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Don Callis Discusses Kenny Omega, Possibility of Omega Joining Impact Wrestling

Posted By: Caylon Knox on Jul 01, 2018

Don Callis Discusses Kenny Omega, Possibility of Omega Joining Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling co-Executive Vice President Don Callis was recently a guest on Jim Ross'sĀ Ross ReportĀ and talked about current New Japan Pro Wrestling IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega.

On his work with Kenny Omega:

ā€œIā€™ve been on this journey with Kenny Omega since he was a 16 year old kid who I booked. I gave him his first break wrestling for the promotion I had in Winnipeg [Canada]. And his uncle, The Golden Sheik, who was an indie wrestler in Winnipeg helped train me in the [pro wrestling] business in 1989, so my roots with Kenny go back many years. Iā€™ve been on this journey with him, and specifically since Iā€™ve been in New Japan and we have a very close relationship. We talk about ideas, we do things, I helped put together the match between him and Chris [Jericho] for the Tokyo Dome, so to see Kenny, and how hard he works, and how seriously he takes this business, how he wants to change the business for the positive, to see that kind of manifest itself in this huge victory [over Kazuchika Okada], it was just such aā€¦ I donā€™t knowā€¦ euphoric, great feeling. Iā€™m like, ā€˜yeah, in wrestling sometimes we get sā€“t right and we really got it right.'ā€

On Omegaā€™s status in the industry:

ā€œWe all know heā€™s a tremendous athlete, world class athlete, but where Kenny has really differentiated himself is in the storytelling aspect and the psychology. And, as we know, psychology is one of the hardest things to get down in this business. I think I still donā€™t have it to this day. And Kenny [has] just become a master at telling these great stories that make sense. Itā€™s like when Bret Hart would do something in the first minute of the match and then at the 20-minute mark, youā€™d be able to call back to it and it was all part of his strategy and his storytelling. Kennyā€™s like that, but with Kenny, those callbacks go back a year, a year-and-a-half, and he [has] just become such a compelling guy. He really is, in my view, I call him a revolutionary because he is all about changing the business for the better. Heā€™s not a mark for any particular place or any particular idea of a big money contract. He really wants to make his mark on the wrestling business. This is not a guy who would cheat wrestling just because. Heā€™s doing it because he wants to impact change both in wrestling and I think he has social message, as well, to put out there. He really is unique. I compare him to Prince in terms of just being totally super-skilled and totally with a different agenda than everyone else.ā€

On Omega possibly appearing on Impact:

ā€œI kind of say, ā€˜never say ā€˜neverā€ and I think that one of the things that weā€™ve been doing under Ed Nordholm here at Impact is breaking some longstanding paradigms of pro wrestling. The intellectual property stuff that weā€™ve talked about before, but also weā€™ve been working with multiple people now and now recently announced by Chris Jericho and I know [Ross] will be on that cruise, so thatā€™ll be cool, get to have a beer together. Itā€™s going to be Impact and Ring Of Honor on the same cruise ship, so thereā€™s some stuff thatā€™s probably going to happen and I donā€™t think you can have those talents in a closed environment like that, so we are working, in a sense if you take that, with Ring Of Honor right now. Weā€™ve got Taiji Ishimori coming in for our pay-per-view and our TV in July. The Bone Soldier just started with New Japan, so weā€™ll see what happens. How many people wouldā€™ve thought that Chris Jericho wouldā€™ve headlined the Tokyo Dome with New Japan Pro-Wrestling? I was so sheepish when I pitched it to him because he always told me, ā€˜I will never work for anyone except Vince McMahon and I have a deep respect for Vince.ā€™ Obviously, he took Vince into consideration. Vince is the first guy he told about it. Nevertheless, it shocked me that Chris was on a New Japan show, so Iā€™ve learned to say, ā€˜never say ā€˜neverā€ in this business.ā€

Source: The Ross Report and WrestlingInc.com
Tags: #impact wrestling #njpw #bullet club #don callis #kenny omega

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