Don Callis

[10.0] "Dude, I do not know, but it seems to me that DC is GOAT. Every time I see him, I literally want to punch him in the face because he's a real scum. But it is my reaction that determines the work of heel, so Don, like no one else, does an excellent job. His family is definitely one of the Main groups of the 20s, with which there is a lot of History, betrayal, and funny moments. But at the same time, every time Kallis makes fun of someone, it's always incredibly hilarious. For example, when he tried to speak Spanish. In general, DC is an incredible employee who definitely deserves his flowers."

[9.0] "Fantastic talker. One of the best heel managers of the past decade. The fact that he still has nuclear heat four years after betraying Omega is insane. The DCF is certainly one of the most impressive faction in wrestling today, even the goons are damn fine wrestlers. I think he is one of the best heel commentator of all time. The only thing that bothers me with him is, when he's at the desk, he's so entertaining that sometimes i struggle to keep up with the match."

[10.0] "One of the best managers today and it's obvious that he just gets the business. He's a great heel commentator and his reactions are priceless. Getting you to hate him is part of what being a heel manager is all about and it seems to be lost on some people. Not sure how he's "holding back" people that are winning major championships."

[10.0] "Within kayfabe, probably the most competent manager since Heenan. A perfect heel, incredible color commentator & exceptional overall mic work, not to mention his importance to the last 20 or so years of pro wrestling."

[10.0] "I believe that Don Callis deserves a spot as one of the greatest managers of all time. Not only is he a great manager, he's a spectacular heel and commentator as well. He does a great job at sticking to his character, and making people hate him. Real good shit when it comes to whatever work this guy does."

[10.0] "I wholeheartedly believe that Don Callis is the greatest color commentator ever. Yes over JR. Yes over anyone in the business today. He is the greatest! The reason I say this is because he can both get over and bury anyone! He constantly gets his clients over, but he also points out the pros of pretty much any wrestler! It's one of my favorite things that he does. He's also got a great look to him! He looks fucking evil! He looks like a heel! He has the look and he talks the talk, and walks the walk! He is outstanding!"

[0.0] "Dude, over the past few months I've just began to hate him more and more. There's ZERO reason to why he gets so much TV time. He's on commentary more than he isn't. Almost every backstage segment is with him. Whatever story he's trying to do with the DCF isn't working. He's holding back Takeshita and Fletcher who should be doing much bigger stuff than they're currently doing. Not to mention he's a creep in real life too. It's obvious he has a strong creative input because I doubt Tony Khan volunteer chooses to put him on TV this much. I find him very selfish and unnecessary to the current AEW product."

[4.0] "Bro, he's so unlikeable, I mean, I get he's a heel and he's doing it well, but he has his negative energy that everything goes to shit when he appears. He has some of the biggest go away heat in AEW. I just never liked Don Callis. The fact he has some amazing wrestler in his faction is kinda ridiculous to me"

[9.0] "A generational dickhead heel manager, and a very strong commentator as well. The less said about his frankly awful in-ring work the better, he moved on from that aspect for a reason. His work in AEW alongside the likes of Kenny Omega to current day with the Don Callis Family has been consistently great, and Callis shows few signs of stopping. I miss his podcast with Lance Storm."

[8.0] "Callis is a fantastically enthusiastic lowlife. Almost like it comes naturally to him. Long haired ECW Cyrus was a great establishment bootlicker and Styles' nemesis. He particularly hated Nova for little apparent reason. When New Jack was running around doing his thing, apropos of nothing he announces "I'd like to see some staples in Nova's head". When not being a full time bastard, he's a perfectly capable commentator with a solid knowledge base. It's being a scumbag he most revels in, an equal measure of conceit and cowardice."

