Sami Callihan isn’t "afraid to trigger" people by pushing boundaries.
The Impact Wrestling star – who will be facing current world champion Brian Cage for the title at ‘Bound For Glory’ on Sunday (20.10.19) – has opened up on what it means for him to push the envelope at a time when many fans have been getting nostalgic for an "edgy product".
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I’m not doing anything that wasn’t done in the early 90s, but people asked for the Attitude Era.
"I think Impact Wrestling and myself, we’re the only company giving you the Attitude Era. We’re not afraid to offend some people, we’re not afraid to trigger some people, we’re not afraid to walk that line and truly give an edgy product."
The 32-year-old brawler – who shocked fans when he hit Brian’s wife Melissa Santos with the dangerous Cactus Driver maneuver last week – also revealed how the world of horror movies has made a big impression on his character, which is constantly evolving in order to stay relevant and ahead of the game.
He explained: "When I first started breaking out and I was trying to find myself in the early 2000s, I did this character called the New Horror.
"At the beginning of it, it was very 60s, 70s Universal movie monster. Then I realised, OK, that got me as far as I can go and I evolved that into the ‘Devils Rejects’, ‘House of 1,000 Corpses’ type person. And then from that I just continued to evolve and evolve.
"There’s a lot more that goes on in my mind than people have any clue about, things aren’t just spontaneous. They’re very meticulously planned, and every couple of years I make sure I do something to keep myself in the news, or I do something to reinvent my character."
Sami’s outspoken and aggressive style can sometimes rub fans the wrong way, but he is ready to prove all his critics wrong as he looks to become the undisputed face of Impact Wrestling after this weekend’s championship match.
He said: "I’m not usually the guy that people want as the face of the company. I’m not the guy people want on top, but I scratched and I clawed and I pretty much told every doubter out there to kiss my ass.
"Look at it, I’m about to become the Impact World Heavyweight champion. The entire world’s going to have to listen.
"I wasn’t complacent sitting down in Florida collecting a pay cheque. I quit, I walked out. I didn’t fail – that place failed me and I think I’ve proved that now."
Sami Callihan isn’t scared to ‘trigger’ and offend fans with edgy style
