If you spot a kendo stick, or as it is more commonly known in ECW lore, a Singapore cane, on an Amtrak train, please return it to The Sandman.

The Hardcore Icon made an appearance at Collector's Realm on Raymond Ave. in Poughkeepsie on Saturday, but along the way on his trip from Philadelphia to Poughkeepsie, he left his trusty bamboo weapon of destruction on mass transit, amid the traveling public.

The nice folks at Collector's Realm supplied him with several, both for autographing and photo purposes. I caught up with Sandman, during a lull of autograph seekers.

Phil Strum: What was it like, this last run you had in WWE?

Sandman: It sucked! It was horrible. Just being on the road, just traveling way too many miles and not having any fun. Having to change what ECW was really all about.

PS: Were you surprised by anybody you worked with there in terms of chemistry with the matches?

Sandman: Nah! You're going to have chemistry with certain guys. You're not going to have it with other people. That's just the way it is, you know. You try to go into every match not really expecting anything and hoping for the best.

PS: Why do you think it was that they brought back ECW the way that they did?

Sandman: I don't know. You should be asking Vince [McMahon] that. Not me.

PS: What was going through your mind when you were fighting The Zombie in the first match out there?

Sandman: Aw, I didn't mind that! I didn't mind stuff like that. That was funny. I don't know. RVD shouldn't have been champ. You know what I am saying? RVD...Sabu? I don't know. They should have had somebody else as champion.

PS: I always hear that you have a lot of outside interests out of the wrestling business, like construction. Are you still doing some of that stuff?

Sandman: Nah. I do nothing now. I'm retired.

PS: You're doing appearances?

Sandman: A lot of appearances.

PS: Are you getting back into the indie circuit?

Sandman: I'm trying not to. I really just don't like traveling anymore. I left my house at like 7 o'clock this morning. What time is it now?

PS: About 2:30.

Sandman: 2:30. And I won't get home until 9 o'clock tonight.

PS: In Philly still?

Sandman: Yeah. I'm lucky that I'm actually going to sleep in my own bed tonight. Usually when I'm someplace, I've got to fly somewhere, stay there. You know what I mean? That's one of the reasons why I did this shot, so I could leave, go and come back in one day.

PS: What do you remember about coming to Poughkeepsie? You probably came here a lot with ECW.

Sandman: People are showing me pictures. I don't remember at all. I don't remember nothing. I thought I was going to Schenectady today.

PS: You came back here last year with an ECW house show .

Sandman: I don't remember. Some kid showed me a picture.

PS: You walked through my section.

Sandman: Who was I working with? Who was I in the ring with?

PS: (I forget)

Sandman: How come nobody can tell me that?

PS: It wasn't a memorable card, I guess.

Sandman: Yeah, really.

PS: I remember at the end of the show, you and Van Dam and Dreamer were all in the ring, bopping to Van Dam's music or something.

(Phil's note: Sandman defeated the apparently unmemorable Mike Knox on this show. And Sandman did celebrate with Dreamer and Van Dam at the end of the show).

I don't remember the exact match.

Sandman: I don't either.

At this point, I tell Sandman of a photo a friend of mine took in 2000 at the last ECW show in Poughkeepsie.

Sandman: Is that the building?...Is there a stage? (Me: Yup.)I can't believe I just grabbed that building out of my hat.

PS: Does anybody still ask you about your son [Tyler] and the Raven angle?

Sandman: All the time.

PS: How old is he now?

Sandman: He's bigger than me! He's 18. He's a senior in high school. He's having a great time, driving around in his Mercedes in high school. Are you kidding me? The kid's loving life.

PS: People ask him about that? People even know about that?

Sandman: Some of them spread it. You've got to understand. He grew up in the business. It's not really a big deal to him. Even my nine-year-old. It's not a big deal, you know what I mean? I've always been a wrestler. They've always been around the business in the back and stuff. It's like, oh yeah, it's wrestling. My dad's The Sandman.

PS: What do you have here? Anything I can link to? (I see a flyer that Sandman brought in his carry-on bag for his official site)

Sandman: It's all kinds of stuff about me.

PS: You've got a webmaster?

Sandman: Yeah. A kid, Corey from Portland, he's really good. It's got titles I had that I don't even remember I had. I didn't have that title. Yeah, I did have that title. If you ask me, I thought I maybe had 10, but it's more like 20 belts I've had. You don't think about it. I've had over 1,000 matches and you just can't remember them all.

PS: Future goals for you now?

Sandman: Nothing. Have another kid. I want to have one more kid.

PS: How many do you have now?

Sandman: Five. I want another kid. That's what I'm concentrating on.

PS: Well thanks a lot for the time. It was nice meeting you.

Sandman: Thanks. Peace.

You can read more about Sandman at his official site. Thanks to the Sandman and Joe Sinforoso of Collector's Realm for allowing me access to this interview. {plug}