Rob Van Dam isn’t the most family friendly wrestler, with a long-running public affinity for cannabis use as well as a background in hardcore wrestling promotion ECW. However, that didn’t stop WWE from getting Van Dam involved again after they transitioned into the “PG Era” in the late 2000s. Speaking on his podcast, “1 Of A Kind,” Van Dam described some of the struggles that went along with that move.
“I wasn’t super comfortable with that era,” Van Dam said. “Maybe I felt like I had tighter cuffs on me than I really did. That might’ve been how that affected me.”
In addition to struggling with the perception of content restraints, RVD also recalled dealing with more clear-cut time limitations during that period. The former ECW star was used to being able to work at his own pace in other promotions, and had a hard time adjusting to the live TV atmosphere when he arrived in WWE. Van Dam also felt fans wanted to see more of his ECW persona in the promotion, but it just wasn’t possible at the time.
“We’re not diving into the crowd, and fighting with chairs and weapons, and swearing, and bleeding, and busting through tables,” Van Dam continued. “Now I think they do it too much, because whenever I see an announcer table getting broke, I’m like, ‘Does that even mean anything anymore?'”
Van Dam’s initial run with WWE lasted from 2001 until 2007, when he returned to the independent scene along with a stint in TNA Wrestling. A few years later, WWE brought Van Dam back, with his “PG Era” run encompassing much of 2013 and 2014.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “1 Of A Kind” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Read the full article here
