Tag: Rob Van Dam

ECW Legends Appeared At Last Night’s WWE NXT Show In Philly At The 2300 Arena

In a special episode last night of WWE NXT at the old ECW Arena (2300 Arena) in Philadelphia, PA, several ECW legends appeared on the show.

The Dudley Boyz reunited as Bubba Ray joined Trick Williams against Ethan Page and Ridge Holland, with D-Von providing a table for a big spot. Elsewhere, Tony D’Angelo defended his North American Title against Nunzio, settling an in-ring misunderstanding. Rob Van Dam also got involved, helping Je’Von Evans overcome Wes Lee after Lee tried to take out RVD backstage. Jaida Parker defeated Lola Vice in a hardcore match with Dawn Marie as the guest referee. Rhyno/Rhino delivered his signature Gore to Robert Stone during the segment where NXT GM Ava announced the NXT PLE Deadline. Plus the Queen of Extreme Francine made an appearance, sitting near ringside.

Rob Van Dam Officially Announced For The WWE Hall Of Fame

ECW Original and former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam is now official for the WWE Hall of Fame.

WWE and FOX Sports officially announced Van Dam’s induction into the 2021 Class this morning. He will be inducted during WrestleMania 37 Week.

After runs with ECW, WCW and other promotions in the early 1990s, RVD first officially joined WWE in 2001 for The Invasion. He had appeared before that for the ECW “invasion” of RAW in 1997. He last appeared for WWE in 2014, and has also had runs with TNA/Impact Wrestling, among others.

RVD joins The Great Khali, Kane, Molly Holly and Eric Bischoff as confirmed names for the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Class.

The 2020 and 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will air on Tuesday, April 6 during WrestleMania 37 Week, via Peacock and the WWE Network. The 2020 Class features JBL, The Bella Twins, Jushin Thunder Liger, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman).

Stay tuned for more on the WWE Hall of Fame. Below is WWE’s full announcement on RVD:

Rob Van Dam to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021

The WWE Hall of Fame is about to get a one-of-a-kind inductee with the addition of Rob Van Dam.

RVD is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021. He’ll take his place in sports-entertainment history during the 2021 Induction Ceremony, streaming Tuesday, April 6 on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.

One of the most innovative grapplers to ever step foot in the squared circle, Van Dam first broke out in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid-1990s. His cool, calm, and laid-back demeanor was the complete opposite of the competitor he became once the bell rang. Employing a mix of devastating martial arts kicks and breathtaking aerial attacks, RVD quickly became one of ECW’s most popular stars and one of its most decorated champions. After a brief stint in WWE, Van Dam captured the ECW World Television Championship and held onto it for an astonishing 699 days. RVD was also a two-time ECW Tag Team Champion alongside notorious risk-taker Sabu.

When ECW closed in 2001, Van Dam joined his fellow ECW alumni in invading WWE and quickly endeared himself to the WWE Universe and brought the fight to Superstars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kurt Angle. RVD won the Intercontinental Championship from William Regal at his first WrestleMania, then went on to unify the championship with the European and Hardcore Titles. In addition to his prowess as a singles competitor, Van Dam was also a successful tag team wrestler, capturing titles in beloved pairings with Kane, Booker T and Rey Mysterio.

But Van Dam’s biggest success as a WWE Superstar would come in 2006. That year, he won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 22, earning himself a world championship opportunity at any point in the next year. Van Dam opted to cash in his contract on his terms, challenging WWE Champion John Cena for the title on his home turf, at ECW One Night Stand. In front of a raucous New York City crowd, Van Dam emerged from a wild brawl as the new WWE Champion. As ECW returned that summer, Van Dam also earned another title that had eluded him, as he was named the first ECW Champion of the reborn brand.

Following a six-year hiatus, RVD returned to WWE in 2013 to square off with a new generation of Superstars, including Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Sheamus and Roman Reigns. Now, in 2021, he returns to take his rightful place among sports-entertainment’s greatest stars.

Don’t miss Rob Van Dam join the WWE Hall of Fame during the 2021 Induction Ceremony, streaming Tuesday, April 6 on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else. The ceremony will feature the Class of 2020, featuring The nWo, The Bella Twins, JBL, British Bulldog and Jushin “Thunder’ Liger, as well as the Class of 2021, which includes RVD, Kane, The Great Khali, Molly Holly and Eric Bischoff.

Rob Van Dam recently spoke with Ryan Satin of FOX Sports to discuss his 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction, which was officially announced by WWE this morning. RVD says he is honored to go into the WWE Hall, noting that fans have been calling him a future Hall of Famer for years.

