Sami Callihan Has No Plans to Retire Bat – ‘Why Would I? This is Wrestling’

– Sami Callihan spoke with WrestleZone about the fallout from his baseball bat attack on Eddie Edwards and more. Highlights from the interview are below:

On what he was thinking as he hit Edwards with the bat: “I’m kind of getting sick of this topic at this point. This is professional wrestling and the fact that this is such an issue boggles my mind. The fact that so many of the boys in the back are so upset. The fact that so many of the fans are upset. They say I need to take responsibility and apologize for my actions. It’s absolutely ridiculous. Did Owen Hart apologize to Stone Cold after he broke his neck? Did he go out and say, ‘I am so sorry for hurting this guy!’ Did Bubba Ray Dudley go out on TV and social media and apologize after the first One Night Stand PPV for almost ripping off Tommy Dreamer’s ear with a reckless kendo stick shot? I don’t think so. That’s why this is such a stupid, status quo conversation. Sure, I hit a dude in the face with a baseball bat. You can see in my eyes I’m thinking, ‘Oh crap, I just hit a dude in the face with a baseball bat,’ but I didn’t feel bad about it and I don’t apologize for it.”

On if he’s spoken with Edwards since: “I legit maybe only saw him for thirty seconds and then they were rushing him out to the ambulance. We haven’t really talked because he isn’t answering my calls. I am just letting him be.”

On people in the industry criticizing him: “Jim Cornette, in particular, maybe it’s time that you quit being a hypocrite and look at things you’ve done in your career. You got knocked off a scaffold in a stupid spot, in my opinion, didn’t get caught and broke both your ankles. Was that a big issue? No, it wasn’t. So shut your mouth and kiss my ass.”

On refusing to retire the baseball bat from use in matches: “Why would I? This is pro wrestling. I just landed on a goldmine. I’m about to start selling baseball bats, t-shirts and everything else because I don’t care who I offend at this point. I don’t care who gets all butt hurt. At this point I am going to be me. I am done walking on eggshells. I know what is right, I know what is correct and I know I am about to make a ton of money.”

On whether he would retire the bat if it happens again: “I don’t know. It’s something I’ve done a ton of times before but… you know, I’m ‘unsafe’. I’m ‘dangerous. I’m ‘untrained’. I don’t care. That’s the point. I am not listening to anyone’s opinions. It’s my decision at this point and everything I do in my life is my decision. I do not have to listen to anyone.”

On the episode being the most-watched in seven months: “It wasn’t just the baseball bat incident. It was me and Eddie Edwards in the main event having a killer match. No one knew how bad this baseball bat incident was. People thought it was just something little. People tuned in to see Eddie and I kill it in the main event and that is what we did. When you think about it, is it a coincidence that Impact does it’s highest rating in months with me on top? No. I am the draw. I am the draw. Lucha Underground. Same thing. The draw. AAW. Same thing. The draw. House of Hardcore… there is a reason Dreamer always has me in the main event when they go to the ECW Arena. He knows that no one else is going to have a better match than me. That’s because I am the draw.”

On whether he has anything special planned for Crossroads: “Me and my oVe boys are going to do what we always do. Dave Crist and Jake Crist are my boys and have been underutilized and underused for years. Now we are on top and we can show people what we can do. Now, Impact, everyone is talking about it and I think that oVe being on top has a lot to do with that. Like it or not, we are not going anywhere. People say that Impact is going to fire me over the incident, no. I am going to be on top. I hold the keys to my own destiny. Some kid texted me the other day and said, ‘Dude, you’re a legend.’ The more I think about it, it’s for all the wrong reasons. You know what? Screw it at this point. If people want to say I am unsafe or dangerous. If my peers and the fans want to go out of their way to question me and critique my work, you know what… f*ck it at this point. I’m just going to be legendary for all the wrong reasons.”