What should WWE do with Damien Sandow?
Damien Sandow
Damien Sandow is a WWE Superstar in desperate need of a change. Once heralded by many fans as a possible main event star in the making, Sandow has since slipped down to the point of irrelevancy in Vince McMahon’s company. Since 2014 began, Damien Sandow is 1-9 in televised matches. While it’s true that victories may not mean much in terms of how the star is being pushed, in Sandow’s case it might as well be so.
But Damien Sandow has a lot of talent as well as charisma which enables him to have a strong enough fan base. Sandow is simply one of the best talkers in the business. He is funny, quick-witted and has fully embraced his character.
“The Intellectual Savior of the Masses” is capable of becoming one of the most enduring characters in WWE history. He handles the microphone with such deftness that it’s a mesmerizing experience to hear him insult mouth-breathers.
His matches with Cody Rhodes are simply the highlight of his past couple of years. His rivalry with Cody Rhodes has died down completely now, it’s animosity with another Superstar that Sandow needs. Sandow hasn’t had a true feud beyond the one with Rhodes.
The drama and emotion that his fights with Rhodes conjured him is a preview of what Sandow can do with the right man opposite him. He was on the cusp of greatness and needed someone worthy to clang swords with in order to realize his full potential.
Sandow is sneaky big. Usually blowhard, cowardly heels aren’t 6’4” and 243 lbs. His size and skills puts him in the gap between powerhouse and high-flyer. He’s not powerful enough to be portrayed as a dominant monster, and he’s not athletic enough to fly around the ring a la Justin Gabriel. Instead, he relies on his brawling ability and carrying over his character to his ring work.
Sandow’s in ring work is above average and natural enough between the ropes to put on a good match. He’s at his best when can juxtapose brutality and showiness, doing a cartwheel right after scratching someone’s eyes. Sandow lacks a collection of standout matches so far, and that’s partly the result of lack of opportunity, but also an issue of Sandow’s needs.
A wrestler like Daniel Bryan will make any eight-minute, storyless bout something to rave about, but Sandow needs more buildup. His matches against Rhodes at SummerSlam 2013 and the Raw immediately following it benefited from a compelling narrative.
His future will largely be determined by his opponents and the angles at work against them. Should he continue to float around from foe to foe, he’ll struggle to remain relevant. Put him in a marquee feud, though, and there is upside in mass awaiting him. His mic ability can be the crux of several unforgettable rivalries.
Carrying on the pro wrestling tradition of using high vocabulary to insult and irk an audience, Sandow thrives in his current role. With how wonderfully snooty and condescending he is, it’s hard to imagine him trying to gain favor with the crowd rather than needle them. He can turn the moments before a meaningless match into memorable entertainment,
The power of his charisma and character atop his brawling abilities can equal starring roles opposite John Cena, CM Punk or Daniel Bryan. Should he be afforded opportunities like those, playing the foil to top stars in marquee feuds, Sandow will become one of the most memorable characters in WWE lore. He can be looked back at in the same way we do Jake Roberts and Ted DiBiase today. Sandow can be an infuriating WWE champ like John “Bradshaw” Layfield before him. He can be a despised world champ and pay-per-view headliner.
There’s magic in Sandow waiting to leap from his wand. We won’t see all of it if WWE doesn’t find him a proper duel partner or tries to make him a fan favorite.