While speaking on Monday’s episode of Busted Open Radio about the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view event, Bully Ray discussed the match between Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door.
Ospreay won the IWGP US Championship after outside interference from Don Callis, who returned to the ringside after being ejected from ringside. Ray had an issue with Callis returning.
“Don Callis, the use of Don Callis. The referee throws Don Callis out of the match, correct? You get a great response from the crowd. Yes? It’s built in that when you throw a heel like Don Dallas out, you’re gonna get a great response. What did they do to Saraya, and to Ruby Riott (Soho) in the match right before Kenny, and Will? Lagreca: [They] threw them out.” Bully: Problem number one. You should have never wasted the throwing out of the people on the floor on Saraya and Ruby [Soho]. Because you came back and you did it in the match right after that match. Back to Back throwing out of the people on the floor. Now, did that affect the reaction of Don calles being thrown out? Sure it did. But that’s not the real real issue. Referee looks at Callis [and] says you’re out of here because you’re causing too many problems on the floor. Don Callis about 20 minutes later, comes back down to the ring. And what did the referee do?”
“Dave, he came back. And why was he allowed to be at ringside? So in the body of the match, the announcers talked about the leniency of the refereeing during this match following maybe more of a Japanese refereeing style where they’ll lay off a bit kind of like red shoes would do. So Paul Turner is laying off a bit but Callis comes back down. Immediately, Paul Turner should be threatening to disqualify Will Ospreay. I never got this sense of urgency from the referee like no way in hell are you coming back down here and blatantly dismissing a judgment call that I make. You force me mentally out of the story. I’m so immersed in what is going on, and now I see a manager come back that got thrown out. I’m immediately saying, Okay, why is the referee not throwing them out? You’ve taken my attention and you forced it on something that it should never be forced on. Now, Don Callis actually gets physical in the match by holding on to Kenny Omega right?”
Ray added that AEW needs to work on maintaining the credibility of their referees.
H/T to WrestlingNews.co