TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU! Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.
WWE News
Interview Highlights: Rob Van Dam talks about leaving WWE, burnout, being stiff, marijuana Feb 26, 2008 - 3:37:25 PM
In Your Head radio sent the following interview recap to PWTorch.com by Dustin P...
RVD was the guest on the In Your Head Show hosted by Jack, One Inch Biceps and Barbie Richards at http://www.inyourheadonline.com
On this week's episode the In Your Head crew were joined by RVD. Rob confirms that he is no longer with the WWE, explaining that he was getting burnt out. He discusses his newest project, RVD TV, which is described as a real, candid, look into the life of Rob Van Dam which can be viewed at http://www.robvandam.com
Rob talks about his fight on The X-Files with Randal Cobb, explaining that he was in charge of choreographing all the action, he even had to put himself into a Boston Crab.
Rob was asked about Shane [McMahon] using his VanTerminator move. He claims that Paul Heyman showed Shane tapes of him doing the move, and although he doesn't “hate” