In a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, legendary professional wrestler The Sandman shared his candid thoughts on his stint in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) organization. The hardcore icon, known for his unorthodox in-ring style and iconic Singapore cane, reminisced about his time in the Stamford-based promotion, including his shocking reaction to being drafted to Monday Night RAW in 2007.
The Sandman, a beloved figure in the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) universe, signed with WWE in 2005 and was part of the initial ECW roster when the brand was relaunched as the company’s third brand alongside RAW and SmackDown. However, when he was drafted to RAW in June 2007, The Sandman admitted he was caught off-guard and didn’t want to make the move due to his unfamiliarity with the roster.
“I didn’t follow WWE programming, so when I got drafted to RAW, I was like, ‘What’s going on here?’ I didn’t know the guys, I didn’t know the system,” The Sandman revealed on the radio show. He went on to explain that he was intimidated by the RAW locker room, which was filled with wrestlers he had never worked with before.
Despite the initial shock, The Sandman made the best of his time on RAW, engaging in feuds with Carlito and William Regal, including a memorable Singapore Cane on a Pole Match against Carlito at The Great American Bash. Although his stint on RAW was short-lived, ultimately leading to his release three months later, The Sandman’s legacy in professional wrestling remains intact.
In other news, WWE 2K24 is set to release the first batch of their DLC packs on May 15, which includes the ECW Punk Pack featuring legends like CM Punk, The Dudley Boyz, Terry Funk, and The Sandman. This marks The Sandman’s first appearance in a WWE video game since Smackdown vs. RAW 2008. While his in-game character will have an overall rating of 86, fans will unfortunately not get to experience his iconic entrance theme song or crowd-surfing entrance. Nonetheless, the addition of The Sandman to the game is a welcome nod to his enduring legacy in professional wrestling.
