybody else feel the agony he felt. #IMPACTonAXSTVpic.twitter.com/E4JFI0mCuX
W. Morrissey is not kidding around. He cut an intense promo over top of a video package this week. He’s not happy with how fans and the industry itself has treated him.
“You were the first to criticize, you were the first to say ‘he’s done’ and it isn’t just the fans, it’s every member of this rotten industry.”
Morrissey pinned Willie Mack in tag-team action at Rebellion. Mack then challenged Morrissey to a match at Under Siege. Morrissey more or less accepted the challenge in this video package.
Trey Miguel Qualifies For Under Siege
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQVYagl0KjA
Trey Miguel moved one step closer to achieving his goal of winning the Impact World Championship this week. He locked in his hour-glass submission and got Rohit Raju to tap.
As Trey walked back up the ramp, Jake Something walked passed him with his eyes glued on Shera and Raju. Last week, Raju interfered in Something’s qualifying match for Under Siege and cost him the opportunity. He then took out both Shera and Raju to end the segment.
Rachael Ellering Defeats Kiera Hogan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYKNxHlKng8
Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering will have to defend their newly won belts against the former champs at Under Siege. This week, Ellering and Kiera Hogan went one-on-one in a little preview for the upcoming title clash. Ellering picked up the victory with a sideslam as her and Grace continue to have the edge over the duo from Fire N Flava.
Later on in the show, the two teams met up backstage and Jordynne Grace and Tasha Steelz agreed to a match next week.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
Next week:
Jordynne Grace vs Tasha Steelz
Karl Anderson vs David Finlay
#1 Contendership – Knockouts Title Rosemary vs Havok
#1 Contendership – X-Division Championship Petey Williams vs ELP vs Rohit Raju vs Ace Austin vs Acey Romero vs TJP
Under Siege Lineup (May 15th):
#1 Contendership – Impact World Championship Chris Bey vs. Matt Cardona vs. Chris Sabin vs. Sami Callihan vs. Moose vs. Trey Miguel
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering (c) vs Fire N Flava
Brian Myers vs Taurus
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs. Eddie Edwards & FinJuice
Kenny Omega returned to Impact Wrestling this week. He and Don Callis are gearing up for the Rebellion PPV where Omega will face Rich Swann.
Impact 3/23 Quick Results:
Deonna Purrazzo defeated Jazz
X-Division Championship TJP defeated Ace Austin (c) via DQ – Austin retains title
Rohit Raju defeated Fallah Bah
Trey Miguel defeated Acey Romero
Karl Anderson defeated Eddie Edwards
Kenny Omega and Don Callis Return
Don Callis informed Kenny Omega that Impact Wrestling is his home this week. They spoke about soon he would be standing there as the Impact World Champion after he beats Rich Swann. During the promo, Callis listed off all the wrestlers that Omega was better than, and Omega interrupted to ensure that Kota Ibushi’s name was mentioned.
They both praised Rich Swann but also noted that Omega hit Swann with the 1-Winged Angel at Hard to Kill and pinned him 1-2-3. They played a promo package of Omega hitting his move on multiple opponents, including Swann. Omega played up that nobody has kicked out of the move.
Callis talked about how despite being an executive with Impact Wrestling, his top priority is helping to secure Omega’s legacy.
FinJuice Sends The Good Brothers A Message From Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkba29CEnbo
Karl Anderson faced Eddie Edwards in the main event this week. The finish of the match came when Doc Gallows caused a distraction from the ring apron and then hit Edwards in the head with a chair as the ref was out of position. This allowed Anderson to hit a spine buster and pick up the win.
After the match, Finjuice appeared on the big screen from Japan. They were both in the recent New Japan Cup, with Finlay making it to the semi-finals. They took a few shots at the former champions before the show went off the air previewing their title match at Rebellion.
Tony Schiavone and Tony Khan Preview AEW Dynamite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juK6f2eODck
The two Tonys were joined by Don Callis and Kenny Omega this week. Callis and Omega spoke about Omega’s match against Matt Sydal tonight on Dynamite and then left before the ad was done. Khan and Schiavone then ran down the rest of tonight’s card.
