In a new interview on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast, ECW legend The Sandman pulled no punches about his WWE tenure, telling the host, “I hated it there, dude. I had no friends. It was soul-sucking.” He dreaded every flight, loathed the locker room, and couldn’t wait to escape the building. So eager was he to leave that officials had to tell him to stop leaving early, which is a big no-no in WWE.
“I hated it there, dude. I had no friends. It was soul-sucking. I hated to get on a plane. I hated to go there. I hated to be in the locker room. I couldn’t wait to get out of the fucking building … They had to tell me to stop going home early. I was giving them five minutes and bouncing.” – The Sandman
Sandman’s WWE chapter (2005–2007) began with a bang at ECW One Night Stand, delivering one of wrestling’s most iconic entrances. Signed for the 2006 Sci-Fi revival, he shone in the Originals vs. New Breed feud and stood tall at WrestleMania 23 before 80,000 fans. Yet after being drafted to Raw, the structured environment and short matches felt stifling. Released in September 2007, the brief run gave him a major-stage spotlight but never captured his true cane-swinging, beer-soaked essence.
