Damien Sandow Talks TNA Debut, His Crowd Reactions In WWE, WWE Departure, Moose, TNA’s Future, More

Source: Forbes

Donald Wood from Forbes and Bleacher Report recently interviewed TNA star Aron Rex, f.k.a. Damien Sandow. They sent us this transcription:

On Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling on POP TV, you made your debut and created a genuine buzz around the product. What was that moment like for you and did you feel any nerves getting back on television?

“Ok, so this is funny, as a performer I would never get nervous. When I first started, I was a teenager and of course you are nervous when you hit the ring and trying to get the timing and to get all the moves right. As I got more and more seasoned, I would never get butterflies. This was true even up to WrestleMania. I never truly got nervous because I would always go out, know who I am and do my thing. I said this to Dixie right before I went through the curtain, I had not had butterflies in 10 years, but today I do. I think the reason for that was because to me, it was a new version of me. It was a far more real version of me. I wasn’t playing a character on that episode. That was probably the most heartfelt promo I have ever done. I really didn’t know what I was going to say when I went out there. Knowing how great Impact Wrestling is, I kind of had an idea of what to say. I just wanted to go out there and talk to the fans and number one thank them for supporting me.

“I wanted to also thank Impact Wrestling for bringing me in because I had no plans on ever wrestling again. I did some autograph signings here and there and called it the “Thank You Tour.” It essentially was me going around, taking some shots, doing some autographs and personally thanking fans since I was moving into other projects. When I got the call from Impact and started talking to some of my friends that were there and some of the officials there, my philosophy changed, and I decided I wasn’t going to rule it out. The atmosphere at Impact Wrestling is one that I have never been around, and I have been doing this since I was 16 years old. The locker room is great; the management is wonderful. They allow the talent freedom to use the platform of the television show and the ring to paint their own picture. When I was given no direction outside of “Go out there and let the fans know you are here,” that meant the world to me. I am a loyal member of Impact Wrestling now. People can say what they want about my promo whether it was groundbreaking or buzz worthy, but it was just a guy talking to the people, the viewers at home and the fans at the arena. I know that can be lost in our business sometimes, but at Impact Wrestling the talent is given that chance for genuine interactions with fans.”

During your first promo for TNA, you spoke about your former employer and how good it was to essentially have the handcuffs removed now. How important was it for you to get that off your chest and what kind of feedback have you received following your debut promo?

“To me, my former employer, I really have nothing bad to say about them. They gave me a platform, and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have the street cred, so to speak. With that being said, my role in that company was very specific. I was labeled as entertainment and that’s fine. Here, I can work throughout the whole spectrum. It wasn’t a shoot, it wasn’t a negative, it was expressing how Impact Wrestling has taken some chances and is changing the game. I am proof of that.”

You mentioned that you’ve been passed over for opportunities for being too entertaining. What are your thoughts on scripted vs. non-scripted promos, and were there any discussions with TNA about how much creative freedom or input you’ll have moving forward?

“This is on pretty much a night-to-night thing, let’s see what it works, go do it, and in my opinion, that’s how the wrestling …

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