Nyla Rose (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Tay Conti
The Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison) & Dante Martin vs. The Pinnacle (Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood & Shawn Spears) (w/Tully Blanchard)
The Young Bucks & Brandon Cutler vs The Lucha Bros & Laredo Kid
TNT Championship Darby Allin (c) vs. John Silver
AEW World Title Eliminator Match Matt Sydal (w/Mike Sydal) vs. Kenny Omega (w/Don Callis)
TJP Beats Ace Austin Via DQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r78hAf3sehY
Ace Austin retained his X-Division Championship this week against the former champion TJP but only because he lost via disqualification. The finish of the match came when TJP hit a Detonation Kick then the Mamba Splash and appeared to have the match won. Madman Fulton ran in and broke up the pin, however, saving the title for Austin.
After the match, Josh Alexander made the save and prevented Austin and Fulton from delivering a post-match attack on TJP.
Sami Callihan Saves Trey Miguel?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MfaGK9PTcY
Trey Miguel picked up a win over Acey Romero this week after delivering a top-rope meteora. Larry D then attacked Trey after the match but surprisingly, Sami Callihan made the save. Callihan has been berating Trey for weeks and neither Matt Striker nor D’Lo Brown could make sense of why he prevented Team XXXL’s attack.
Deonna Purrazzo Defeats Jazz With Help From Susan’s Shoe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nptzhcr52VA
Jazz had a chance to put herself in a position to challenge for the Knockouts title this week when she faced the champion in non-title action. Purrazzo had Susan with her at ringside, however, and that would prove to be the difference here.
The finish of the match came when Susan helped Purrazzo by putting her foot on the bottom rope to break up a pin attempt. This led to Jordynne Grace charging at Susan but missing and hitting the ring post. Jazz then reached through the ring ropes to grab at Susan but the former Su Yung then hit her with a shoe. This allowed Purrazzo to roll up Jazz and get the 3-count.
“White Meat Babyface” Johnny Swinger has his own casino now. Swinger’s Palace was back this week on Impact. There appears to be some sketchiness with the casino’s business dealings, however. Alisha Edwards, John E Bravo, and others appeared in a promo ad for the casino this week. Swinger got the money to open the casino when he acquired a roll of cash that had been bouncing back and forth between Hernandez, Fallah Bah, and a few others.
Cardona and Brian Myers are long-time friends and tag partners. Myers does not seem happy that Cardona signed with Impact after he did, however. Cardona took part in a sit-down interview this week and challenged his podcast co-host to a match.
Rohit Raju Uses A Handful Of Trunks To Gain The Victory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhT6QYGDFes
Backstage before this match, Rohit Raju was harping on Fallah Bah for having lost all of his money at Swinger’s Palace. It looked as though Fallah was going to get a measure of revenge on Raju in this match but ultimately it would be the former Desi Hit Squad member who would pick up the win. The finish of the match came when Raju used a crucifix pinning combination with a handful of trunks to get the win.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
Next week, James Storm will wrestle in his 1000th match under the Impact/TNA banner. He’ll face another longtime Impact/TNA guy, Eric Young.
Next week on Impact Wrestling:
James Storm’s 1000th Impact Match James Storm vs Eric Young
Fire N Flava vs Havok & Neveah (non-title)
TJP & Josh Alexander vs Ace Austin & Madman Fulton
Don Callis is the latest guest on Gallows & Anderson’s Talk’n Shop podcast. The ‘Invisible Hand’ the Good Brothers for a conversation about the ‘Forbidden Door’ storyline involving AEW-NJPW-Impact, as well as some other interesting topics.
Callis revealed that he and fellow ECW alumnus Joey Styles almost joined WCW in 2001 as their new commentary team.
Vince McMahon and WWE purchased WCW in 2001 for a measly sum, but things almost unfolded entirely differently. Former WCW Eric Bischoff almost purchased the fledgling promotion alongside Fusient Media. Unfortunately, the deal did not go through, as Bischoff and Fusient were unable to secure a television deal in time.
