Former TNA Wrestling star and producer Sami Callihan has opened up about his departure from the company, admitting that he initially believed he was about to receive a promotion before learning he was being let go.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Callihan detailed the whirlwind day that ultimately ended his long tenure with TNA.
According to Callihan, the news of Tommy Dreamer’s departure from the company sparked immediate speculation among members of the roster that he would be elevated into a larger creative role. “I had woken up at, I think, like 10:30 or 11:00, and my phone was blown up. ‘Hey, Tommy’s done at TNA.’ The amount of people on the roster that messaged me was like, ‘It’s finally your time. You’re getting added to creative. You’re getting added to creative.’”
Shortly after seeing those messages, Callihan received an email requesting that he join a conference call later that day. “Within five minutes of me waking up and getting all those text messages, I got a notification in my email: ‘Hey, we need to have a conference call at 1:00.’”
Given the timing and the conversations taking place among talent, Callihan believed the opportunity he had been pursuing for years had finally arrived. “In my mind, I was like, ‘Oh shit, I’m getting added to creative.’ This is what I’ve been lobbying for, for years. It’s what a lot of the major people on the roster at TNA had been lobbying for, for years. It’s what another administration before this current administration had dangled in front of my face. I was like, ‘It’s finally happening.’”
However, Callihan quickly realized the meeting was heading in a very different direction. “So I get on the Zoom call and they start talking. In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Hmm, maybe this is still it. Maybe I’m getting added.’ Then it came to, ‘We’re sorry, but we’re going to have to part ways.’”
The news caught him completely off guard. “And I kind of went off. I’m not one of the people who usually goes off like this. I try not to be very profanity-laced, and I don’t think it was a thing of screaming or yelling, but I stated my case.”
Callihan explained that he felt uniquely qualified to contribute to the company’s future due to his extensive knowledge of nearly every aspect of the operation. “I knew that company, I feel like, almost better than anybody—from the wrestling to the production to everyone there. I had good relationships with everyone.”
He said he passionately argued against the decision during the call. “I stated my case. I said, ‘Hey, this is why I think you’re making a terrible mistake. This is why I think this shouldn’t be happening right now. I am not the guy.’”
According to Callihan, he was informed that his departure was part of a broader workforce reduction effort. “And I was told it was part of that workforce reduction effort, and I went, ‘That should not be me.’”
The former TNA World Champion admitted that he never expected his run with the company to end. “I never thought in a million years… I thought I was going to be a lifer at TNA.”
Reflecting on the situation, Callihan suggested that his loyalty to the company may have ultimately worked against him. “I was talking to some friends from the company yesterday, and I said, ‘I think my loyalty to the company I’m working for is both good and bad. I think I’m loyal to companies to a fault at this point, when I could have left years ago and gone on to do other things.’”
Callihan’s departure comes amid a significant restructuring period within TNA Wrestling, which has also seen the exits of Tommy Dreamer, Tessa Blanchard, and several other notable names. While his future remains uncertain, Callihan’s comments make it clear that he envisioned spending the rest of his career with the promotion and was blindsided by the company’s decision to move on.
He thought he was being added to TNA creative, but @TheSamiCallihan explains on #bustedopen247 how it all ended and how he reacted.
For the full explanation with @davidlagreca1 & @bullyray5150:https://t.co/YZkp2dyM0x pic.twitter.com/dlY9FQVSBr
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) June 19, 2026
