Sandman

[6.0] "Great, iconic character. The face of ECW for years. It makes me want to rate him higher. But in teh end, wrestling is also about wrestling. And his matches were never something I'd need to watch again."

[8.0] "Strange to see such an iconic character with such an average rating. I can agree with a lot of the criticism. Sandman was not a technical wrestler, not a high-flyer, and honestly not even that great of a brawler. He was still one of the biggest stars in ECW, with some incredible matches under his belt."

[8.0] "For what he did in the ring, for what he was as a character, it's hard to look past how important he was to 90s pro wrestling and beyond. Big props to him for that crazy Stairway to Heaven match with Sabu. Forever memorable. Put him in the WWE hall of fame for the speech alone."

[10.0] "Nostalgia vote. I loved ECW in the 1990's and The Sandman was a huge reason why. He was simply that one crazy drunk uncle we all had growing up who swore he could kick everyone on TV's ass... except Sandman could actually do it! I was drawn to him for that. I would also argue that his feud with Raven is one of the greatest feuds in pro wrestling history, and that the Sandman had the greatest wrestling entrance of all time. Combine all that with some very entertaining matches... The Sandman absolutely ruled."

[8.0] "The most badass wrestler that could never really wrestle. But he was perfect for Ecw and imo he's just so fucking fun to watch. EXIT LIGHT! ENTERRRRRR NIGHT!"

[7.0] "The Sandman was always one of the main attractions in ECW, he was everything he sought to represent, although his matches were usually messy and of low quality, he was good enough and encouraging enough to lead ECW at its highest point, facing the best wrestlers like Sabu, Raven, Tommy Dreamer. Even having his place in the world he could not keep it, after the closure of ECW, he was never able to have another secure place, small appearances in WWE, IWA Mid-South are the most memorable thing he did afterwards, but his fall began even before, with a product that was changing, along with the Jerry Lynns, the RVDs, The Mike Awesomes, there was no longer room for The Sandman."

[2.0] "As a Philly guy, it pains me to have to be objective here. And honestly, his entrance and character alone should put him higher. But he couldn't wrestle worth a damn and it really showed thru the later years where he chased paychecks on the indy scene. Some of his appearances through the years have been an embarrassment to the ECW legacy. The Sandman was an entrance with a kendo stick. He captured the spirit of ECW's reckless energy, but once the music stopped, the smoke cleared, and the kendo stick was gone, there wasn't much there"

[7.0] "Sandman may not have been the most technical or athletic wrestler, but what he brought to the table was pure chaos and charisma. He embodied the spirit of ECW -- cigarette in mouth, beer in hand, cane in tow. His entrances alone were legendary, and he connected with fans through sheer presence and attitude. While his matches were often sloppy and brutal, they felt authentic and dangerous in a way that fit perfectly with the hardcore scene. Not a workrate guy, but a cult icon who gave ECW its edge."

[3.0] "I'll admit, he wasn't my thing, there are other hardcore wrestlers like Sabu where even though it wasn't my thing they had the ability to impress me even when working a tamed down style, but Sandman didn't have much talent outside hardcore, and his gimmick came off like a really low budget and raunchy version of Steve Austin"

[3.0] "He had a good entrance theme. A great entrance theme, actually. And a great gimmick. He was borderline terrible when it came to ring work. Not quiet Giant Gonzales level of bad, so that's something. He could do a moonsault ... sort of. Imagine your uncle had one too many beers at the BBQ and tried to do a moonsault into a pool. That was kind of how it was. Sometimes he'd walk to the ring seemingly in a daze and his entrance would last 4 times longer than the match."

[1.0] "He undoubtedly had charisma and was perfect for the very niche within a niche ECW crowd. Besides his entrance, he lacked almost everything needed to be a successful wrestler. He wasn't athletic, he wore clothes you'd see an unemployed dad wear, and couldn't really cut a real promo. He was carried in every feud he was in by a superior wrestler. Especially with Raven and Cactus Jack. His run in WCW really exposed him and showed just how terrible of a wrestler he really was. His name, Hardcore Hak was clearly a rib and I found it funny at the time since I was a WCW fan and had friends really into ECW."