[10.0] "Don is absolutely wonderful as a manager. A total heat magnet who elevates all of his clients. His run with Kenny was legendary and his pairing with Takeshita has been magic. The crowds can't get enough of him too. Whenever he's on screen they can't help but chant "LOVE DON CALLIS! ""

[10.0] "He's always been fantastic at promos. From being the Jackyl to Cyrus, to using his real name. He always delivers his promos with conviction that makes it sound as real as it can be without being a shoot. He's also one of the best modern heels. His ability to get drowned out by boos is very rare these days. He's a better manager and "advocate" than his peers who are active. He has helped get Kyle Fletcher and Takeshita over."

[4.0] "I don't dislike Don Callis I think he's an interesting manager and I particularly liked him with Kenny Omega who added a lot to his character. However the Don Callis Family is sucking the life out of some great wrestlers like Kyle Fletcher and Takeshita, who would be much greater in the same stable but without a mouth piece as the face of the unit. I wouldn't have his name plastered over many great wrestlers (Okada or "The Don Callis Family Presents RPG Vice"). He's the focus of far too many segments and it needs reeling in. It's subtracting far more than adding."

"Having a bunch of upper mid card wrestlers with tremendous amount of in-ring abilities is what sold me on Don Callis. He's obviously always been great, but there's something about this recent Don Callis Family storyline that really puts him at the top of my wrestling manager ranking."

[9.0] "For me the best manager currently. Been alongside some big names through the years and it shows. Great with up and coming heels like Takeshita and Fletcher. Gets nuclear heat everytime hes on a mic."

[8.0] "I really like Don Callis as a manager, he's a natural heel, he looks like one, and I just think he's a total package, the glasses, the clothes, the scar... that guy is a heat magnet, and it's always cool when a guy draws so many boos and chants against himself, you know he's doing his job right. Callis is great at the mic, and even though he's not always incredible, I like most of his stuff, he's a total douchebag, and his character work is very strong."

[0.0] "Bad commentator, bad manager, bad promo, as far as I'm concerned the only reason this guy gets seemingly endless TV time to drone on is because of his backstage connections. He's never gotten a single one of his clients more over because he never even seems to try to give them a spotlight, just keep it all centered on himself, but as a heel he has so little to offer that everything just comes out colder than it started. I wish Kenny Omega had not cursed us to hear and see this guy multiple times every week."

[4.0] "I really don't like this guy. Why he has so much time on mic? Like yes he is a manager but still, the spotlight shouldn't be on you. And in addition he has his own group? Again just why? Konosuke Takeshita should be near main event and since his win against Kenny he is still in the shadow of this man. Such a shame."

[10.0] "I know it's cliche to say but Don Callis is up there on my Mount Rushmore of pro wrestling heels. His work in AEW has consistently been nothing short of perfect. He is so easily unlikable that it feels effortless, like he's genuinely the biggest slimeball you'll ever meet. From his obnoxious voice to his nasty sneer to his bedazzled shoes with no socks to his weird hotdog head-lookin' ass, he's got it all down to a science. When it comes to heel color commentators he comes second only to Bobby Heenan, as much like Heenan he actually bothers to put the babyfaces over when credit is due as well. Honestly I feel like a lot of these negative ratings here are just people getting heeled on without realizing it. There's also something to be said about his work backstage as well, including him and Scott D'Amore finally setting Impact wrestling on the right track. Overall he's a tremendous asset to have and I'm glad he was actually given a chance to perform on a big platform like AEW."

[9.0] "EASILY the funniest guest commentator at AEW right now (including Toni Storm, who I adore on commentary). Unbelievable heel charisma on the mic."

[5.0] "I do not understand why Don Callis is given so much telvision time. I don't find him to be a particularly good talker, I think that he is actually rather nowhere near the level that would justify the time he gets. He definitely gets fairly good reactions but I think it is somewhat unfair that he gets so many talented wrestlers in his stable when other managers could promote them much better."

[5.0] "Don Callis as a commentator is great. When hes impartial or playing a face, he provides good insight, when we get to Callis as a manager however. He puts himself in the main event and does the most forced heel commentary. He can generate heat really well but he has unfortunately become stale as a heel commentator."

