Sam Johnston (wrestler)
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Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987) is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
and promoter, better known by the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Sami Callihan, currently signed with
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
and is a former
Impact World Champion The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result ...
. He also wrestled for
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
under the ring names Jeremiah Crane, and later, Jeremiah Snake, and on the
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
. He has worked for several independent promotions throughout the United States. He found the most success in
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
(CZW) and
Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...
(MLW), but has also wrestled for
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Pr ...
, Evolve,
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
,
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
,
Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the President while Trevin Adams is the ...
, and
All American Wrestling AAW Wrestling (AAW) or AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined and formerly known as All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area - originally holding shows in Berwyn, Illinois, an ...
. In CZW, he held the
CZW Iron Man Championship The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion. The championship was created and debuted on February 13, 1999, at CZW's Opening Night event. The title is currently inact ...
, the
CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship The CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship was a professional hardcore wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion. The title was introduced on February 5, 2005 at CZW's Only the Strong event. It has since been re ...
, and the
CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling)#Weight class championships, junior heavyweight championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) Professional wrestling promotion, ...
, and won the 2012 Best of the Best tournament. He also worked for
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
from 2013 to 2015, appearing in
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
under the ring name Solomon Crowe. He also runs an independent wrestling promotion called The Wrestling Revolver.


Professional wrestling career


Independent circuit (2006–2013)

Shortly after his debut, Callihan became a member of "The Crew" faction, which also consisted of
Jon Moxley Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wr ...
, Dick Rick and
Pepper Parks Jesse Guilmette (born June 3, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name The Blade. He is best known for his tag team work with The Butcher under the name The Butcher and the Bl ...
. Callihan began regularly competing for the
Heartland Wrestling Association The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 199 ...
, and faced wrestlers including
Chad Collyer Chad Collyer (born December 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. Professional wrestling career Collyer attended Manchester College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He was an accomplished amateur wrestler, winning mult ...
and
Nigel McGuinness Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a color ...
. He competed in Chikara's 2008 Young Lions Tournament but did not win the tournament. He advanced to the finals of the 2008 Ted Petty Invitational tournament with victories over
Chris Hero Chris Spradlin (born December 24, 1979), better known by his ring name Chris Hero, is an American professional wrestler and trainer. He is currently signed to Ring of Honor as a producer. Hero has worked for a number of independent wrestling pr ...
,
Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Kingston started his wrestling career in 2002, and has wrestled for numerous ...
and
2 Cold Scorpio Charles Bernard Scaggs (born October 25, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name 2 Cold Scorpio (sometimes spelled Too Cold Scorpio). He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extrem ...
. On September 28, 2008, he competed for the
HWA Heavyweight Championship The HWA Heavyweight Championship was the heavyweight title contested in the Heartland Wrestling Association. Title history See also *Heartland Wrestling Association The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent pro ...
in a
three-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, also involving
Drake Younger Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
, but lost to
Jake Crist The Crist Brothers were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers David Crist Jr. and John Crist, who are best known by their ring names Dave Crist and Jake Crist, they are best known for their time with Impact Wrestling ...
. On November 26, 2008, he was eliminated by HWA Heavyweight Champion Jake Crist in the Thanksgiving Eve eight-man tag team elimination match. In a rematch on October 1, 2008, he was again defeated by Jake Crist. In 2011, Callihan made it to the final of the first Heartland Cup tournament against Jake Crist. Callihan began wrestling for IPW throughout 2006 as "Cannonball Sami" until late 2006 when he underwent a name change to Sami Callihan. In 2007 at ''IPW Reign Of The Insane 6th Anniversary Show'' Callihan gained entry into the ''IPW 2007 Super Junior Heavyweight tournament'' beating Dustin Rayz, xOMGx, and Louis Linaris to qualify, but lost in the first round to Diehard. In 2008 at ''Uprising'' Callihan began feuding with IPW Junior Heavyweight Champion Billy Roc after a controversial double pin in a four-way match for the title, also involving