“It’s a pretty awesome feeling. Just like you probably would imagine, it feels like I’m being acknowledged and appreciated for my body of work,” RVD said. “It feels very good. I’m honored. Fans have] been calling me future Hall of Famer for years and I always just shrug and say, ‘All right, man. As long as you think so.’

“But, glad to be among the chosen few this year. I’m glad for me and for all the fans. I feel like them being behind me and wanting to see this happen is a win for them as well.”

RVD revealed that WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, is the one who called him with the news of his induction. He and Laurinaitis were close with each other when a young RVD worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling years ago.

“I’ve known him since 93, because I used to wrestle with him in Japan,” RVD said of Laurinaitis. “From ’93 to ’97, I spent many, many long hours on long bus rides, sitting in cold arenas in the winter, hot in the summer and ferry boat rides. We did a lot of traveling around Japan that time. You get to know somebody a little better when you’re stuck with them all the time like that. So, I’m proud to call Johnny a friend, and it was really cool to get the call from him.”

The 2020 and 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Classes will be inducted during WrestleMania 37 Week on Tuesday, April 6. RVD commented on going in with other names like JBL, The Bella Twins, The British Bulldog, Jushin Thunder Liger, the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman), Eric Bischoff, Molly Holly, Kane and The Great Khali. He recalled watching Liger vs. Brian Pillman years ago.

“I think that the whole list is a bunch of characters,” RVD said. “We all represent images that people can translate into their minds, fill in all the blanks, and then figure out that they know each of us.

“Having said that, I think about when I was getting into wrestling watching Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger wrestling against Brian Pillman, for one. They just opened up my mind to a whole new kind of wrestling, because I wasn’t seeing that with the limited amount of wrestling that I had been exposed to that early on. They really helped me think outside the box of what could really be done with some athleticism.”

The 50 year old RVD recently had a run with Impact Wrestling, but made it clear that fans wanting one more full-time run with WWE should not hold their breath, if WWE resumes a normal touring schedule in a post-pandemic world. He did seem open to the idea of making some sort of comeback.

“There is definitely some pros and cons to the thought,” RVD said of a WWE return. “I enjoy showing off in the ring. I enjoy very much getting that love and energy from the crowd, looking around seeing the RVD signs. That’s a high for sure, and RVD is all about highs.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Rob Van Dam Is Reportedly Set To Be Inducted Into The 2021 WWE Hall Of Fame

Former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam is reportedly set to be one of the inductees in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021.

WWE has not confirmed RVD as an 2021 Hall of Fame inductee.

Rob Van Dam joined WWE during the invasion angle in 2001 after Vince McMahon purchased ECW. During his time in the company, he held every championship that he could physically contest during that period.

He also competed in other major wrestling promotions during his career, such as World Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling.

According to Fightful Select, Rob Van Dam will join Eric Bischoff and Molly Holly as inductees for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame. RVD will also be featured on an episode of the WWE Icons documentary series, which he revealed will come out in May.

Mr. Monday Night has had an illustrious career in the wrestling industry, and he undoubtedly deserves to join other legends in the prestigious WWE Hall of Fame.

Source: sportskeeda

Rob Van Dam Signs New Deal With Impact Wrestling

Rob Van Dam has signed a new deal with Impact Wrestling, according to a new interview he did with Sporting News.

RVD will team with Sabu to face Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix at Thursday’s Impact United We Stand event, but RVD will also be in action at the TV tapings on Monday, April 29 in Toronto. RVD talked about signing the extended agreement to work with the company.

“It looks like you are going to be seeing my face around for the foreseeable future,” RVD said. “We have an agreement to where I will be sticking after the show on Thursday. It does have a beginning and an end, but they can extend, so this is something to start us off. I had agreed to one match, and then we talked about and discussed doing their upcoming tapings after the show on Thursday and a couple of television tapings over the next few months. We looked at the schedule moving forward, and they asked if I was available. I told them I was.

“We will see how it goes. It’s a pretty friendly schedule, which has always been important to me. I want to be home more and on the road less. That’s still something I’ve done since I left WWE in 2007. Impact with their schedule and the position they want me to fill for my career seems like a perfect situation. Hopefully it will be mutually beneficial, and we will see “The Whole F’N Show” back on television. Let’s see how all these new guys matchup to me. I’m not there to compete with the guys who have stolen all my moves (laughs). I’m pretty much there to be myself.”