[8.0] "Don Callis is a good manager and commentator. His WWE run was disappointing, but he had a lot of success outside WWE. His run in AEW has been great so far playing the corny carny heel. He does have a great mind for pro wrestling. He was good in ECW and created the Ultimate X match which did a lot of good for TNA even if his TNA run was forgettable."

[4.0] "I'm starting to think Callis is being hated not because of his character but because he's annoying and need to get his nose in every match... I guess he's ok for what he represents, but he needs to be toned down"

[9.0] "There is no better scummy carny manager than Callis. He talks great, and always builds up the opponent while building up his own guy, sometimes with such insane hyperbole that I laugh out loud. His outrageous Vegas used car salesman outfits are a meme of their own. Slap him with anyone that needs a mouthpiece and they're off to the races."

[10.0] "This man and Taz are pretty much the 2 best "Non-wrestlers" in all of professional wrestling today in the year 2021. Don Callis is an amazing promo artist, amazing scumbag heel manager for Kenny Omega & The Elite, has tons of charisma to make himself believable, and he reminds me a lot of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. UPDATED: Don Callis has finally betrayed Kenny Omega, which was destined to happen the whole time. Kenny Omega is a naturally believable Babyface, while Don Callis will always be a natural Heel. Also, Don Callis' character is that he is a big mouth manager that knows how to say the right things, but at the end of the day, he is a blood sucking gravy train rider. Kenny Omega has recently said that his career is starting to wind down and he is not sure how much longer he will last. Don Callis then realizes that it's time to leave Kenny and find the next gravy train to ride. That has me wondering about where Konosuke Takeshita really fits in with all of this. Because why would Don Callis recruit a guy to join a faction that he knew that he was soon to betray? It is a very interesting turn of events."

[6.0] "Terrific on the mic for many years in many roles and gimmicks. He's a bit insufferable in AEW these days though."

[10.0] "Been watching Don since he was The Jackyl in the 90s. Very few other managers have his mike skills and charisma."

[10.0] "This man created Ultimate X, he is an innovator for wrestling as a whole. He is a great manager and wrestler."

[8.0] "Big fan of Don Callis, I also just recently found out that he was the mind behind the ultimate x match, so I've got him to thank for that."

[10.0] "Don is one of the most underrated parts of AEW. He is the perfect slimebag. Don is constantly scheming and using people to his advantage. His voice and dumb fashion are great. His interactions with Kenny are golden. There's potential for him to be part of yet another fantastic AEW storyline."

[10.0] "Loved his work in the WWF, ECW, NJPW, IMPACT and AEW. I believe that his work in recent years with Omega may have been his best!"

[8.0] "A beautiful carny piece of shit, Callis always entertains me. The best manager in the business right now excepting Heyman, who honestly no one can touch, so that's in no way a knock on Callis. He's a great mouthpiece for his clients, but also understands how to put over opponents and big them up even when he puts them down. And integral part of the NJPW English commentary earlier on."

[9.0] "Callis is a great wrestling character who has really found his stride. He's a great manager. The crowd hates him in the best way. And as a commentator? He's one of the best. Amazing storyteller. Keeps his heel character. Funny. Insightful. And he never forgets that it's his job to put over everybody; even as a heel commentator, he'll talk up the faces. He could easily be a full time commentator in AEW (or anywhere) and the company would be better for it."

[9.0] "Out of all of the years that he's been on television, whether it was The Jackyl, Cyrus the Virus, Cyrus, etc, I feel like he's doing his best work now. Don't get me wrong, he had a good cup of coffee as far as his heel work in WWE, his ECW heel work was good...but I don't think their programming ever had to reach to get him out there ( i didn't get ECW until August of 99 - it closed January of 01), and TNA used him on their weekly ppvs but it's kinda the same thing... he was gone by the time more folks got the product. Now though with AEW, his relationship with Omega, and having the TNT/TBS platform to be magnified on, I feel now he's showing how great of a heel he is/could of been. His promos are great. He has "I wanna kick your ass" heat on him. The outlandish outfits make you hate him even more. And on top of that, he's managing a guy, one of the EVP's who he's able to brag about, and you can't really deny his claims."

