EXCLUSIVE: Don Callis says Takeshita & Okada relationship is similar to when athletes on the same team don’t get along, MJF vs. Omega at Dynasty will be a “sellout at the curtain”

Don Callis stated on Dynamite this week that Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita had to agree to get along when they wrestle the Young Bucks at AEW’s Dynasty PPV similar to how Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan did when they led the Bulls Dynasty in the NBA. He promised them that if they got along they could wrestle each other for Okada’s AEW International Championship.

Callis said the strategy to how The Don Callis Family is presented isn’t far off from how real athletes act in the locker room environment. There might be personalities that don’t get along, but they coexist for the good of the team.

“Professional wrestling is a very cute little business that’s loaded with silly colloquialisms like guys have to get along to be on the same team,” said Callis during an interview on Radican Worldwide available now for PWTorch VIP members. “People that say that have never played high level sports like I have. They haven’t owned pro sports teams like Tony Khan.

“You know, Tony’s family, they own the Jacksonville Jaguars and I would ask Tony Khan, “Hey if the quarterback and the star defensive end don’t get along, are you letting one of them leave the team?’ No, this is about talent. Figure it out. At the end of the day, there can be all the chatter in the world, but I’m the coach and what that means is when I say run the play, you run the play.

“Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan didn’t always get along, but Phil Jackson didn’t say, ‘Well, I guess we’ll just get rid of one of them.’ No it’s… this is a talent based business and my expectation is Takeshita and Okada are gonna work together like a well-oiled machine against The Young Bucks. And they’re gonna have their problems and they will wrestle.”

Callis believes that it works to have members of his faction wrestle each other because they will stay in The Don Callis family after they wrestle.. “I don’t have a problem with the two of them wrestling each other,” said Callis. “But make no mistake about it, and I’ve told everybody this, I said it on the interview, The Don Callis Family is like Hotel California, if you remember the song by The Eagles, You can check out, but you can never leave.

“I decide who leaves. You don’t get to leave ‘cause you don’t get along with someone. I don’t care about that. I haven’t gotten along with people in any work space that I’ve ever worked in my entire life, but you get on with it. You crack on, as they say over in the UK, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

Callis believes people that AEW PPVs are a no-brainer when it comes to whether or not people should purchase them. “AEW has proven time and time again that our PPVs are a no-brainer,” said Calliss. “The last one in LA (Revolution) was maybe the best show I’ve ever seen. So, I think people should be very excited. I think they should be excited not just about The Don Callis family matches. I think they should be very, very excited about Kenny Omega and MJF for the world title.”

Callis said the main event featuring MJF defending the AEW World Championship against Kenny Omega will have everyone’s attention backstage.“This is the best version of Kenny Omega I’ve seen since he and I had three or four world titles together,” said Callis.

“So, I think Max has got his work cut out for him, but I also think Max has been proven to be a very durable and very admirable world champion. So, that’s gonna be a main event that’s gonna be what they call a sellout at the curtain, which means all the boys are gonna be wanting to watch it.”

NOTE: Sign up here and GO VIP to listen to Don Callis’s exclusive interview on Radican Worldwide talking about all aspects of his career ahead of the AEW Dynasty PPV on April 12. Dynasty will be available on most PPV providers, HBO Max, and PPV.com.