WWE Creative: Do They Resent Self-Made Superstars?

With the return of Damien Sandow to his imitation gimmick following his rise in popularity, does WWE creative take offense to superstars gaining their own popularity?

When Vince McMahon appeared on the Stone Cold Podcast last year, he discussed how superstars need to take risks to grab for the brass ring and get noticed. This was something that Austin agreed with, recalling his own rise to the top as him pushing boundaries and injecting his own personal touch into his character. It is undeniable that many of the greatest superstars in WWE history have molded their own success and been creative with their own character, working with whatever gets the attention of the audience. It is a tried and tested strategy that has worked more times than not.

However, this was not the picture painted by CM Punk. Whilst he is certainly not the most popular man in the eyes of those backstage in WWE or fans over his recent derogatory comments, Punk did make some salient points in his appearance on Colt Cabana’s podcast. He insinuated that the crowded and political nature of WWE’s creative team makes it difficult for the wrestlers to influence the direction of their characters. And, even more worrying than this, Punk suggested if a member of the creative team for whatever reason had a problem with a member of the roster, they would make a deliberate attempt to sabotage their prospects.

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This brings me to the subject of this article and the man behind my logic: Damien Sandow. Formerly the Intellectual Savior of the Masses, Sandow was in limbo at the start of 2014. Stuck in a dead-end gimmick of wearing different costumes, he was jobbing out to Adam Rose, Darren Young and Santino Marella. It was clear the creative team had no vested interest in him, but Sandow took matters into his own hands. When he took on the role of the Miz’s stunt double, Damien Mizdow, his performances drew huge positive reactions from the crowd, and earned him his first title in WWE, a Tag Team Championship.

When he finally broke free from Miz due to being over as a babyface, Sandow gave a frank and prevalent speech about the past two years of his career. He spoke about how some backstage had considered him not to be entertaining enough for a spot on the roster, and that his many impressions were in a desperate bid to prove those people wrong. Sandow finished by thanking the fans for the love and support they had shown him, and making his efforts worthwhile as he looked forward to the next step in his career. He was over, popular and ready to foray his way into the mid card.

Less than a month later, Sandow was appearing on an episode of Main Event imitating “Macho Man” Randy Savage, battling the Hulkamania-inspired Curtis Axel. His heartfelt promo had finally allowed him to step out on his own, and now he was back to where he was before getting over. Instead of being his own man pushing up the mid card with legitimate feuds, he has been placed in a comedy tag team that might provide some good entertainment, but is too little for what Sandow deserves for the reaction he gets from the crowd.

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This tale bears sad resemblances to the path of Zack Ryder in early 2012. Years of being a comedy jobber with little upward momentum forced the Long Island native’s hand, as he went directly to the fans with his own YouTube show. “Z True Long Island Stories” became a rapid success, as its fans fell in love with Ryder’s corny humor, his love of wrestling history, and how he would laugh at his own low position on the card. This made him an underdog the audience began to root for, and saw him make an impression on the main roster, winning the United States Championship at TLC 2011.

But, with Ryder’s quick rise came an even more sudden fall, as there can be little denying that he was the victim of a monumental burial by the creative team. They had him fawn over a manipulative she-devil in Eve Torres, be repeatedly brutalized by Kane and become the K-9 to John Cena’s Superman. Every ounce of momentum that Ryder had built for himself had been ripped from him, and he once again finds himself firmly stuck at the bottom of the roster making fleeting appearances on Main Event and Superstars.

Would it be a stretch to suggest that Sandow might be heading for similar treatment? I don’t believe it is out of the realms of possibility. Everybody recognizes that politicking is an extremely significant part of WWE’s backstage etiquette, and that will be true among both the wrestling talent and the creative forces behind storylines. If a superstar seemingly forgoes the “traditional” course of gaining popularity by doing it without the help of the writers, that could lead to them bearing a grudge. And if a writer simply doesn’t like a talent, testimony from Punk and Alberto Del Rio has supported the argument that superstar or diva will be held back.

I’m not suggesting that Sandow should be pushed towards the WWE Championship or anything, but the fact that he isn’t his own man involved in meaningful feuds after the support that he received for months is a clear sign that somebody in creative or booking doesn’t like him, care about him, or resents his organic popularity. Any one of these three is an undesirable prospect, but what alternatives are left?

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It is worrying as it does give the impression to both fans and the roster that those backstage determine who is pushed and focused and who isn’t, and the reaction of the crowd counts for very little. If the latter were true, Sandow and Ryder would be more prevalent features of the mid card and not milling around on the fringes of the spectrum. The fans were into them, and yet they were taken away. So does WWE Creative resent stars that pave their own way? If they don’t, they have a funny way of showing that to the rest of the roster.

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