When news broke that Paul Heyman, the multi-hyphenate booker/manager/”Wise Man” who has shepherded the biggest act in wrestling over the past three years, was being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame mere miles from where he became a legend, the 2300/ECW Arena, it drew nearly universal praise from across the ICW.
One such fan? Well, that would be Rob Van Dam, arguably the biggest full-time success story of Extreme Championship Wrestling and a performer who is somehow still working good-to-very good matches at the tender age of 53 for AEW and beyond.
Discussing the news that Paul E. Dangerously will be joining him in the Hall moving forward on WrestleBinge, RVD celebrated the news, as he wouldn't be where he is today without that Heyman Hustle.
“It's pretty cool they're giving him his flowers because he was the man. He was the one that made ECW happen. He's the one that really, not just him, but he's the guy that made everything possible. It couldn't have happened without him. He changed the business, he set new standards. ECW is because of him, his leadership, his braveness, his passion, his artistic direction. All of that is like, ‘Man, thank you, Paul. Thank you, Paul,'” Rob Van Dam said via Fightful.
“At the same time, since he's been in WWE, man, he's just moved right up. I knew when I was there back then, we're bringing ECW and all that, he didn't get a lot of respect in the way of the other agents didn't like ECW, were trying to fight it, didn't want it to come in. They were giving him a hard time. They were like an opposition in a lot of ways. But man, all the boys seemed to know right away that, man, some people say he's a genius. A lot of the boys have been really always commenting on how smart he is, and he would take the time to pull wrestlers aside and give them advice and everything, even before he was in a higher position where that was part of his job to do that. So to see him work his way up to being one of the, I don't even know what he is now. At ECW, he ran everything. So to see him do that on a bigger platform with WWE, and I know he's making bank. For all those dreams and sacrifices from back in the day, it paid off.”
Say what you will about Heyman being inducted into the Hall while he's still an active act within the WWE Universe, a situation that isn't unprecedented but is uncommon, but unless Philadelphia is getting another WrestleMania in the next few years, there really isn't a better player to give the do-it-all utility man his flowers.
Rob Van Dam discusses his reaction in the AEW locker room.
Speaking of Rob Van Dam the active wrestler, “The Whole F'N Show” recently discussed his time wrestling in AEW on his 1 of a Kind podcast and revealed the very different vibe he felt in Tony Khan's locker room when compared to his most recent appearances in WWE.
“It was good. All those guys are good, but like I said, it was a little bit chaotic. I was in the ring with Joe, but it might have been a couple moves here and there, or it could have been a save or whatever. There was just so much going on. It's not the same as being in there and wrestling around with somebody in the ring for a little bit, although that does happen. That is part of the match, people pair off and do that, but I don't know. I guess I felt like I was in there for a long time, and people were taking turns whipping on me,” Rob Van Dam explained via Fightful.
“But it was cool. Everyone's good. Everyone at AEW, not everyone, but a lot of the guys really went out of their way to make me feel appreciated and welcome. They were like, ‘Hey, some of us might be a little apprehensive about coming up and telling you this, but we're all so excited that you're here and so stoked. It's so cool.' There was a few particular guys that said that. I'll always remember that. That stands out. It definitely puts me in a definitely perspective than in WWE, where I kind of just felt replaceable, expendable, might be there next week, might not. I never knew how to feel [laughs]. I never knew if I was really being appreciated or not there because there was so much balance of different energies conflicting. Totally, no pressure [in AEW].”
While RVD may not be an official member of the AEW roster, with no spot on the promotion's official roster page and no #IsAllElite graphic to make it official, he has been working fairly often for the promotion since making his debut last August, working roughly a match a month minus a holiday break in November and December. Regardless of what the future holds for the Battle Creek, Michigan native, it's safe to say his addition to the promotion has been a positive one, especially since he's already being advertised for the promotion's 4/20 show in Peoria.
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