Don Callis’ Brush With WCW
“In 2001 when WCW was about to go out of business, I had a gig lined up with Bischoff,” Callis revealed. “Joey Styles and I were gonna go in and be the commentators.. I was gonna make more money than I ever made, but that deal fell through.”
It was a tumultuous time in the pro wrestling industry. Callis recalls having leverage one minute and the deal falling through soon thereafter.
“All of a sudden, it was like, I went from being able to leverage three companies (WWF, WCW and ECW), to a monopoly (WWE). And I knew when a monopoly happens, guys on top like Jericho do well, but the guys underneath, don’t do well.”
Callis currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Impact Wrestling. He’s also the manager of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.
Listen to the full episode of Talkin’ Shop with Don Callis at MLWRadio.com.
Following the main event of last night’s AEW Dynamite, Kenny Omega, Don Callis and the Good Brothers spoke about recent comments made by NJPW Bullet Club members, Jay White and Tama Tonga.
“I actually feel bad because they’re our brothers over there,” Callis said.
“The bottom line is when the 3 brothers here left the Bullet Club, it was actually a good thing because it created opportunity for some mid-card guys to move up the chain and fly the flag.”
Callis then compared it to a baseball fantasy camp.
“I think we’ve done something really good here, this is a nice thing that we’ve done. We’ve created opportunity here. Those guys are good guys but you don’t replace Michael Jordan.”
Callis then pretended not to know who the NJPW Bullet Club members are.
“I think the Bullet Club guys in Japan are great, I’m not familiar with what the names are just yet but they are flying the flag so I’d like to put a stop to all these bad feelings.”
Callis then encouraged fans to purchase Bullet Club merchandise to help the faction out.
“I’d like to encourage all the fans out there, please buy the merch. Let’s get them back in the top-40 on Pro Wrestling Tees.”
Don Callis has boldly compared himself to the one and only Advocate of pro wrestling, Paul Heyman. In fact, the Invisible Hand is so confident that he proclaims to be working at “a much higher level” than “characters” like Heyman. With all due respect.
Callis is the mastermind behind Kenny Omega, the reigning World champion of All Elite Wrestling. During a recent discussion with Chris Van Vliet, he was asked about people who have influenced his career. Among the names were [Kenny Omega’s uncle] The Golden Sheik, former WWE Superstar Bad News Allen and the esteemed Paul Heyman.
There are certain similarities between Callis and Heyman. Aside from guiding the careers of men at the very top of the sport, they both seem to play 4D chess while others are playing checkers. Callis didn’t just cite Paul Heyman as an influence, though. He thinks his current work with Kenny Omega is on a whole different level.
“I’ve been happy for Paul that he’s had the success that he’s had, because he’s a very talented and hard-working guy,” said Callis. “He did a lot for me. There have been people now that have been comparing us, and I think it’s an unfair comparison for Paul because Paul is a tremendous wrestling performer, a character on a television show. He does a wonderful job of that. I’m not a character. I am the essence of who I am and what I do is done at a much higher level than what characters like Paul, with all due respect, can do.”
You can watch Don Callis’ full interview with Chris Van Vliet below:
Don Callis & Kenny Omega
Don Callis and Kenny Omega will return to AEW Dynamite. The return follows Saturday’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view, which saw Omega pin Impact Champion Rich Swann in the main event.
AEW is advertising that Omega will “reflect on his dominance.”
Don Callis says nobody is on Kenny Omega’s level, including his “onetime close friend” and former partner, Kota Ibushi.
The former Golden Lovers partners sit atop the wrestling world with championship gold to prove their worth. Omega is the reigning AEW World Champion and the AAA Mega champion. Ibushi was the big winner coming out of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 by winning and defending the IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental titles.
“The Invisible Hand” recently spoke with Talk Sport about Omega’s success. He says Ibushi was a good friend of Kenny Omega “at one point.” He knows Ibushi is a great wrestler. But he’s not the best.
“Kenny Omega is still the best wrestler in the world and number two isn’t close,” said Callis “Whether it’s [Impact World Champion] Rich Swann or Kota Ibushi, you’re getting in the ring with Kenny Omega, a generational, once in a lifetime performer.”