Ricochet A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
and
Shiima Xion Michael Paris (born October 5, 1986) is a American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Smackdown brand, under the ring name Joaquin Wilde. He is a member of Legado Del Fantasma. Paris began his career in 2004 ...
. The next month at ''Legally Insane'' Callihan and Roc teamed up in a losing effort against "The Messiahs of a New Age" of Dustin Rayz and Lou Roberts. Callihan and Roc would have their first singles match for the Junior Heavyweight Championship at ''Heatstroke'' which ended in a time limit draw. The next month at ''Crowning Point'' Callihan and Roc wrestled in a Pure Rules match, which ended in a
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal Trial (law), trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the def ...
, and the pair faced off at ''IPW Reign of the Insane 7th Anniversary'' in a ladder match in which Callihan beat Roc for the IPW Junior Heavyweight Championship. The next month at the ''IPW Super Junior Heavyweight Tournament'' Callihan defeated Q Skillz, CJ Otis, and Justin Andrews en route to the final, where he lost the Junior Heavyweight Championship to Aaron Williams. Callihan would not make another appearance for IPW until late 2009 at ''Reign of the Insane Stage 2 8th Anniversary'' losing to James Avery. On May 18, 2010, he defeated Toby Klein at the
JC Bailey Joseph Carl Bailey Jr. (August 23, 1983 – August 30, 2010) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name J. C. Bailey. He wrestled for numerous American-based professional wrestling promotions including Combat Zone Wres ...
benefit show. Callihan returned to competing regularly for IPW in 2011. At ''IPW Showdown In Naptown'' Callihan defeated
Kyle O'Reilly Kyle Edward Greenwood (born March 1, 1987) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under the ring name Kyle O'Reilly. He is also known for his time in Ring of Hono ...
, and later that night formed an alliance with IPW World Heavyweight Champion
Jimmy Jacobs Christopher Scoville (born February 17, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He was recently signed to Impact Wrestling as a member of the creative team and producer. He is best known for his 1 ...
by saving him from an attack by Dustin Rayz and Sweet Lou Roberts. On May 7, 2011, at ''Keep the Faith'' Callihan would wrestle in a four-way match also involving Jake Crist,
A. R. Fox Thomas James "T. J." Ballester (born September 5, 1987), better known by his ring name A. R. Fox, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is also known for his work in promotions like Combat Zone Wrestlin ...
, and
Zack Sabre Jr. Lucas Eatwell (born 24 July 1987), better known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. (Katakana: ザック・セイバーJr, ''Zakku Seibā Jr.''), is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Outside ...
with Fox winning the match. On June 18 at ''Revelations'' Callihan defeated Jake Crist for the vacant IPW World Heavyweight Championship. Callihan held the championship until November 7, 2011, at ''Insane Intentions'', when he lost it to Jake Crist in a triple threat match that also involved
B. J. Whitmer Benjamin Whitmer (born January 25, 1978), better known by the ring name B. J. Whitmer, is an American professional wrestler, producer, trainer, and color commentator. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a producer. He is bes ...
. On May 29, 2009, Callihan debuted for Pro Wrestling Syndicate at their ''Brawl For Paul'' event, where he lost a four-way match, also involving Xavier,
Monsta Mack Steven Carrasquillo (born May 3, 1979) is an American professional wrestler better known as Monsta Mack. He is perhaps best known for his stint in Ring of Honor with Dan "Mafia" Maff as the tag team Da Hit Squad. Mack currently performs on the ...
, and winner
Trent Acid Michael Verdi (November 12, 1980 – June 18, 2010), best known by his ring name Trent Acid, was an American professional wrestler. He worked as a tag team wrestler for most of his career, primarily as part of The Backseat Boyz with Johnny Kashm ...
. On August 10, 2010, Callihan was part of The ''PWS Majestic Twelve Title Tournament''. In the opening round he teamed with
Dan Maff Daniel Lopez (born October 28, 1973), better known by his ring name Dan Maff, is an American professional wrestler, known for his time with Ring of Honor (ROH). Professional wrestling career Da Hit Squad Lopez attended Jersey All Pro Wrestling (J ...
to defeat Adam Cole and Bandido Jr, and went on to defeat Maff in the second. In the final Callihan pinned Danny Demanto, but was then pinned by Devon Moore. On May 27, 2011, Callihan defeated Dan Maff, and then defeated Devon Moore to win the PWS Heavyweight Championship in a match that included run-ins by Kevin Matthews, Maff, Danny Demanto,
Velvet Sky Jamie Lynn Szantyr (born June 2, 1981) is an American color commentator and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to NWA. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Velvet Sky. She is a ...
, and
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador. Foley worked for m ...
. He went to defend the championship against
Colt Cabana Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same d ...
,
Jay Lethal Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Dubbed "The Franchise" of Ring of Honor, Lethal is a two-time ROH World Champion, ...
, and
The Great Muta is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Ne ...
.


