Damien Sandow's New Gimmick Is a Waste of a Good Babyface

For a brief, honest moment Monday night, Damien Sandow became human.

He opened up to fans about an odyssey of portraying silly characters. It was an odyssey that somehow culminated in the former Money in the Bank winner becoming an even bigger star.

Sandow admitted how ridiculous his previous gimmicks were in the past, only to return to more ridiculousness.

Sandow's current persona combines his past work into one awkward midcard comedy act. It's twice the gimmicks, with half the entertainment.

Sandow opting for comedy after delivering an impassioned promo will hurt him in the long run and is a waste of what could be a popular babyface.

As I mentioned in this week's PodNasty Wrestling Podcast, WWE constantly struggles presenting likable babyfaces to its audience. Sandow embodies the qualities of a likable babyface that so often evade other hand-picked heroes.

Fans appreciate his efforts in making the best out of otherwise-bad situations. Not only did he show character development over the past several months, but he built character as well. By teasing fans with a more serious, everyman approach, Sandow will find it more difficult to go back to the comedic route without looking like a hypocrite.

WWE struggles to present babyfaces. There was nothing likable about The New Day, despite WWE's initial efforts to get fans to cheer for three happy-go-lucky clappers. Roman Reigns still has his growing pains as a babyface due to the (incorrect) perception that he is being spoon-fed his current push.

Cena, WWE's top babyface, will receive a mixed reaction for the rest of his career, mostly due to fatigue.

Coming out of his feud with The Miz, Sandow has the full support of the WWE Universe, a rarity among babyfaces.

Now that his stint as Mizdow has run its course, fans wouldn't mind seeing Sandow in a more serious role. If he could get over pretending to be LeBron James, who's to say he can't get over in a series of competitive matches against Seth Rollins?

For the first time since he became WWE's court jester, Sandow's act seemed forced on Monday night. It's clear that he's ready for a bigger role, mostly because fans were given a live preview. If the plan truly was for Sandow to continue his buffoonery, it was a mistake to let him cut a serious promo beforehand.

There will always be a place for comedy in WWE, but Sandow's potential exceeds his current role. Once upon a time, Sandow held WWE's second-most important championship. To see him mimic Curtis Axel will not only hurt him, but it will eventually hurt the prestige of Money in the Bank.

WWE captured lightning in a bottle with Sandow's surprisingly entertaining characters over the past few months. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before that lightning escapes.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and listen to his weekly wrestling podcast.