[10.0] "never saw him wrestler, but as a manager he's definetely one of the best there ever was. love his work with kenny"

[8.0] "The Invisible Hand (Job) has become one of my favourites managers in the biz outta nowhere. He made a perfect bad guy along Kenny and the whole "AEW/Impact/New Japan invasion" thing."

[10.0] "Can't speak on him as an in-ring talent, but his work as a heel manager is definitely up there among the greatest of all time."

[9.0] "I haven't seen Callis' work from WWE and I rarely watch Impact but everything that I have seen from him is excellent. His NJPW work is great. Loved him alongside Kevin Kelly calling the G1 or legendary matches such as Okada/Omega. His spark was reignited recently with his role as Kenny Omega's heel manager on AEW and the invasion storyline. Just fantastic character work and promos from him. He could be a bit too silly at times but he's in the Elite so that's to be expected."

[8.0] "Don Callis has the weirdest manager career constantly flipping into different tag teams, APA being the best one in my opinion. I will give him the credit of fixing TNA/IMPACT back to some glory and building the AEW relationship plus the fixing the NJPW relationship."

[10.0] "He does great managing work and has done an amazing job at elevating Kenny Omega, and played a huge part in making his title run good."

[10.0] "Don Callis is easily my favorite manager working in the business today. He's so versatile; he's absolutely remarkable on promos, he's even better on commentary, and he's got a well-defined character and connections with his various underlings. It's so unreal to think that the guy who played Cyrus the Virus on ECW TV is one of the best things going in the business over 20 years later."

[10.0] "His " Invisible Hand" run is one of the best characters in wrestling ever for me. One of the very few people in wrestling, who excel at character work so much that it is hard to differentiate between the gimmick and the person, just because how consistent they are. Callis' return to the wrestling world has been a gift and his involvement in AEW since last September was a godsend to anchor and evolve the heel turns and characters of the Bucks and Omega. Callis was great before, if I recall his ECW and even late 90s WWF runs correctly, but in 2021 it is very hard for me to think of a better non-wrestling character."

[10.0] "Don Callis is the best thing to happen to professional wrestling since ring ropes! He's a great promo and an even better commentator who's a great heel, but can also put of the babyfaces as great workers just like he used to be back in the day, yall are just too afraid to say it!"

[10.0] "As of now, he is the best manager, one of the best on mic, great charisma and fits the perfect role he has. Great!"

[10.0] "Don Callis is the savior of american wrestling right now. No matter what kind of character is Cyrus the Virus or Jackyl: when the manager of current AEW champion always pulls the blanket over himself, it can't be without praise. Definitely the BEST thing which happens with modern day Kenny Omega."

[8.0] "Callis was pretty much the only thing good about the Truth Commission, to the point where it almost felt like the WWF knew they wanted him on the mic, but didn't care much about what went on in the ring."

[8.0] "I thought that the Jackyl had potential when I first seen him in WWF but his talent was wasted. Cyrus was okay in ECW. He sort of the disappeared for years and re emerged in NJPW as the colour commentator where he was great. Then went to Impact. His current role as the evil EVP is excellent. One of the best at delivering promos right now."

[10.0] "Don is phenomenal. He was as good as the Jackyl and the Virus in his early years and compete in the hottest storyline in AEW/Impact now, introducing Kenny Omega."

[3.0] "When The Jackyl first came to WWE, I was quite interested. I liked his look & he seemed intelligent, but then he was with the Truth Commission and that bombed hard. Cyrus in ECW just felt like another heel authority and even back then I found that role to mostly be an annoyance. I find his current Impact commentary atrocious."