Callis thinks that no matter how good of a wrestler Kota Ibushi is, he exists in a bubble. Ibushi hasn’t tested himself around the world like Kenny Omega has.
“What makes Kenny great isn’t just the athleticism, it’s his next level thinking. Kota Ibushi thinks in the IWGP bubble. It’s all he knows and all he’s ever known. In order for Kota Ibushi to truly evolve into the Kota Ibushi he can be, he needs to get on an airplane. He needs to come from Japan and defend that title around the world like Kenny Omega does.”
The Problem With Kota Ibushi…
Don Callis honed in on what he believes to be, “the problem” with Kota Ibushi. Naturally, Callis will promote his guy and is protective of how Kenny Omega is perceived.
“The problem with Kota Ibushi has never been a lack of ability, it’s been a lack of imagination,” he began. “But Kota is very much like the wrestling fans we spoke about, he has a limited world view. He has been a great friend of Kenny’s in the past, the reality is, sometimes as we move through our lives we have to shed friends like we shed dead skin cells. What once worked in a friendship or relationship no longer works for us, so we move on.”
Callis finished by teasing that he and Kenny Omega have plans that most of us are thinking ‘too small’ to comprehend. “A lot of people would love to see Kenny and Kota Ibushi reunite, but that’s very small-minded thinking and it is what it is. People get excited about their dream matches.”
Head over to Talk Sport to check out their full interview with Don Callis.
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
When discussing his Wrestle Kingdom 12 match against Kenny Omega; Chris Jericho would reveal that he was concerned about leaving the WWE bubble and heading to another promotion where he believes he may have not been ‘remembered.’
Chris Jericho on WWE versus New Japan
“There’s a certain atmosphere in WWE” Chris Jericho would begin. “It is what it is and I enjoyed it there for my time there. But this (New Japan) was a whole different level of…star positioning, shall we say. Positioning me in the main event of the Tokyo Dome with Kenny who is a proven huge star in New Japan.”
“Me? I’d not been there since 1997 when I was doing jobs for Kanemoto, whoever the hell it was…El Samurai?” Jericho would continue. “So for me to go there? People kind of knew who I was, but not really, unless you were a fan from 20 years prior. So I had to start from scratch. They might know the idea of what Chris Jericho is, maybe heard the name or seen some matches, when WWE came to Japan to do Sumo Arena? But this was a chance for me to prove myself on a completely different level.”
It’s almost baffling to believe that a veteran the stature of Jericho would think that the Japanese fans wouldn’t know who he is. Given that the former Y2J had been in almost every major promotion before 2018 and had won most of the biggest titles in the world? It’s fair to say that he would’ve always been welcomed by the Japanese fans with open arms.
Are you amazed that Chris Jericho was worried about this prior to re-joining New Japan? Let us know in the comments
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
One of the most common comparisons Omega/Callis have had is that of Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan. Don Callis would start the interview by addressing that notion and saying that he and Omega are completely different beasts.
Don Callis on Comparisons To Greats
“I actually never said it, but people are saying that” the IMPACT Wrestling EVP would begin on the podcast. “I think it’s great. Nick Bockwinkel? He’s one of the greatest of all time. I think Bobby Heenan is a great wrestling manager. I am not a manager, I’m not a wrestling character, I’m making history Chris (Jericho), just like you.”
“I’m not out there performing, I’m not Bobby Heenan” Don Callis would continue. “I’m a revolutionary, I’m Winston Churchill. I don’t care what people say about me on the internet, I don’t care what the ratings are. Because guess what? When we get a rating? The next week, we forget about the week before and we’re on to the next thing.”
Don Callis would then reveal that his ambition goes far beyond the now in pro wrestling. “I don’t care what people say about me now. I care about what people say about Kenny Omega and Don Callis 50 years from now. When people are saying ‘we thought Eddie Graham, Bill Watts, Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon were smart?’ Don Callis and Kenny Omega are on a totally different level.”
