Impact Wrestling: What’s Next For Sami Callihan?

Sami Callihan lost his hair (and a few more marbles) at the 2018 Slammiversary pay per view. Following this defeat, at the hands of Pentagon Jr, what’s next for the deranged lunatic and Impact Wrestling?

Sami Callihan is one of the most in-demand talents on the independent wrestling circuit. Seemingly booked on every show that’s not branded WWE, Sami is in an enviable position. There is truth in his self-proclaimed nickname, The Draw; the Ohio Versus Everything leader is attracting attention wherever he chooses to ply his bloody trade…

While showcased on television, via Lucha Underground and MLW, Callihan’s most notable work of late has seen him earn stella reviews for his work with Eddie Edwards and Pentagon Jr within the confines of an Impact Wrestling ring.

After, accidentally, caving Edwards head in with a baseball bat, in a stunt gone wrong, this incident propelled both performers to the top of the card. Management and performers both capitalised on this incident and made money off the subsequent fallout.

Eddie became a vengeance-seeking, at-any-cost, vigilante. Sami, taunted Eddie’s friends and family and left a horrific trail of physical and psychological damage in his wake. Both wrestlers even produced t-shirts to commemorate the horrendous occasion!

Versus Pentagon, Sami kept things simple: he wanted to strip the luchadour of his defining characteristic, his history, his heritage…his mask. Ripping, clawing and using the OVE numbers, Sami used any and all nefarious means to humiliate the former Impact Wrestling World Champion. At Slammiversary, Callihan failed and, as per the match stipulation, was stripped of his hair.

However, even in defeat, Sami built his reputation further. Match of the night (possibly year?) honours were reigned down on the Mask vs Hair war. If new to these feuds, I highly recommend you check out the replays or YouTube highlights (above and below); Sami is a major contributing factor in the resurgence of this company and his value should not be underestimated.

So, where to next for the deranged sociopath? Let’s look at a few possibilities…

Johnny Impact could be a good diversion for Callihan. Johnny is a great talent in the ring, but is in need of a little extra ‘something’ to get him over as a character. The man of ever-changing surnames is not a strong promo man. His character is a nice guy who is meant to have a mean streak. Problem being, Impact comes across as someone pretending to have a mean streak. He’s simply too nice a guy and not a good enough actor to convince.

Credit: impactwrestling.com

Enter Sami Callihan. Callihan could be a perfect foil for The Mayor of Slamtown. The deranged, newly scalped Callihan is the polar opposite of the pretty boy, tv star, Johnny Impact. Callihan can help provide the edge that Impact is missing.

A paranoid, post-shave Callihan, could take exception to the ultimate pretty boy and make smashing in Johnny’s perfect face his new past time. A series of matches with Callihan can really show Johnny’s mean streak, and show the audience a real intensity that Impact’s promos fail to deliver. Callihan can elevate Johnny and continue to be part of the main event rotation in this scenario.

Moose versus Callihan would see, the self proclaimed, ‘Mr Impact Wrestling’ taking on ‘The Draw’. Fresh off his loss to, World Champion, Austin Aries, Moose needs to return hot. Having put on a career best performance at Slammiversary, Moose and Sami could be out to avenge their respective losses.

What better way than to fight over who really is the face of Impact Wrestling going into 2019? Moose needs to be built further before his inevitable return to the championship scene. Callihan can pit his devious, winning by any means necessary attitude against the ultimate sportsman. Opposites attract and can then explode!!

https://twitter.com/TheMooseNation/status/1021489029391503360?s=19

Eddie Edwards attacked Austin Aries on the post-Slammiversary Impact. Still playing a tweener role, if Edwards is on a path of redemption and seeking the crowds favour once more, could we see a title change and a resumption of the Callihan/Edwards with a world title in the mix?

Credit: impactwrestling.com

In truth, there was never a definitive pay off match for this feud. After attempting murder in some backwoods nightmare, Sami got away and Tommy Dreamer became the target of the psychotic Eddie. Maybe Impact’s feud of the year this far will resume on their biggest stage…Bound for Glory? This rivalry has further chapters to be written.

This is the tip of the iceberg for Sami Callihan. Brian Cage, the newly re-signed, Eli Drake, Impact’s other resident psychopath, Killer Kross, might want to be the only functioning maniac on the roster – Sami Callihan versus *fill in the blank*, means interested fans and happy bean counters.

Sami Callihan can be used to build others (as with Eddie, Impact and Moose) or Impact could recognise what Sami could be: the pillar that holds up the house. The cornerstone and essential building block for a company on the rise.

Come what may, Sami is destined for the Impact World Title. I don’t think that can be argued. As long as the Ohio Death Machine stays healthy, hungry and continues to perfect his craft, gold will feature in his, not too distant future.

Sami Callihan debuted at Bound for Glory 2017 and took the mantle of Ohio Versus Everything. On that night Sami began changing my perception of the former, Solomon Crowe.

Today, it’s O.V.I…

Ohio. Versus. Impact.

The takeover has begun.