Ring of Honor (2008–2009)

On November 11, 2008 Callihan made his
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
debut at ''Escalation'' in a losing effort in a four-corner survival match also involving
Go Shiozaki is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion where he is the former GHC Heavyweight Champion in a record breaking fifth reign. He made his debut for the promotion in July 2004 and remained with it unti ...
,
Rhett Titus Everett Lawrence Titus (born September 15, 1987) is an American professional wrestler working for Ring of Honor (ROH). where he is a former ROH World Television Champion, an overall two-time ROH Tag Team Champion individually, as well as winn ...
, and Grizzly Redwood. Callihan appeared on the inaugural episode of ''
Ring of Honor Wrestling ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', often shortened as ''ROH Wrestling TV'' or ''ROH TV'', is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). The series featured professional wrestlers competing in matches and condu ...
'' on
HDNet AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat sport ...
, which aired on March 21, losing to
Kenny King Kenneth, Ken or Kenny King may refer to: Ken King * Ken King (born 1971), American politician and businessman * Ken King (ice hockey) (1952–2020), Canadian sports executive Kenneth King * Kenneth George King or Jonathan King (born 1944), Englis ...
.


Combat Zone Wrestling (2008–2013; 2015–2018)

Callihan made his CZW debut at "Summer School" on June 14, 2008. At the 2008
Chri$ Ca$h Christopher John Bauman Jr. (July 13, 1982 – August 18, 2005) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chri$ Ca$h. Bauman wrestled in many independent promotions, but is known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, ...
Memorial Show, he won the Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Battle Royal. He defeated
LuFisto Genevieve Goulet (born February 15, 1980), better known by the ring name LuFisto, is a French Canadian professional wrestler. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (1997–present) LuFisto began training when she was 17 years old in ...
to earn a spot in the main event at ''Cage Of Death X''. At the ''Decade of Destruction – 10th Anniversary'' show on February 14, 2009, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Callihan defeated Jon Dahmer; originally the match was supposed to be Dahmer versus E.M.O., but as E.M.O. was making his way to the ring, the Arena's video screens showed Callihan arguing with CZW management and demanding a title match. Management denied his request, and instead told him that if he defeated Dahmer he could have a title match whenever he wanted. This led to Callihan attacking E.M.O. and taking his spot in the match against Dahmer, which he then won after a distraction by the debuting Jon Moxley who was fleeing from security through the crowd. Later, it would be revealed that Callihan and Moxley were partners, and in that same night Callihan went to the ring after CZW Iron Man Champion
Brain Damage Neurotrauma, brain damage or brain injury (BI) is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors. In general, brain damage refers to significant, undiscriminating t ...
and his Cult Fiction tag team partner Deranged had lost a match to The H8 Club. He brought a
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
with him, and after Callihan threatened him, the referee sanctioned an immediate match, which Callihan won to become the new champion. At the ''Eye for an Eye'' event on April 13, Callihan declared that the championship would now be known as the "CZW New Horror Championship". On June 13, 2009, Callihan lost the championship to
Egotistico Fantastico Robert Anthony (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Egotistico Fantastico. He is the current NWA National Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He has worked for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), ...
. On October 25, 2009, Callihan defeated
Danny Havoc Grant Amos Berkland (May 19, 1986 – May 31, 2020), better known by his ring name Danny Havoc, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his work in Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), and was noted for mixing his technical style w ...
to win the CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship, but the lost the title the same day to Thumbtack Jack. On April 10, 2010, at ''Swingin For The Fences'' Callihan received a match for the
CZW World Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). It debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event. ...
in a losing effort against Switchblade Conspiracy partner Jon Moxley. In November 2011, Callihan defeated
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH). Col ...
for the
CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling)#Weight class championships, junior heavyweight championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) Professional wrestling promotion, ...
. The following April, Callihan won the Best of the Best XI tournament. He lost the title to Drake Younger at ''5 de Mayo''. Callihan won the title for a second time on July 14, 2012, in a 60-minute Ultraviolent Rules Iron Man match, but lost it the same day to A. R. Fox. In July 2017, in a behind-the-scenes promotion, Callihan was appointed the leader of CZW's creative team. On April 15, 2018, he left CZW after a disagreement with the new direction of the promotion.


Evolve (2010–2013)

On May 1, 2010, Callihan debuted for Evolve at ''Evolve 3: Rise or Fall'' in a winning effort against
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH). Col ...
. On July 23, at ''Evolve 4: Danielson vs Fish'', Callihan gained his second victory defeating
Arik Cannon Arik Cannon (born December 23, 1981) is an American professional wrestler known for competing in companies such as Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, IWA Mid-South, All American Wrestling and Wrestling Society X. He also runs the Minneapolis-based wrest ...
via submission. Matches against wrestlers including
Zack Sabre Jr. Lucas Eatwell (born 24 July 1987), better known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. (Katakana: ザック・セイバーJr, ''Zakku Seibā Jr.''), is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Outside ...
,
Brodie Lee Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Luke Harper (later simply Harper) from 2012 to 2019, and in All El ...
, A. R. Fox,
Bobby Fish Robert Anthony Fish (born October 27, 1976) is an American professional wrestler currently appearing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand and was a member of The Undisputed Era ...
, and Dave "Fit" Finlay at ''Evolve 9'' followed. On April 5, 2013, Callihan took part in a tournament to determine the inaugural Evolve Champion, where he made it to the finals, before losing to A. R. Fox.


Dragon Gate USA (2010–2011)

On July 24, 2010, Callihan made his debut for
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Pr ...
, losing to Jimmy Jacobs in a
dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence ...
. After wrestling several matches for the promotion through the rest of the year, Callihan was placed in his first
angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two Ray (geometry), rays, called the ''Side (plane geometry), sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex (geometry), vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two ...
on April 3, 2011, at ''
Open the Ultimate Gate Open or OPEN may refer to: Music * Open (band), Australian pop/rock band * The Open (band), English indie rock band * ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969 * ''Open'' (Gotthard album), 1999 * ''Open'' (Cowboy Junkies album), 2001 * ''Open'' (YF ...
'', when he and
Arik Cannon Arik Cannon (born December 23, 1981) is an American professional wrestler known for competing in companies such as Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, IWA Mid-South, All American Wrestling and Wrestling Society X. He also runs the Minneapolis-based wrest ...
walked out on a six-way match. Later in the event, Callihan and Cannon announced they would be forming a tag team named the D.U.F. (Dirty Ugly Fucks) and defeated
The Dark City Fight Club The Dark City Fight Club are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Jon Davis and Kory Chavis. History In March 2008, Jon Davis teamed with up Kory Chavis as The Dark City Fight Club (DCFC) in Full Impact Pro (FIP). They were revealed ...
( Jon Davis and
Kory Chavis Kory Chavis is a professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Rainman. He works for several independent promotions, including Dragon Gate USA, Full Impact Pro, and Evolve. Chavis wrestled with tag team partner Jon Davis as The Dark City F ...
) in their first match together. On June 5 at ''
Enter The Dragon 2011 Enter the Dragon / Open the Historic Gate is the first professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Dragon Gate USA that was taped on July 25, 2009 at The Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and aired September 4, 2009. Enter the D ...
'', Callihan and Arik Cannon were joined by Pinkie Sanchez, and picked up a major win over the tag team of
Open the Dream Gate Champion The Open the Dream Gate Championship is a professional wrestling championship, world championship created and promoted by the Japan, Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. The wrestler who holds ...
Masaaki Mochizuki is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah. Mochizuki is a former FIP World Champion and three-time Open the Dream Gate Champion. Professional wrestling career Early years A former karateka ...
and
Susumu Yokosuka , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Dragon Gate. He is not related to fellow Dragon Gate wrestler and long term ally/rival Masaaki Mochizuki, who debuted much earlier for WAR. Professional w ...
.