‘The Invisible Hand’ would finish by again rubbishing the comparisons to Bockwinkel and Heenan. “That’s just the reality. So Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan? Great, great, wrestlers. Kenny Omega is not a wrestler, Kenny Omega is a God among insects. That’s how much better Kenny Omega is than everybody else.”
Do you agree with Don Callis? Do you think that he and Kenny Omega are carving out a path that will put them in the history books? Let us know in the comments
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
Jericho would begin the interview by asking Kenny Omega how he felt about finally getting the AEW Championship. Much had been made of the AEW EVPs (The Young Bucks and Omega in particular) not being ‘the same’ performers they were in Japan before creating All Elite. Omega would state that he was ready to be the ‘Best Bout Machine’ again.
Kenny Omega on Becoming AEW Champion
“I felt that it was time” Kenny Omega began on the podcast. “I felt that I’d waited long enough kind of trying to help everyone else out. It was time to help myself, and when I had sort of made that decision? I thought, who better to do it with than one of my family members, you know?”
Omega would then discuss how the pairing with him and Don Callis would align on AEW and IMPACT programming. “Even though he was involved with a different company had other business to attend to? He made himself available. I think you can really tell when you’re comfortable with someone in a ring, comfortable with someone in a professional environment. Don and I working together? It just goes hand in hand.”
“I think that’s why people enjoy it (Kenny Omega and Callis)” Kenny Omega would continue. “Because they see that, they see the chemistry there. They also see one of the greatest managers, one of the greatest wrestling personalities of all time with, arguably, I would say; the greatest wrestler currently active in today’s world.”
Are you enjoying the start of Kenny Omega’s run as AEW Champion? Do you think that he’ll appear in more promotions? Let us know in the comments
Callis appeared on Figure Four Daily and spoke to Bryan Alvarez about his recent actions. During the discussion, Alvarez asked Callis if he’s received any blowback from Impact for letting another promotion’s champion run rough shot on their show.
“Blowback? Bryan, Kenny Omega, and I are the most talked about thing in professional wrestling and have been for the last 2.5 weeks,” Callis responded. “When you are that big, no one can touch you. Cause you know what they think? They think ‘gee, I kind of wish Don had clued us in but we have Kenny Omega on our show and over a million people saw the Kenny Omega Don Callis interview.”
He added, “Over a million people saw the Tony Khan infomercial.’ Those numbers don’t lie, Bryan Alvarez. So, the words that Impact might be looking for is ‘hey, this is great!'”
Callis continued to talk about how this is an opportunity for someone like Impact World Champion Rich Swann to show the world what he’s capable of.
“Rich Swann is one of the most competitive athletes I’ve ever been around,” Callis continued. “So, all I’ve done is given someone opportunity, Bryan. Here’s your opportunity to get in the ring with the best wrestler in the world, Kenny Omega, with the Good Brothers, and show everyone who you are, and do it in front of more people than you ever dreamed possible. If you call that running rough shot, I call that making dreams come true, Bryan.”
Don Callis Hints At What Might Come Next
Callis was then asked if he can let fans know what might be coming next in the angle.
“This may go on, as my record suggests, for many, many years,” Callis responded. “When you want to imagine what that next move could be, imagine something so big that you didn’t think it was possible and then magnify that by a thousandfold and you might be getting in the ballpark of what’s next.”
The full interview from Figure Four Daily is available here.
IMPACT Wrestling EVP and the ‘Invisible Hand’ behind the AEW Champion Don Callis recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Callis discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, these included the buzz he and Kenny Omega have created and how his ‘family’ member is the best professional wrestler on the planet.
Callis would begin by discussing how the situation now is different for Omega, compared to when he was the ‘top guy’ in New Japan Pro Wrestling. “If you think about it? I don’t want to speak for Kenny, we haven’t spoken about this…but being the top guy in Japan? It is a very different proposition than coming in and being the face of a brand new wrestling promotion that everybody’s talking about.”
Throughout Omega’s initial run in AEW he has been portrayed as a babyface character. Don Callis would say that the rejuvenated ‘Cleaner’ esque style we’re now seeing is Omega being ‘comfortable’ in AEW.