[8.0] "Some might consider Sandman a bad wrestler but he did perform very well considering what he might have been taking before his match. He also might have the most iconic entrance of all time."

[3.0] "Anyone who thinks that Paul Heyman wasn't an absolute genius needs to look at Sandman. The guy genuinely couldn't wrestle and was the biggest star of the 3rd biggest promotion in America. The second he showed up in WCW, or the second he ended up on Raw with no Heyman guiding him, everyone stopped caring"

[10.0] "I love Sandman so much ! Of course he isn't great in ring (objectively bad) he's a product of his time but god ! For me he's the real face of ECW (and i love, love guys like the Dudleys, Taz, RVD, Sabu, Dreamer...). A guy who get drunk during his entrance (enter sandman+ alcohol+ wild crowd) and just caning his opponent. Sandman is a product of his time (right time, right place)."

[9.0] "One of the most entertaining wrestlers in ecw. My rating for sandman isn't because his in ring abilities are super impressive, but because he just has such a captivating gimmick and is one of the most charismatic wrestlers of the era and has some of the most classic ecw matches of all time."

[7.0] "Plain and simple, he sucks as a wrestler, but there's a part of me that loves the Sandman because of that insane likeability and charisma the guy has. Very good at working a crowd, and a reasonable brawler, but his wrestling skills were bad."

[8.0] "One of the worst professional wrestlers to ever have a run as a promotions top guy. Eight out of ten"

[3.0] "Poor worker who managed to carve out a decent career. He couldn't wrestle but did some occasionally impressive dives and did put his body through it. The best work of his I've seen was probably his FMW stuff where it looked like he really tried. But yeah, not very good."

[6.0] "Going to preface this by saying, I'm not rating him based on his actual wrestling ability... because, to be frank, he's pretty damn bad in-ring. Not athletic at all, wrestling ability isn't great... BUT! He has a certain aura about him, he stands out above everybody else. Crazy as this may sound, he's a star. His run in WWE was awful, but honestly that's because they didn't have a clue how to use somebody like him. No point in sending him out there expecting him to have a great match against the likes of Carlito or Mr. Kennedy around that time, that's just not his forte. Was great in hardcore matches because his wrestling ability gets overshadowed by the inclusion of weapons, blood, etc., very unique wrestler, a product of his time, mic skills were... eh, I would say alright, nothing crazy but he wasn't awful. As a gimmick, character, whatever you want to call it, Sandman was great. Wrestling wise? Not so much."

[8.0] "Sandman is a guy who was over mainly for his gimmick, offering a unique presence and charisma. He was known for his unique entrances and use of kendo sticks as weapons. As a wrestler compared to some of his ECW contemporaries, he wasn't among the best in-ring performers. He's probably above New Jack, but much lower than an RVD or a Sabu. Those guys could do a lot more in the ring. But Sandman didn't get over by being a technician or high flyer. He's more of a basic brawler type of hardcore wrestler."

[6.0] "What makes a great wrestler can come down to various factors, but for me, most important is entertainment value. Someone could be the greatest technical wrestler in the world but if they can't make me FEEL something, anything, then they're worthless to me. Sandman is one of the top examples for me, no, he could never be accused of being masterful in the ring but when he has as much presence as he had in his prime, he didn't need to be. I never go into a Sandman match expecting a five star classic, but it's rare I go away disappointed. I'd be remiss to neglect to mention some of the great feuds he'd had in the past, most notably with Raven, always fun to revisit"

[6.0] "Sandman was a master of getting the most, from very little. A limited wrestler in ring, his promos aren't anything too special. But boy was he over. One of the faces of ECW. Most reigns as ECW champion. One of the greatest entrances of all time. And his beer drinking, ciggy smoking gimmick of a man that would punch you in the local pub was very believable. Not the typical wrestler I'm drawn too, but I am a fan of Sandman. 6.5/10."

