Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 14:39:12 GMT -5
So now the dust has settled, and Damien Sandow has arrived in TNA much to the surprise of literally nobody.
Of course he was a 'high-profile' casualty of the roster cuts earlier in the year. I say 'high-profile', he really wasn't. But his release certainly commanded an emotional response from fans online.
....I would like to know why?
Like, seriously. Why? I made this point in the controversial opinions thread, but never got a response.. why was everybody so up in arms over Sandows release??
Aside from the 'Stunt-Double' gimmick which shot him to viral-levels of wrestling admiration, did he ever show much? As I said, that could have been ANYONE in that role, and I'd bet most midcarders would have probably nailed it even better than he did. And Sandow definately nailed it!
He was pretty good during the intellectual gimmick, but let's face it, it was straight out of Rock + Wrestling. It was stale before it debuted, he simply ran with it until he could run no more. As soon as it flirted with the main event, the gimmick flopped.
Then of course, there was the post-Miz "Hi I'm the guy the bookers don't book and I've got no gimmick anymore, love me internet!" promo on RAW which pretty much sealed his release. Not for anything he personally did or said of course, but there's not a clearer msg sent than when a wrestler is told to stand in the ring and bemoans a lack of kayfabe in a promo. WWE were done with him.
Then his actual release, it came during a time where WWE were pushing AJ Styles, debuted Shinsuke Nakamura, promoting NXT talents and making the most of their homebred stars (albiet injured Rollins, Reigns, Ambrose).... and Sandows release was met by overblown levels of surprise and frustration, but worse of all, multiple people actually claimed WWE could suffer without his caliber of breakout talent... REALLY?!
I don't tend to buy into these bandwagon acts until they personally impress me, and Damien Sandow certainly impressed me... but he was never a main eventer, he was never worthy of carrying MITB (infact he discredited it to the point of almost no relevance, idiots will blame Cena for that, but that MITB lost all prestige weeks before Sandows failed cash in.)
A talent? Yeah, but who doesn't have that same potential in WWE these days? It's hardly the days of Tugboat and Nailz. Going purely by the roster WWE had when they released him, was he ever a loss? Is he even a loss now?
Do you think Vince is watching Impact with envious eyes whilst Aaron Rex or whatever he's called adds his name to TNAs "butthurt on screen wwe shoot promo" list?
....on the other hand, who thinks this could be a GOOD move for Sandow? Akin to Christian Cage establishing himself in TNA before returning to WWE with serious leverage for a singles run? I side more with this theory.
It's not that I think Sandow isn't a talent, he is. I just think there was always better talents, he wasn't a loss to WWE.. and his best days are still ahead of him because, regardless of what a neutral may think upon reading his overblown popularity, his career has barely started.
The over-the-top fanfare he receives for being 'that released guy' is pathetic, straight from the 2006 bag of clichés and I really can't stand that type of fake-fan crap. If anything ever holds him back in the future it'll be that.
Of course he was a 'high-profile' casualty of the roster cuts earlier in the year. I say 'high-profile', he really wasn't. But his release certainly commanded an emotional response from fans online.
....I would like to know why?
Like, seriously. Why? I made this point in the controversial opinions thread, but never got a response.. why was everybody so up in arms over Sandows release??
Aside from the 'Stunt-Double' gimmick which shot him to viral-levels of wrestling admiration, did he ever show much? As I said, that could have been ANYONE in that role, and I'd bet most midcarders would have probably nailed it even better than he did. And Sandow definately nailed it!
He was pretty good during the intellectual gimmick, but let's face it, it was straight out of Rock + Wrestling. It was stale before it debuted, he simply ran with it until he could run no more. As soon as it flirted with the main event, the gimmick flopped.
Then of course, there was the post-Miz "Hi I'm the guy the bookers don't book and I've got no gimmick anymore, love me internet!" promo on RAW which pretty much sealed his release. Not for anything he personally did or said of course, but there's not a clearer msg sent than when a wrestler is told to stand in the ring and bemoans a lack of kayfabe in a promo. WWE were done with him.
Then his actual release, it came during a time where WWE were pushing AJ Styles, debuted Shinsuke Nakamura, promoting NXT talents and making the most of their homebred stars (albiet injured Rollins, Reigns, Ambrose).... and Sandows release was met by overblown levels of surprise and frustration, but worse of all, multiple people actually claimed WWE could suffer without his caliber of breakout talent... REALLY?!
I don't tend to buy into these bandwagon acts until they personally impress me, and Damien Sandow certainly impressed me... but he was never a main eventer, he was never worthy of carrying MITB (infact he discredited it to the point of almost no relevance, idiots will blame Cena for that, but that MITB lost all prestige weeks before Sandows failed cash in.)
A talent? Yeah, but who doesn't have that same potential in WWE these days? It's hardly the days of Tugboat and Nailz. Going purely by the roster WWE had when they released him, was he ever a loss? Is he even a loss now?
Do you think Vince is watching Impact with envious eyes whilst Aaron Rex or whatever he's called adds his name to TNAs "butthurt on screen wwe shoot promo" list?
....on the other hand, who thinks this could be a GOOD move for Sandow? Akin to Christian Cage establishing himself in TNA before returning to WWE with serious leverage for a singles run? I side more with this theory.
It's not that I think Sandow isn't a talent, he is. I just think there was always better talents, he wasn't a loss to WWE.. and his best days are still ahead of him because, regardless of what a neutral may think upon reading his overblown popularity, his career has barely started.
The over-the-top fanfare he receives for being 'that released guy' is pathetic, straight from the 2006 bag of clichés and I really can't stand that type of fake-fan crap. If anything ever holds him back in the future it'll be that.