Aron Stevens, FKA Damien Sandow, Discusses WWE’s Gruelling Travel Schedule

Aron Stevens (formally known by WWE fans as Damien Sandow) recently sat down with VIBE 105.5FM In Toronto opening up on many aspects of his professional wrestling career.

The current National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) star spoke up about his work experience during his 10+ year tenure with WWE, saying this about the tight travel schedules:

You only had a day and a half of rest a week. There was a plane at 11:30 am every Wednesday, but you had to be up from five in the morning to pick up your clothes and not miss the flight. On Friday you left at six and you would take your plane to work.

From there we would prepare three house shows and two TV shows, only to repeat that same process every week. It’s a system that doesn’t allow you to spend much time at home. It’s funny to hear how it evolved that schedule after I left the company. The time on the road before the pandemic is nothing compared to what they expected of us in my day.

Stevens discussed what it was like to be a WWE Superstar during the holiday season and how there was special treatment for some stars over others:

We had to go back to work the day after Christmas and stay there until New Years’. It’s great in a lucrative sense. Nowadays it’s easy to ask for a break time, but in my day it would never have occurred to us. been more careful with various subjects, but in cases like mine, they never did something like that. It’s not something that bothers me, since that’s the way the business works. It would be easy to say ‘WWE is evil but at the end of the day, I was compensated for not take timeouts.

More detail was given about Stevens first day of wrestling training at 16 years old at Killer Kowalski’s:

I was 16 at the time, but Killer Kowalski or Walter was known to his students and those who knew him. He taught me how to lock, it was outside the ring in front of the mirror, I will never forget it. He taught me Hammer Rock and all that. On the first day I was able to get into a pretty cool ring, and that was a big deal. And, of course, some of the older men they wondered, “Who is this kid going into the ring on the first day?” I don’t think that was the case at the time. And it was fun, I took my hump and bruise, and I wasn’t at risk, but older students troll me a bit, but that you know – it made you tougher, and I’m not sure if wrestling is like these days.

The former ‘Mizdow’ also spoke about working with Billy Corgan (owner and promoter at NWA),

It’s amazing. I think Billy is in great harmony with the masses, but at the same time he is an artist first and foremost and I have always been involved in such wrestling. As you know, many people say, “Oh, just go there and let them play the game.” This is performance art. This is 100% performance art and he’s funny. We are on the very same page in terms of character development. Working with him is a very positive experience and an honor.

You can find Aron Stevens on NWA where recently he and JR Kratos became the new NWA Tag Team Champions after a grueling encounter against James Storm & Eli Drake – The referee missing a key low-blow from Stevens to secure the victory!