Among the releases from the WWE last Friday, the only one that was really surprising was Damien Sandow, as the former stunt double had some great moments in the company not that long ago. Just three years ago, Sandow was about to become Mr. Money in the Bank, and just last year at this time, he had just finished up with his run as Damien Mizdow, one of the most over characters in recent memory.
Still, things were getting pretty bad towards the end as Sandow was getting virtually no TV time and was even pumping a petition for the powers that be to give him something to do. But now that his WWE career is over, Sandow is jumping right into the independent scene as he will appear on the Wrestle Pro/GFW in New Jersey show on June 11.
Sandow opened up about his release and what’s next in a great interview with Rolling Stone, and the former WWE Tag Team Champion said he actually wasn’t all that surprised about WWE letting him go.
Not really. I had some conversations with them before, where I had said that I think, as a character, we had gone through the gamut. What more could I do with that character? Some people say, “This company should have done this, or that.” No, the company gave me a platform, and I maximized my opportunity. That’s all I can ask for. In maximizing it to the point that I did, as a character, sometimes all you can do is get a new coat of paint. As a television show, the WWE, they have so many talented performers there. There is so much talent in the WWE. I have no problem with them needing time to let the other guys show their craft. I am not selfish in that respect.
Sandow also thanked the fans for the outpouring of support he got, and said that he is excited about the potential opportunities that may come up now that he is no longer under contract.
It meant the world to me that people cared. It meant more than winning titles, to see the outpouring of emotions. And the feeling is mutual. It’s clichéd to say that without the fans, there’s no WWE. But it’s true. Without the fans, I wouldn’t be the performer I am.
I have always listened to them, the fans. I viewed my boss as whoever paid for a ticket. They always dictated my performance, in whatever genre I’m in. There’s a lot of opportunities that have been opening to me. Due to my commitments in WWE, I couldn’t pursue them like I wanted to. As I go and pursue these opportunities, the fans will always dictate to me what’s the best thing to do as a character. That’s who I am. That’s who Aaron Stevens is.
There is a lot more great stuff in the interview, such as Sandow explaining how he almost had a gimmick where he would parody current events, how the “Intellectual Savior of the Unwashed Masses” character came about, and his reaction to his failed cash-in attempt on John Cena. You can read the entire thing over at Rolling Stone.
