Rob Van Dam has wrestled for a variety of companies throughout his career including WWE. Van Dam signed a deal with WWE after ECW closed in 2001 and he finished up with the company in 2007. Eventually Mr. Monday Night returned to the company for two part time runs in 2013 and 2014.
During a recent episode of his 1 Of A Kind podcast Rob Van Dam recalled how his contract with TNA Wrestling had expired in 2012, and the company was dragging their feet when it came to putting a new deal together.
The former champion then went to see Booker T get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and it was suggested to him that he should call Triple H to talk about a possible return. While Rob Van Dam did eventually return to WWE, he noted that the company initially passed before he returned part-time.
“And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah? Okay, that sounds great.’ And I called and just said, ‘Yeah, you know, I was finishing up I think with TNA Wrestling. And I was just checking to see if there’s a spot for me back there.’ Always, always, I was sought after. Everyone knew that. And I was always like, ‘I got my choices of anywhere that I can go.’ I’ve always felt like that. That’s what my ego told me, but also so did a lot of phone calls.”
“But in 2013, after Hunter said he would talk to creative and talk to people or whatever, he came back and he said, ‘It’s a pass.’ And that was the first time that I’ve ever heard that. He was like, ‘You know, we just got too many people signed up that we’re trying to find room for on the cards that we’re obligated to and stuff. And right now, we’re just really busy.’ And I said, ‘Well alright, that’s cool. Just, you know, let me know if you–‘ I said, ‘You know that [Chris] Jericho just works like part-time with some of the guys or whatever. And if you just work there for a little bit, help some of the guys out out whatever, then let me know.”
“He says, ‘Well, wait a minute.’ He said, ‘Now I didn’t know that was an option.’ I said, ‘F***, are you kidding me? I don’t want to work full-time. No f*****g way I could do that again, no way.’ And he said, ‘Well you know, Chris tells us when he’s not touring with Fozzy. And then we look at the schedule and we have him come in based around that. If you’re interested in doing something like that…’ I was like, ‘Sure.’ So that’s what got me my return run in 2013. I did 66 matches and a 90-day agreement that I signed on for. And then I was off for like a year. And then I ended up signing a five-month deal and going back in 2014, in which case they had nothing for me there. So I was completely jobbed out, set aside, just not utilized. Not appreciating my time there either that time. Like it really was — you know, if ever it was just a job, it was a job then. I wasn’t enjoying. It’s like everybody that I had beat, you know, ‘Oh, now I’m putting them over.’ Ad it’s not like I’m on our way out. Or maybe, you know, they — whatever. But anyway, still getting a lot of pops, still getting that connection with the crowd, and that’s what makes me one of a kind. But that one time I did hear, ‘it’s a pass.’ And that’s the story behind that. And it hurt the ego.”
Rob Van Dam appears to be on good terms with WWE as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class. He still makes sporadic appearances on WWE programming and last appeared on the November 6th, 2024 episode of NXT at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
H/T 411Mania.com