[5.0] "Hardcore wrestler extraordinaire! Did great in ECW but kinda got exposed in the WCW and later WWE with a bit of a limited ring skill when hardcore prop spots weren't involved."

[6.0] "I guess he did what he did well. But what he did wasn't terribly interesting or original. Dude was certainly tough as nails and put himself through a lot. He also wasn't bad and had some matches that were really fun to watch."

[6.0] "I admittedly don't really have watched many of his ECW matches. In the microphone he was....drunk. In WCW he was better than I remember tbh. In WWECW he was super limited by the booking. In TNA he was okay-to-bad"

[3.0] "Sandman had his gimmick going for him and that was about it. He was never good and probably loaded for the majority of his matches. He tried displaying some athleticism at times, but it was pretty clear he didn't have much in him."

[3.0] "Sandman was awful. Got massively over in ECW thanks to a cane, a cigarette and a whisky bottle. Couldn't work a lick which exposed him massively once he was out of Heyman's creative control."

[7.0] "I would've given him A 8 if he was A good worker. But other than that, he had A great entrance and was involved in some great stories. ECW was his peak of course, but man what A time he had in ECW."

[1.0] "Yah yah, cute entrance n all. Sure, he helped pioneer a whole new era of thinking but... it was in regards to his pre match ritual alone. Went out there half loaded & mostly baked, while wearing what he passed out in last night plus some sneakers. Was usually falling all over the place just looking... bad. This is literally only one rung up from Abdullah the Butcher. Not my thing, I like actual wrestling."

[8.0] "The greatest entrance in the history of non WWE or WCW wrestling. EPIC singalong entrance to Enter Sandman. Then ...cane shots. Which was fine. He was so stiff and not athletic on moonsaults and shit I didn't want to see them."

[8.0] "One of the guys who epitomizes Heyman's ECW philosophy of showing strength's and hiding weaknesses. The beer swilling, cigarette smoking, cane swinging, fight picking, hardcore icon persona got over to the point that he really didn't have to wrestle. All he had to do was crack a beer can on his head, hit somebody with a kendo stick, the whole routine, and that's all the people needed to see from him. He didn't need to be a good worker or have 100 moves in his moveset. I also think he had one of the top 5 entrances of all time. Enter Sandman is like 5 minutes and something seconds, and sometimes it'd play at least twice before he ever got to the ring, and the fans sang it at the top of their lungs the whole time eating it up."

[7.0] "Whether you love him for his ability to entertain us or hate him for y'know his lack technical ability, The Sandman sure knows how to get positive reactions from the crowd.And while I can't give him above an 8 since I don't think he is y'know a good wrestler I still love the man to death"

[8.0] "Probably an all-time great when it comes to brawling. He's no technical masterclass but one can't deny the enjoyment of singing Enter Sandman aloud while he makes his entrance, or the viscous beatings he'd lay out courtesy of his Singapore cane. People also seem to forget that Sandman holds the record for most reigns with the ECW world title, topping the list at 5 reigns in total. That itself is no easy feat and is deserving of praise."

[6.0] "Look, was Sandman any more than an entrance? No. But that's what makes him so memorable. In fact, I can't name anyone who had a cooler entrance than ECW's Hardcore Icon. The only thing that keeps him from getting a higher score is that he only worked that well in ECW. His stuff in WCW and WWE ECW just didn't work for me."

[4.0] "Not a good wrestler but who needs wrestling ability when you have charisma, beer, and a sick ass theme song."

[1.0] "It's a 0 for Sandman pretty much across the board, but I like to give credit where it's due, and Sandman managed to carve out a niche that saw him wildly overachieve in pro-wrestling. Sandman is proof that sometimes all that a wrestler needs is a cool entrance to be considered memorable."

[6.0] "Very good at working a crowd, and a reasonable brawler, but his wrestling skills were well below average in my opinion."