Don Callis on Kenny Omega
“I think Kenny, just for the last year, didn’t feel totally comfortable and totally like he could be himself. One of the nice things about family? We feel comfortable, we feel we can be ourselves. And I think because of the bond that Kenny and I have that goes back two and a half decades? I think Kenny feels that he can be himself when I’m there.”
Callis would also discuss the dynamic that he and Omega have on screen. “I think that we feed off each other. Dave Meltzer has described it over and over again as a Heenan/Bockwinkel type of dynamic; where both parties feed off the other one and it’s made to be a superior tandem. And I think that’s what we’ve seen, Kenny’s just comfortable and he’s comfortable being himself. I think Kenny would probably tell you that he’s just so much better at this than everybody else, and he really is. I mean, Kenny is the top wrestler on the planet, and number two is not close.”
Do you agree with Don Callis? Do you think that Kenny Omega is the best wrestler on the planet? Let us know in the comments
IMPACT Wrestling EVP and the ‘Invisible Hand’ behind the AEW Champion Don Callis recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Callis discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, these included the buzz he and Kenny Omega have created and how his ‘family’ member is the best professional wrestler on the planet.
“I’ve said it on IMPACT” Don Callis would begin on Busted Open. “I didn’t get back in this business [just] to do the Killing The Town podcast. I certainly didn’t get back in it to be a commentator, there was always a plan. And it was? It was playing the long game.”
With Don Callis and Kenny Omega transitioning between both IMPACT and AEW over the past week, it has created some massive intrigue across the wrestling landscape. Callis would discuss how he and Omega have created a ‘buzz’ in wrestling, something that has been somewhat lacking over the past year or so with the pandemic.
Don Callis on ‘Buzz’
“One of the side benefits of that has been buzz” Callis would continue. “Buzz is one of the things that I think is difficult to create. If everyone could create it? Then everyone would have it, and everyone doesn’t have it. I don’t set out to try to make buzz or those sorts of things? But I do set out with a grand plan. I’ve always been big plan motivated.”
“I care about what happens in history, and they say the winners get to write the history” Callis stated. “Kenny Omega and I right now are in a position where we are writing the history. Two guys from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, are the talk of the wrestling business. We have not once, but twice, changed the entire wrestling business.”
Are you excited about the ongoing Kenny Omega and Don Callis storyline? Who do you want to see Kenny Omega face in IMPACT and elsewhere? Let us know in the comments
The ‘Winter Is Coming’ themed episode of AEW Dynamite featured many surprises including the involvement of Impact wrestling VP Don Callis in the AEW World title match between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega.
Callis was in the commentary for this bout and he eventually made his way to the ring. He checked on Omega after a tough suplex on the floor and Callis then tried to pursue the referee to stop the fight, saying that Kenny was hurt.
This resulted in Mox blasting the Impact Executive with a punch. However, the mic Callis was holding ended up in the ring due to Jon’s punch and Kenny Omega used it to his advantage by hitting the AEW Champion with the microphone.
He went on to hit Moxley with a one winged angel and Kenny Omega became the new AEW World Champion after pinning the former WWE star.
Callis then grabbed the AEW title and helped Omega to get backstage and into a waiting vehicle. Alex Marvez tried asking Callis what just happened and he responded by saying that we will find out about it on Tuesday at Impact.
Impact Wrestling’s official Twitter account later retweeted a video of the segment and when a fan accused Don Callis of screwing AEW, he simply responded by saying ‘AEW screwed AEW’:
All these signs point towards a new partnership between the two promotions. We still don’t know the details of this partnership but it does open a plethora of new possibilities.
One such interesting possibility is the potential of exchanging talents which could lead to a Bullet Club reunion between Omega and the team of Gallows and Anderson. Stay tuned for more updates.
Impact Wrestling has been going all out teasing wrestling fans that some free agents will be appearing at Slammiversary on July 18th. On this week’s show, it was noted on commentary that what happens at Slammiversary will change the company’s course for possibly years to come. The tagline for the event is “Our World Will Change.”