WWE (2012–2015)

On October 23, 2012, Johnston wrestled a
dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence ...
for
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
, in which he was defeated by
Johnny Curtis Curtis Jonathan Hussey (born July 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Dirty Dango. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name ...
. In April 2013, it was reported that Johnston was undergoing medical tests for the promotion, and on May 27 Dragon Gate USA confirmed that Johnston had signed with WWE. On August 29, 2013, under the new WWE ring name Solomon Crowe, he debuted for WWE's
developmental Development of the human body is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilization, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The resulting zygote develops through mitosi ...
system
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
, with a loss to
Xavier Woods Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-half of the current NXT Tag T ...
at a
live event A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
. He would fail to appear on televised episodes of ''NXT'' for more than a year, instead being restricted to live events or
dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence ...
es during television tapings. At a live event on December 6, 2013, Crowe assumed the character of a hacker, using a
tablet computer A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...
to seize control of the arena lights, and attacked Kalisto. At the February 28, 2014 NXT television tapings, Crowe defeated
Sylvester Lefort Thomas Sylvester La Ruffa (born May 4, 1984) is a French professional wrestler currently wrestling under the ring name Tom LaRuffa. He is best known for his time in WWE, in their developmental territory NXT as Sylvester Lefort, and for his time in ...
in what would have been his NXT television debut, but the match was removed from the episode; it was supposed to air for the March 6, 2014 ''NXT''. In August 2014, Johnston suffered a chipped
tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...
during a tag team match with Kalisto against The Ascension; the injury did not require surgery and he was able to return to the ring in November. In late 2014, Crowe wrestled a number of dark matches on NXT, including one against the returning
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE. Kendrick is also known for his appearances with Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), New Japan Pro-Wrestli ...
. From the January 28, 2015 episode of ''NXT'', WWE began airing teasers for Crowe's television debut. On the February 18 episode of ''NXT'', Crowe made his television debut as a
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
, attacking
CJ Parker Joseph Ryan Robinson (born April 10, 1989), better known by his ring name Juice Robinson, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Robinson is also a member of the Bullet Club stable and also wrestle ...
. In his first televised match on the March 4 episode of ''NXT'', he defeated
Bull Dempsey James Smith (born January 16, 1988) is an American professional wrestler currently performing internationally under the ring name Bull James. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed on NXT, under the ring name Bull Dempsey. Pr ...
. On November 24, 2015, WWE announced that Johnston was released from his WWE contract.


Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2012–2013; 2015–2017)

Callihan made his debut for the
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
-based company Pro Wrestling Guerrilla on April 21, 2012. At the sixth annual ''
Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament The Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament (''DDT4'') was an annual professional wrestling tag team Pro Wrestling Guerrilla tournaments, tournament produced by Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) between 2007 and 2015. The inaugural tournament wa ...
'', he teamed with
Roderick Strong Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due to ...
to take on 2 Husky Black Guys (
El Generico Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline. Prior to joi ...
and
Willie Mack Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He is best known for his tenure with Impact Wrestling, where he is a ...
) in a losing effort in the opening round. After the match, Callihan challenged
PWG World Champion The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. ...
Kevin Steen Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens. Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in la ...
to a title match, which took place later that day; Callihan lost the match. In his next appearance on July 21, he was beaten by
Michael Elgin Aaron Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He most recently worked for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was a one-time GHC Tag Team Champion with Masa Kitami ...
at PWG's nine-year anniversary event, ''Threemendous III''. In September, he got his first series of wins at the '' 2012 Battle of Los Angeles''; he defeated Willie Mack to advance to the quarterfinal round, where he beat
T. J. Perkins Theodore James Perkins (born September 3, 1984) is an American professional wrestler of Filipino descent, better known by the ring name T. J. Perkins (or simply TJP) currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he is a member of the United ...
. In the semi-final, he lost to eventual winner
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH). Col ...
. At ''Mystery Vortex'' on December 1, he was victorious over Drake Younger. After the match, it was announced that Callihan and Younger would participate in a best of three match series to determine a number one contender for the PWG World Championship. At the '' 2013 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament'', which took place on January 12, 2013, Callihan fought Younger in a non-tournament
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
or
submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
-only match. Callihan lost the bout when he tapped out, tying the score. On March 22, 2013, Callihan lost the series, when he was defeated by Younger in the third match, a Guerrilla Warfare match. On June 15, Callihan wrestled his PWG farewell match, a 60-minute Iron Man match, where he unsuccessfully challenged longtime rival Adam Cole for the PWG World Championship, losing the match six falls to five. On December 11, 2015, Callihan returned to PWG at All Star Weekend 11, defeating
Drew Gulak Drew Gulak (born April 28, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand. He is a former one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion and an eight-time ...
. On January 2, 2016, at PWG Lemy, Callihan defeated
Trevor Lee :not to be confused with actress Camryn Grimes who voices Mrs. Claus in Mickey Saves Christmas Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ...
. He then started a losing streak being defeated by the likes of Jack Evans, Roderick Strong,
Marty Scurll Martin Scurll (born 26 July 1988) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH) as the leader of the stable Villain Enterprises, where he was a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and a on ...
and
Cody Rhodes Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
at the first round of the Battle Of Los Angeles 2016. On February 18, 2017, at Only Kings Understand Each Other, Callihan returned along with the debuting OI4K (Jake & Dave Crist), being defeated by The Superkliq (Adam Cole and The Young Bucks). On May 19, at PWG Head Like A Cole, Callihan would pick a victory over former rival Adam Cole. The next month at Man On the Silver Mountain, Callihan defeated Matt Sydal. At the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles, Callihan was eliminated by
Jeff Cobb Jeffrey Cobb (ジェフ・コブ ''Jefu Kobu'', born July 11, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where he is a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion with United Emp ...
in the first round.


