Damien Sandow Believes He and Cody Rhodes Were a Highly Undervalued Tag Team

Chris Van Vliet did an interview with Damien Sandow on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. The highlights below were provided to us:

The necessity to take some off from wrestling following the WWE withdrawal:

“Yes, 100%. Because I was in an interesting spot at the time. It wasn’t exactly the most ideal place to be in, let’s say. As individuals, not just in the sense of performers, but as human beings, we are surrounded by an array of emotions we experience. As we reach different stages in our lives depending on the circumstances or the circumstances it is possible to be in a positive or poor place, or even lost. It is my experience that those moments are when the greatest change happens. Because of how you respond to it. When I quit the WWE, I was not at a high level. I had let myself down. I was unable to see myself in my mirror in 18 months. I’d shave when the lights were down because it felt similar to this strange issue I was going through. However, just like any other thing, it reached an point at which I thought okay, I’m exactly the same guy who took on the invisible man to the ground and got it to work. So what’s the issue? I was becoming someone particularly in Hollywood that is something that is a bit odd. WWE has the brand name Damien Sandow. But nobody could rock Sandow as I do, just like Scott Hall Razor Ramon. The list goes on on, is at our most effective. I believe we should keep a sense of this when we’re at our lowest because it is what reminds us of the things we can do. So I said, yeah, I know okay, and then I was surrounded by some management or some kind of representation in Cali which I thought”No I’m sorry I don’t like their kind of people. I must at the most remain true to myself and not attempt to fit in with what you’ve seen Lose 10 pounds, get a shave, you have to be more like this, you have to be more like this. You must be in these kinds of roles you should be performing… The idea is sort of like saying shut up do you are aware of that. It’s almost like it’s an end in Hollywood. There’s a sport, right? There’s no such thing as an actual game, but there are multiple games that are played on different levels. This isn’t a secret, is it? There’s an old saying about people who cannot teach, that’s like Huh? Does it really apply 100 times out of 100? Not really, since there are plenty of instructors, and my acting coach is an active actor. Also, I booked more work than any other actor. This means he’s actually engaged in the process. He’s active throughout the entire process. Then, in Hollywood are selling the idea. This is completely untrue on many levels of common sense, to the point that you need to get up and say, “You are right, but why do you’re asking for me to be doing this type of thing? You’re a fool. Do you know what I’m talking about? At a minimum I’ve explained to you that I am not going to do this.”

On Damien Mizdow:

“I believe that there wasn’t a Mizdow without Miz. If I didn’t have a topic for my satire, I wouldn’t have this. That’s why I’m proud of that timing Miz and I enjoyed. Miz and I we, as I like to say that we’re friends. As in, we’ve never spoken or done anything. However, if we were to see one another, it would be awesome. There’d be a discussion about some kind of thing going on, man. We popped up in OVW and all that. Out there we were able to make a timing connection about it, and that’s what that happened. The whole thing simply was Miz performing his business, and the other time, letting me do my own thing. After that, going into it and he was super relaxed about the whole thing. The best moments we had were not talked about. In truth, they weren’t. we didn’t discuss them. They just happened naturally.”

The Story of Cody Rhodes:

“Cody and I, we were thinking in the overall sense of wrestling. We were an under-rated tag team. If you take a look at our actions and the matches we’ve played with various individuals. We even were tagged for a moment. We travelled together, and other things, [did you take home the title? I don’t believe we did. Miz along with me. However, Cody has always had the drive and determination to succeed. And I’m happy that he’s so determined, and is taking the risks are his, and staying true to who he really is. It’s amazing. As you can see when an individual remains in their own unique way regardless of what that truth might be. Because they are the only ones who can define it. They do, however, attain the heights of what they want to be, and that’s great.”