RVD said the motivation to sign the deal was business. He said, “The motivation for me is business. I’m always willing to listen to good business. That’s still an interest of mine. The last three years I’ve averaged 10-12 matches. This year it will be a little more, but not much more than that. Even if it was double, that’s still a relatively light schedule compared to when I was with WWE and doing over 200 matches a year. I had enough of that schedule. I was on the road full-time. I also get treated better outside of WWE than I do there.

That’s how I’ve always felt. Whenever fans spot me, they say, “RVD, you are a legend.” People treat me like I’m a legend. And I am a legend. I feel like I’ve been walking the globe for over a hundred years (laughs). When I’m in WWE, it’s hard to feel as appreciated because there are so many other stars and agendas. That’s part of their business. They will take advantage of you if you let them. I’m in such a better mental position after being gone for so long. I feel like this part of my life is rewarding for all the years of hard work and everything that I’ve been through up to this point. I’m happy with life now, and I find the universe takes care of me in a good way with Impact Wrestling. It’s more about opportunity and the one that has presented itself. Hopefully, it will be good for everybody.”

Regarding Impact, RVD was asked what changes he’s noticed from afar now to what Impact was when he first worked for the company years ago. He said the company is no longer focused on trying to be #1.

“When I joined Impact in 2010, at the time they had started doing live television on Monday nights opposite Raw,” RVD said. “They brought in some former WWE guys. They changed their mindset right away and pulled away from live TV and started focusing more on trying to get their brand established and less time on trying to compete and knocking the top guys off of their spot. I don’t see WWE changing for a while of being on top. Now, they aren’t focusing on trying to be No.1. They are focusing on being the best they can be and not worrying about everybody else. I think Impact has grown tremendously and will continue to do so.”

RVD To Donate Brain For CTE Research

Source: Bleacher Report

Former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam is joining the list of athletes who will donate their brains to research for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after their deaths.

Van Dam made the announcement during an appearance onThe Taz Show podcast (h/t Greg Beck of WrestlingNews.co). “I’ve donated my brain and spine to the [CTE] study,” he said. “I used to tell Chris Nowinski that I thought there was a correlation between THC and brains being protected from concussion damage.”

Van Dam addressed the concussions he suffered throughout his career, though he doesn’t believe he suffered any permanent damage:

I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of concussions but I don’t think that I have any permanent damage. A lot of my peers do. A lot of my friends say ‘oh yeah, I space out’ or ‘see lights’ or this and that. … Chris [Nowinski] said ‘you know what, you’re probably on to something, but it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars before even start the study.’ … So anyway, now NFL is all over it.

Van Dam seemed to credit marijuana use for his ability to avoid any long-term effects from his concussions. On Feb. 27, retired Harvard professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon wrote an open letter to the NFL on Vice.com, urging the league to help fund a study to determine whether marijuana can help treat or prevent CTE.

“Given the severity of the problem, however, I think you, and the NFL, must go beyond simply following the medicine, and help lead the way by directly funding research to determine if cannabis…can indeed provide significant protection against the damage of repetitive concussions,” he wrote.

Van Dam became the second major wrestling star this week to announce he would donate his brain to CTE research. On Wednesday, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash told ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein he would be joining the cause after his death.

Nowinski, another former WWE wrestler, has done extensive work to find causes and solutions for head-related injuries in sports. He even set up the Concussion Legacy Foundation to research the problem.

The 45-year-old Van Dam became a wrestling superstar during his time in ECW, routinely taking direct shots to his head with chairs and other weapons. He has been in the sport for 26 years and is now wrestling on various independent circuits.

As noted last week, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash also announced that he will donate his brain to CTE research.

RVD Finishing WWE Run

RVD

Rob Van Dam will be finishing up his current run with WWE at tonight’s SmackDown taping in Ontario, CA. His current run with WWE began the night after WrestleMania 30. This was RVD’s second run with WWE since returning last year.

Rob Van Dam Returning To WWE

RVD

 

Rob Van Dam is scheduled to make a return to WWE on Raw April 7th, the night after WrestleMania XXX. RVD’s return will be for a several month run.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter via WrestlingInc.com

News On Rob Van Dam Returning To WWE For WrestleMania Season

RVD

Source: PWInsider:

PWInsider is reporting that WWE’s current plans is for Rob Van Dam to return for WrestleMania season at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. According to PWInsider, WWE wants to lock in RVD through Extreme Rules in April, but that is longer than the 90 day window that he had agreed to.