New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2017)

On November 6, 2017, Callihan was announced as a participant in
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
's
2017 World Tag League __NOTOC__ The is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a spin-off of the popular singles tournament, the G1 Climax. It was created in 1991 as the Super Grade Tag League, as a continuation of ...
, where he would team with
Juice Robinson Joseph Ryan Robinson (born April 10, 1989), better known by his ring name Juice Robinson, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Robinson is also a member of the Bullet Club stable and also wrestles ...
. The team, dubbed " Death Juice", finished second in their block with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals.


Return to the independent circuit (2015–present)

On November 28, 2015, after being released from WWE, Johnston returned to the independent circuit, switching back to his Sami Callihan character where he appeared at
All American Wrestling AAW Wrestling (AAW) or AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined and formerly known as All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area - originally holding shows in Berwyn, Illinois, an ...
's ''Windy City Classic XI'' event. He attacked new AAW Heavyweight Champion,
Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Kingston started his wrestling career in 2002, and has wrestled for numerous ...
. On December 4, 2015, he returned to Rockstar Pro Wrestling to face and defeat long time friend Jake Crist at the Killer XMas iPPV. Callihan returned to
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
at Cage of Death XVII on December 12, 2015, defeating David Starr. On December 11, 2015, Callihan returned to
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
in the first night of ''All-Star Weekend'' event, where he defeated
Drew Gulak Drew Gulak (born April 28, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand. He is a former one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion and an eight-time ...
. Callihan debuted for
PROGRESS Wrestling Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was established in 2011 by comedian Jim Smallman, events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, and later, actor Glen Robinson (professionally known as Glen ...
in May 2016 during the 2016 Super Strong Style 16 tournament, beating Matt Cross in the first round and losing to
Tommy End Tom Budgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Malakai Black. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Aleister Black from 2017 ...
in the quarter finals. On May 21, 2016, Callihan defeated John Skyler to win the
Premiere Wrestling Xperience Premiere Wrestling Xperience (PWX) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion that is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. History Founded in 2003 as Carolina Wrestling Association. Renamed in 2008 as Premiere Wrestling Showc ...
World Heavyweight Championship. On July 8, 2016, Callihan returned to Fight Club: PRO at the "Rage Against The Death Machine" event. After making it his intention to give the Fight Club: PRO Championship world title status, he later defeated
Trent Seven Benjamin Maurice Webb (born 21 August 1981), better known by the ring name Trent Seven, is an English professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and actor. He was signed to WWE on their NXT UK brand, where he is a former NXT UK Tag Team Champion ...
to win the vacant championship. On June 8, 2018, Callihan defeated Evander James for
House of Glory House of Glory (HOG) is an American professional wrestling school and promotion created by Amazing Red and is now owned by Master P. House of Glory was featured in an MTV news article. The promotion has run shows in New York and Toronto. Curren ...
's Crown Jewel Championship at their "Temperature Rising" show. He retained the title at their "High Intensity 7" show on August 17 against
Low Ki Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American professional wrestler of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major League Wrestlin ...
after hitting him with a low blow to intentionally get himself disqualified. After the match,
Bully Ray Mark LoMonaco (born July 14, 1971) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and Impact Wrestling under the ring name Bully Ray. He was previously known as one-half of The Dudley Boyz tag tea ...
appeared and powerbombed Callihan.


Lucha Underground (2016–2019)

On January 10, 2016, Callihan wrestled a dark match at a ''
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
'' taping against
King Cuerno Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly (born April 30, 1984), is a Mexican second-generation ''luchador'' (professional wrestler). He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Santos Escobar. Before his WWE car ...
and
Flamita Flamita (born November 30, 1994) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'' or masked professional wrestler. In addition to working for promotions such as Ring Of Honor, (ROH) Lucha Libre AAA World Wide, (AAA) and Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU) in ...
. In March 2016, Callihan signed a deal to appear in the third season of ''Lucha Underground''. He made his debut in a segment on the October 5, 2016 episode of ''Lucha Underground'' as Ivelisse's boyfriend Jeremiah Crane. The following week, Crane attacked Marty Martinez and Mariposa following Ivelisse's match. Crane competed in Aztec Warfare III entering at number four, but was the first to be eliminated by
Matanza Cueto Jeffrey Cobb (ジェフ・コブ ''Jefu Kobu'', born July 11, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where he is a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion with United Emp ...
. Crane would then compete in the Battle of the Bulls tournament, defeating
A. R. Fox Thomas James "T. J." Ballester (born September 5, 1987), better known by his ring name A. R. Fox, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is also known for his work in promotions like Combat Zone Wrestlin ...
, Killshot and Mariposa in the first round. In the finals of the tournament, Crane competed in an elimination fatal-4-way match, being eliminated by the eventual winner,
Willie Mack Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He is best known for his tenure with Impact Wrestling, where he is a ...
. Crane made his return at Aztec Warfare IV on the first episode of season 4 in the Aztec Warfare entering at number 14 but got eliminated by pinfall by Pentagon Dark. Later that season in Episode 3 he got put in a casket by
Mil Muertes Gilbert Cosme Ramírez (born May 25, 1972) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler, better known by his ring names El Mesías, Mil Muertes, Ricky Banderas and King Muertes. He began his career in the International Wrestling Association based in ...
after Ivelisse bloodied him. He would return on Episode 9, now under the new name of Jeremiah Snake, as a member of the Reptile Tribe, teaming with Daga, Drago, and Kobra Moon in a losing effort against Aerostar and the Worldwide Underground (Johnny Mundo, PJ Black, and Taya). In the episode, The Reptile Tribe won the Lucha Underground Trios Championship from Killshot, The Mack, and Son of Havoc. The series was discontinued after season finale, Ultima Lucha Cuatro.


