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Vince Russo was WWE's head writer in the late 1990s when RAW regularly drew its highest television ratings. The one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion recently disclosed details about a behind-the-scenes issue during Don Callis' short WWE run.
Callis appeared on WWE television between 1996 and 1998. The current AEW personality is best remembered for portraying The Jackyl, the manager of The Oddities and The Truth Commission.
Russo appeared on the latest episode of Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws with Dr. Chris Featherstone and EC3. Discussing wrestlers with backstage heat, he reflected on Callis' bad reputation during the Attitude Era:
"I'll never forget Don Callis," Russo stated. "I was his only friend at WWE. Everybody hated Don Callis." [6:45 – 6:53]
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According to Russo, wrestlers disliked Callis simply because he did not get changed in the locker room with the rest of the roster:
"The guy would dress like out in his car. That's all it took [to get backstage heat], bro. That's it. Maybe the guy had a skin condition, maybe he only had one t*sticle. Who knows? But that was it, bro. He was done." [7:04 – 7:18]
Watch the video above to hear more of Russo's thoughts on backstage politics in the wrestling business.
Don Callis' post-WWE career
Between 1999 and 2001, Don Callis appeared in Paul Heyman's ECW promotion as Cyrus the Virus. Although he primarily worked as a commentator, he also performed as a manager and wrestler.
After stints in TNA and on the independent scene, Callis stayed away from the wrestling business for 13 years before returning in 2017. He initially appeared in NJPW and TNA before joining AEW in 2020.
Callis is arguably best known to modern-day fans for his alliance with Kenny Omega between 2020 and 2023. He now manages The Don Callis Family, consisting of Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Will Ospreay.
Do you have any memories of Don Callis' run as The Jackyl? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
Please credit Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws and embed the video if you use any quotes from this article.