[8.0] "Hard to hate on Sandman. He is one of the sloppiest wrestlers I have ever seen, but damn that guy can work a crowd. Bolstered by a terrific character and an even better entrance; Sandman's undeniable legacy of cool in ECW, as well as his feuds with folks like Tommy Dreamer and Raven allow him to continue drinking and caning his way through arenas to this day. A shame his WWE run couldn't have lasted longer. It doesn't seem to be remembered fondly, but from what I recall he was positioned in a featured role much like The Boogeyman was at the time. Even watered down, The Sandman was still popping crowds then just like he does today."

[5.0] "The guy is burnt out and it? s ultimately why he never went anywhere after his ecw run. He had the name and reputation coming into the wwe to do big things and we all new who he was but I? m guessing he never got a good run because he really was that nuts and unreliable. He? s a legend in hardcore circles but let? s be honest there? s 100 guys who did that style of wrestling better and for longer. Nothings of his after ECW is worth rewatching."

[2.0] "His whole thing was his entrance. In the ring he's frequently painful to watch, and not just because of his reliance on kendo sticks. A lousy wrestler with a stupid gimmick that he leaned on for far too long after its novelty had expired."

[8.0] "I would of given 10 too Sandman but after his Surfer Gimmick in early ECW hell no, i never enjoyed wrestling and as a kid i loved The Sandman he was the guy that got me into pro wrestling today, if the Sandman was never around i would not be a loyal superfan too wrestling, His beer drinking and smoking / HC style was good, not the best in ring wrestler but he made it up with betting someone down with a kendostick."

[3.0] "He's a entrance. That's it. Heyman gets overrated at times, but I have to give him a ton of credit for getting Sandman over despite him being pretty shit at wrestling and completely reliant on hardcore matches to even go, made even worse by him getting himself drunk or worse before a match. He's one of the symbols of the more trash brawling side of ECW that many like to glean over. He's not a good promo, and there's no resemblance of ring psychology or anything. Just terrible."

[2.0] "The Sandman is the type of wrestler that does many crazy things so it distracts you from the fact he is an absolute dogshit in the ring. He can't sell to save his life nor can he smoothly complete one wrestling maneuver but at least he busts himself open with a can of beer during every entrance!"

[4.0] "One of greatest ECW originals with his attitude and entrance. But Sandman was horrible in the ring, I do not even know if he had an actual finishing maneuver."

[4.0] "Let's get the obvious thing out of the way first: Sandman was *awful* at wrestling. But despite that, his gimmick and mannerisms got him over as one of ECW's biggest stars which has to count for something."

[5.0] "I know that Sandman is pretty bad, but there's something about him that I can't help but to find appealing. And I typically hate wrestlers who can only go the hardcore stuff. When I think of the face of ECW, I don't think Taz or RVD or Sabu or Foley or Funk or Dreamer... the first face that pops in my head is Sandman's. He was a man of the time & the environment. His three way against Funk & Stevie is very memorable. And his entrance was always a highlight."

[3.0] "Sandman is a horrible wrestler, the kind whose matches will give you the time to go and buy a drink at the local indie show. But let Paul Heyman work his magic and he became insanely beloved despite being the same horrible wrestler as before. The reaction Sandman got during his entrances was absolutely unbelievable, especially considering even ECW fans knew what a trainwreck of a match and/or abysmal promo was sure to follow. Proof of this is his pathetic WCW run as Hak: removed from Heyman's care he was instantly revealed for the garbage wrestler he was, but at least he got a good paycheck. A massive overachiever for certain."

[4.0] "The Sandman had a great entrance, one of the best in wrestling, but once the entrance was over, so was the show."

[4.0] "Thought he was garbage, yer he had a great entrance and entrance theme but after the music stopped it was like watching a car crash. If he didn't have a weapon of some sort he had no idea what he was doing."

[4.0] "An icon of ECW. I was never a fan of this guy. Just a lousy wrestler that loved to be hardcore. No exciting moves. Hated his surfer gimmick he had. He smoked in the ring too."