Major League Wrestling (2017–2019)

On October 5, 2017, Callihan wrestled his first match for
Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...
(MLW) at MLW's first show since 2004. At the event, called One Shot he lost a match to
Montel Vontavious Porter Hassan Hamin Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.; October 28, 1973) is an American professional wrestler and manager currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name MVP (standing for Montel Vontavious Porter) and ...
. He went on to a major focal point of their weekly show
MLW Fusion ''MLW Fusion'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that originally premiered on April 20, 2018 on beIN Sports USA. On November 10, 2022, the series began streaming on Pro Wrestling TV. A thirte ...
throughout 2018 into 2019. At some point in 2018 Callihan begun working as a senior
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...
for Major League Wrestling. In June 2019, Callihan lost a Loser Leaves MLW against Mance Warner, leaving the promotion.


Impact Wrestling


Ohio Versus Everything (2017–2019)

On November 5, 2017, at Bound for Glory, Callihan made his debut for
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
as a
villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
by interfering in a 5150 Street Fight for the
World Tag Team Championship The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championships in professional wrestling promotions. Nomenclature The name of the promotion is often preceded to the term "world tag team championship" as the ...
, helping
Ohio Versus Everything Ohio Versus Everything (OVE, stylized as oVe) was an American professional wrestling stable that consisted primarily of Sami Callihan, Dave Crist, Jake Crist, and Madman Fulton. The group's name is based on all four members hailing from the sta ...
( Dave and Jake Crist) defeat
Santana and Ortiz Santana (Mark Sanchez, born February 4, 1991) and Ortiz (Miguel Molina, born September 27, 1991), sometimes nicknamed Proud & Powerful, are an American professional wrestling tag team currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), but the team is ...
of
The Latin American Xchange The Latin American Xchange (LAX) is a professional wrestling stable that has wrestled in various incarnations primarily for Total Nonstop Action / Impact Wrestling and currently in Major League Wrestling (MLW). The group achieved initial succes ...
(LAX) to retain the title. Callihan and The Crist Brothers then formed a faction named
Ohio Versus Everything Ohio Versus Everything (OVE, stylized as oVe) was an American professional wrestling stable that consisted primarily of Sami Callihan, Dave Crist, Jake Crist, and Madman Fulton. The group's name is based on all four members hailing from the sta ...
(oVe), where they started a feud with LAX. On the December 14 episode of ''
Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Impact ...
'', Callihan would light a fire flame in the face of
Konnan Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. O ...
after a face to face summit. On the January 18, 2018 episode of ''Impact'', oVe would then challenge LAX in a Barbed Wire Massacre match, where they lost the match, thus ending the feud. Callihan shortly after became the leader of oVe. Callihan made his pay-per-view debut for Impact at the Redemption
event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...
on April 22, 2018 where oVe defeated Eddie Edwards,
Moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
and
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
in a House of Hardcore match. oVe began a lengthy feud against
The Lucha Brothers The Lucha Brothers, also known as The Lucha Bros or Los Lucha Bros, are a Mexican professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Penta El Zero Miedo/Penta Oscuro and Rey Fénix, and their manager Alex Abrahantes. They currently compete ...
(
Pentagón Jr. Pentagón Jr. (born February 5, 1985) is a Mexican luchador enmascarado (masked professional wrestler) signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Penta El Zero Miedo ("Penta Zero Fear"), where he currently holds one-third of the AEW ...
and Fénix) in the summer of 2018, which led to a mask vs. hair match between Callihan and Pentagón at
Slammiversary XVI Slammiversary XVI was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Impact Wrestling. The event took place on July 22, 2018, at The Rebel Complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the fourteenth event under the Slammiversary chr ...
, which Callihan lost, which led to Callihan's hair being shaved off by the Lucha Brothers. Callihan and Pentagón had a rematch on the August 23 episode of ''Impact'', a Mexican Death match, which Callihan won. The rivalry continued between the two teams with
Brian Cage Brian Christopher Button
joining the Lucha Brothers in the feud. This led to an oVe Rules match pitting oVe against Cage and the Lucha Brothers at Bound for Glory, which oVe won when Callihan pinned Cage. This win earned Callihan, his first title shot in Impact Wrestling against Cage for the latter's
X Division Championship The Impact X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of then-TNA's second weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The current champion is Trey ...
on the November 15 episode of ''Impact'', which Callihan lost. In early 2019, oVe entered a feud with the team of
Rich Swann Richard Allen Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Impact X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Cham ...
,
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
and
Willie Mack Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He is best known for his tenure with Impact Wrestling, where he is a ...
, which led to Callihan defeating Mack at the
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...
pay-per-view but lost a rematch on the January 11 episode of ''Impact''. Callihan would begin pursuing Swann's X Division Championship, unsuccessfully challenging him for the title on the March 22 episode of ''Impact'' and in an oVe Rules match at
Rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
. Callihan concluded his feud with Dreamer by defeating him in an oVe rules match at the
Impact Plus Impact Plus (stylized as IMPACT! +Plus) is a video streaming service owned and operated by Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions, the parent company of professional wrestling promotion Impact Wrestling. The platform replaced the Global Wrestling Network ...
event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...
Code Red. Callihan began ascending up the ranks as he defeated Eddie Edwards in a Philly Street Fight at A Night You Can't Mist. Callihan would then lose to
Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
in an Extreme Rules match at Bash at the Brewery in July.