On the Impact post-show with Jimmy Jacobs and Don Callis last night, the co-Vice President of the company teased that another name could be on their way to the promotion. Callis noted that he learned a lot from this person beginning in 1999. That was the year Callis began working for Extreme Championship Wrestling.
“So, Jimmy, you might want to bring your autograph book because I just got the scoop. Someone who we didn’t even think was available might be coming, I’m just saying,” Callis said. “I’ll say this, I learned a lot from him, Jimmy, I learned a lot from him from 99 to 2001, do your homework, everyone. All you internet people out there, you figure out, who am I talking about? Who’s undergone some changes recently?”
A few names are possible here. One is Gabe Sapolsky, who was a writer with ECW from 1993 until the company closed in 2001. Sapolsky had been with EVOLVE but the company recently announced a hiatus in the wake of the global pandemic.
Another option here is Lance Storm, who was recently furloughed or released by WWE. Storm closed down the Storm Wrestling Academy last year to accept the position with WWE. He had actually worked at least one taping for Impact in a similar role before signing with WWE.
Many fans have suggested Paul Heyman as someone Callis could be referring to here. Heyman is still under a performer’s contract with WWE, however, in spite of being let go from the creative team. It’s not clear when Heyman’s contract as a performer with WWE is up.
Steve Corino is a dark horse possibility here too. Corino is currently a trainer in NXT and there has been no news that he was released or furloughed but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened and the news simply hasn’t leaked out.
Another dark horse theory suggested by some is Joey Styles. The reasoning here being that Callis and Styles worked commentary together from 99-01. Callis mentioned the person recently “underwent some changes” though, and there hasn’t really been any news relating to Styles since he left the industry in late 2016.
Co-Executive VP of IMPACT Don Callis recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. The former ECW personality discussed how the brand has grown throughout 2019; with the likes of Tessa Blanchard, Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards being given the chance to shine on the AXS Network show.
IMPACT Roster
“I look at our roster and I’ll put that up against any roster in the industry” Callis began. “Our top eight is real, real solid and you get guys like [Tommy] Dreamer on the roster who, you know…I used to call my my good buddy Kenny Omega the best bout machine. I call Tommy the Best Pop machine because He always gets the biggest pop.”
Callis would then go on to praise the IMPACT roster and talked about how the move to AXS TV has been very beneficial to the brand. IMPACT moved over to the AXS back in October, after their parent company Anthem purchased the network. This not only propelled IMPACT to a much wider audience; but it also was the catalyst to have New Japan Pro Wrestling removed from the network. Thus impeding on their own efforts to advance in the North American market.
Arguably, since Don Callis and Scott D’Amore took over the brand back in 2018 there has been an uplift in the quality of IMPACT’s programming. The show has been critically acclaimed for its ability to build newer stars, such as Trey Miguel and Ace Austin.
“We have a lot of great talent, men and women who work their work, their tails off. And they’re there to to get the product over.” Callis then finished by saying that “obviously being on AXS is great for us, because we’re able to reach a much wider audience”
You can listen to Busted Open Radio every day via SiriusXM. Or catch the Podcast version of the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or your favourite podcast host.
Impact Wrestling executive Don Callis recently appeared on Konnan’s “Keepin it 100” podcast. During the conversation, he was asked by Disco Inferno about AEW and NXT. Disco Inferno implied during the conversation that AEW perhaps should have decided to go head-to-head with RAW on Monday nights.
The conversation was posted to the “Keepin it 100” YouTube channel:
Don Callis Comments on AEW and NXT Going Head To Head
“It seems like Tony Khan has wanted to make this their own thing and not make it about going after Vince, at least that’s what I think they have said publicly over and over again,” Callis said on the show after Disco suggested that AEW should have gone head-to-head with RAW. “So, if you want to do your own thing you say ‘you know what? We think people will follow us and we’ll be destination programming.”
Callis would continue to talk about the AEW roster.
“They’ve got some wonderful talent. Our boy, Chris Jericho, is the AEW World Champion,” Callis continued. Konnan then mentioned that Callis something of a mentor to Kenny Omega.
“I think the correct term is guru more than mentor,” Callis corrected Konnan. “Spiritual advisor to Kenny.”
