Don Callis Comments on Winning Observer’s Best Non-Wrestler of the Year Award

Don Callis hasn’t taken kindly to being voted as the best non-wrestler in the 2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards. This is the second time he has won this award, having won it the first time in 2023. Callis joined Wrestling Observer Live on Friday, where he labelled his victory as “insulting.”

Callis said that it’s insulting because he still considers himself a wrestler. “That’s insulting because I still consider myself a wrestler, as evidenced by anyone who has seen me throw a punch or a chop. If you look at the other slugs that are on that list, not one of them could ever hit a Northern Lights Suplex, do the Ox Baker top-rope knee drop like Don ‘By God’ Callis did back in the day. While the rest of the people on that list are for sure non-wrestlers, I am more of just an overall supernova in this industry. I’ve done whatever I’ve wanted in various sectors of it. Maybe we can rename the award the Don Callis Award,” he said [H/T: Wrestling Observer].

Paul Heyman, who has won this award 10 times, finished in second spot this year. Callis had some kind words for the WWE Hall of Famer. He continued, “That’s a great showing for Paul, for sure. I’m happy for him that he was able to accumulate a third of the votes that I was. Paul did a lot for me in my early career, and I always have a soft spot for Paul.”

On Konosuke Takeshita winning the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Year award, Don Callis said:

“The first member of the Don Callis family was Takeshita, and he was handpicked by me. A lot of people said, ‘Who is this kid?’ Why is Don Callis so interested? Why does Don Callis go to a PWG show and miss something in Tokyo so he can scout him? Because I have an eye for talent. Everything Takeshita has accomplished, IWGP champion, Most Outstanding Wrestler, is because of me and his association with the family.”