Impact World Champion (2019–2020)

In the summer of 2019, Callihan began a lengthy feud with
Tessa Blanchard Tessa Blanchard (born July 26, 1995) is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she became the first female wrestler to win the Impact World Championship and is also a former Impact Knockouts C ...
regarding
intergender wrestling Intergender wrestling, also known as mixed wrestling, is a type of professional wrestling match between a man and a woman and may also refer to tag team matches with both men and women on each team. Intergender tag team matches are not to be confu ...
where he claimed that men were superior to women. The two had their first encounter in the main event of
Slammiversary XVII Slammiversary XVII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Impact Wrestling. It took place on July 7, 2019 at the Gilley's Dallas in Dallas, Texas. It was the fifteenth event under the Slammiversary chronology. Eight m ...
, which Callihan won. The match was awarded the Match of the Year Award by Impact. Callihan and Blanchard were randomly paired in the Mashup Tournament on the July 19 episode of ''Impact'', where they defeated Dave Crist and
Trey Trey may refer to: Places * Trey, Switzerland, a commune in Vaud, Switzerland * Trey Peaks, Coats Land, Antarctica Other uses * Trey (playing card), the Three in card games * Trey (given name) * Trey, slang for a three-point shot in basketball ...
to qualify for a fatal four-way elimination match against Eddie Edwards and
Moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
, Jake Crist and
Wentz Wentz is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Barney Wentz, American football player * Carson Wentz, American football player * Earl Wentz, American composer and pianist * Eiji Wentz, Japanese singer for the band WaT * Elisabet ...
and
Michael Elgin Aaron Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He most recently worked for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was a one-time GHC Tag Team Champion with Masa Kitami ...
and Willie Mack. Callihan and Blanchard won the match to qualify for a match at the
Unbreakable Unbreakable may refer to: * '' Unbreakable: My Story, My Way'', a book written by Jenni Rivera * Unbreakable (horse) (1935–1962), a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire Film and television * ''Unbreakable'' (film series), a trilogy directed by M ...
event, which Callihan won, becoming the #1 contender for the
Impact World Championship The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional w ...
in the process. Subsequently, Callihan began feuding with the World Champion
Brian Cage Brian Christopher Button
, unsuccessfully challenging him for the title at Bound for Glory. However, Callihan goaded Cage into giving him a rematch by invading Cage's house. On the October 29 episode of ''Impact'', Callihan defeated Cage in a
steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to win the Impact World Championship. He successfully defended the title against Cage in a rematch at
Turning Point A turning point, or climax, is the point of highest tension in a narrative work. Turning Point or Turning Points may refer to: Film * ''The Turning Point'', a 1914 silent film starring Caroline Cooke * ''The Turning Point'' (1920 film), an Ame ...
and
Rich Swann Richard Allen Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Impact X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Cham ...
at
No Surrender No Surrender may refer to: Politics * "No Surrender!", a British Unionist slogan originating from Siege of Derry now used in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England *No Surrender (to the IRA), a political chant since used by England football fans ...
before losing the title to rival Tessa Blanchard at
Hard to Kill ''Hard to Kill'' is a 1990 American action thriller film directed by Bruce Malmuth, starring Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, William Sadler and Frederick Coffin. Seagal's second film after '' Above the Law'', it features him as Mason Storm, a d ...
pay-per-view on January 12, 2020.


Various storylines (2020–present)

During tapings of ''Impact'', a mysterious figure appeared on the titantron called ICU during wrestlers matches. On March 17, ICU interrupted
Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...
's interview with
Josh Mathews Joshua Matthew Lomberger (born November 25, 1980), better known by the ring name Josh Mathews, is an American professional wrestling play by play commentator and former professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is also kno ...
. The mysterious figure threw a fireball into Shamrock's eyes. He took off the mask and it was revealed to be Sami Callihan. Callihan would take his phone and the lights would go off and he would disappear. The feud would culminate at Rebellion 2020 Night 1 in an
Unsanctioned match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, where Shamrock submitted Callihan to an
ankle lock A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot, is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are fe ...
. He returned on June 30, 2020, surprisingly helping Shamrock against The North before disappearing into the night, teasing a face turn in the process. Shamrock and Callihan unsuccessfully challenged The North for the Impact Tag Team Championships at
Slammiversary Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the American promotion Impact Wrestling. It is one of Impact's “Big Four” PPV events (along with Hard to Kill, Rebellion, and Bound for Glory), and celebrates ...
. On August 4, Callihan was about to face Eddie Edwards for the Impact World Championship, but was attacked by
Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
as he was making his way to the ring, and ultimately succumbing to Edwards. The following week, Callihan hacked into Katie Forbes' photos during her photo reveal, thus starting a feud with Van Dam and turning face for the first time in Impact Wrestling. Callihan and Van Dam would face off against each other on the September 1 episode of ''Impact'' in which Callihan was victorious, but ultimately suffered a post-match attack from Van Dam and Katie Forbes. On the September 22nd episode of Impact, Callihan faced Rob Van Dam in a rematch, this time RVD was victorious and due to Van Dam winning, Katie Forbes got 5 minutes alone in the ring with Sami. However, Callihan laid out RVD outside the ring and delivered a Piledriver to Katie Forbes. The following week, Callihan turned back into a heel and interrupted Eddie Edwards before Eddie got attacked by Ken Shamrock, who also turned heel in that segment. Beginning in mid 2021, when ''Impact'' started a working relation with
All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE. AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
, Callihan turned face when he started feuding with
Kenny Omega Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. Omega is an executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also performs. Omega is a former one-time ...
,
The Good Brothers The Good Brothers are a Canadian country, bluegrass and folk music group originating from Richmond Hill, Ontario. The band's core members are Brian Good (guitar), his twin brother Bruce Good (autoharp) and younger brother Larry Good (banjo). B ...
, and
Don Callis Donald Callis (born October 13, 1963) is a Canadian professional wrestling manager, color commentator, and former professional wrestler and business executive. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he works as the on-screen manager of K ...
, after they had been costing him multiple opportunities at the Impact World Championship. The feud eventually culminated to
Slammiversary Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the American promotion Impact Wrestling. It is one of Impact's “Big Four” PPV events (along with Hard to Kill, Rebellion, and Bound for Glory), and celebrates ...
where Callihan and Omega wrestled for the Impact World Championship in a No Disqualification match, a match where Omega would retain in the end. On September 20, it was reported that Callihan has suffered a
broken ankle An ankle fracture is a break of one or more of the bones that make up the ankle joint. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, bruising, and an inability to walk on the injured leg. Complications may include an associated high ankle sprain, compartme ...
and he would be out of action until the spring of 2022. Callihan returned at the
Under Siege ''Under Siege'' is a 1992 American action thriller film directed by Andrew Davis, written by J. F. Lawton, and starring Steven Seagal as a former Navy SEAL who must stop a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones, after they commandeer the ...
event, on May 7, 2022, attacking
Moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
.


