8 Reasons WWE Dropped The Ball With Damien Sandow
You're not so welcome, WWE.
On Friday, WWE announced a series of talent releases that had been rumored for several weeks. Though there were some real surprises among the wrestlers who were cut, none were quite as shocking as Damien Sandow.
Since his TV debut in 2012, Sandow had proven himself to be one of WWE's most reliable - but underutilized - hands. He started out as "The Intellectual Savior of the Unwashed Masses," a holier-than-thou genius who wasn't shy about expressing his heightened sense of self to the fans. While a gimmick like that is a natural heat magnet, Sandow made it work better than just about anybody else could have. His "You're Welcome" catchphrase quickly became part of the WWE Universe's lexicon, and fans loved to hate the star.
As The Miz's stunt double, Sandow proved that he was more than a one-trick pony. He actually became one of the most popular babyfaces in the company when he turned on his egotistical employer, and was poised to break out as a singles star. Sadly, it wasn't to be.
WWE screwed up by not doing more with Sandow, and it's likely that sometime in the future, they'll be forced to realize that. Here are eight reasons why WWE dropped the ball with Damien Sandow.
8. He Was Trained By Killer Kowalski
Damien Sandow may have been a relative young talent, but he had a connection to wrestling's old school (beyond his name, anyway) - he, like Kofi Kingston, Chyna, Perry Saturn, and 14-time world champion Triple H - was trained by the legendary Killer Kowalski.
Sandow actually began training under Kowalski when he was only 16 years old, then made his wrestling debut three years later. He first competed for Massachusetts independent promotion Chaotic Wrestling, where he captured tag team and heavyweight gold, then worked for the state's World Wrestling Alliance, where he feuded with Tough Enough alum Jonah Adelman over that group's heavyweight title.
It was clear that Sandow took many of Kowalski's lessons to heart. Even though he portrayed a pompous intellectual during the most high-profile run of his career, his ring work was still characterized by a vicious mean streak reminiscent of "The Killer." It made for an interesting dichotomy that not only strengthened his performance, but made him more compelling as a character.