Personal life

On June 20, 2021, Johnston got engaged to fellow Impact wrestler
Jessicka Havok Jessica Cricks (born June 20, 1986) is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Jessicka Havok. She is currently signed with Impact Wrestling, under the ring name Jessicka where she is a current two-time Impact Knockouts W ...
(on the latter's 35th birthday).


Championships and accomplishments

* Absolute Intense Wrestling *
All American Wrestling AAW Wrestling (AAW) or AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined and formerly known as All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area - originally holding shows in Berwyn, Illinois, an ...
**
AAW Heavyweight Championship The AAW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by AAW Wrestling. There have been a total of 32 reigns and one vacancy shared between 25 different champions. The current champion is ...
( 3 times) **Jim Lynam Memorial Tournament (2018) *
Alpha-1 Wrestling Alpha-1 Wrestling (A1) was a Canadian independent professional wrestling promotion based out of Hamilton, Ontario. The promotion was founded by Ethan Page in 2010 after he grew tired of inviting his family to see him in crappy bars commenting "I ...
** A1 Outer Limits Championship (1 time) *
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
** CZW Iron Man/New Horror Championship ( 1 time) **
CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship The CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship was a professional hardcore wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion. The title was introduced on February 5, 2005 at CZW's Only the Strong event. It has since been re ...
( 1 time) **
CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling)#Weight class championships, junior heavyweight championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) Professional wrestling promotion, ...
(
2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) ** Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Battle Royal (2008) ** CZW Best of the Best XI (2012) *
DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
**
KO-D Openweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world openweight championship and the top singles accomplishment in the Japanese promotion CyberFight currently defended in the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand division. It is one of CyberFight's top major world title ...
(1 time) *
Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the President while Trevin Adams is the ...
**
Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup The Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup was an annual professional wrestling memorial show produced by Full Impact Pro (FIP) promotion, typically between October and December. The event was established to honor the memory of independent wrestler "All A ...
(
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
) *
House of Glory House of Glory (HOG) is an American professional wrestling school and promotion created by Amazing Red and is now owned by Master P. House of Glory was featured in an MTV news article. The promotion has run shows in New York and Toronto. Curren ...
**HOG Crown Jewel Championship (1 time) *
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
**
Impact World Championship The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional w ...
( 1 time) ** Mashup Tournament (2019) – with
Tessa Blanchard Tessa Blanchard (born July 26, 1995) is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she became the first female wrestler to win the Impact World Championship and is also a former Impact Knockouts C ...
** Impact Year End Awards (5 times) *** Match of the Year (
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
) *** Moment of the Year (2018) – Impact Best of 2018 Fans' Choice Awards Reveal with Anthony Carelli and Alicia Atout! Behind the Lights Episode 34
retrieved December 20, 2018
*** Wrestler of the Year (2018) *** Moment of the Year (
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
) – *** Match of the Year (2019) * Insanity Pro Wrestling ** IPW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ** IPW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *FEST Wrestling **Love Cup (2017) – with
Brian Cage Brian Christopher Button
* Fight Club: PRO ** Fight Club: PRO Championship (1 time) *Force One Pro Wrestling **F1 Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * International Wrestling Cartel ** IWC Super Indy Championship (1 time) ** Super Indy XI (2012) * Jersey All Pro Wrestling ** JAPW Tag Team Championship (JAPW Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Chris Dickinson (wrestler), Chris Dickinson *
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
**Lucha Underground Trios Championship (Lucha Underground Trios Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Daga (wrestler), Daga and Thunder Rosa, Kobra Moon * Maryland Championship Wrestling ** Shamrock Cup (2011) * NWA Force One Pro Wrestling ** NWA Force 1 Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
Premiere Wrestling Xperience Premiere Wrestling Xperience (PWX) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion that is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. History Founded in 2003 as Carolina Wrestling Association. Renamed in 2008 as Premiere Wrestling Showc ...
**PWX Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Pro Wrestling 2.0 **PW2.0 Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** Ranked No. 52 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2012 * Pro Wrestling Syndicate ** PWS Heavyweight Champion (1 time) *Rockstar Pro Wrestling **Rockstar Pro World Championship (2 times) *Squared Circle Wrestling **2CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time, final) * Westside Xtreme Wrestling ** wXw World Tag Team Championship (WXw World Tag Team Championship#title history, 1 time) – with
Jon Moxley Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wr ...
** wXw 16 Carat Gold Tournament (2011) *WrestleCircus **WC Sideshow Championship (1 time)


''Luchas de Apuestas'' record


Footnotes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Callihan, Sami 1987 births 21st-century professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers Living people People from Bellefontaine, Ohio Professional wrestlers from Ohio Professional wrestling promoters TNA World Heavyweight/Impact World Champions Lucha Underground Trios Champions KO-D Openweight Champions CZW Ultraviolent Underground Champions CZW Iron Man Champions AAW Heavyweight Champions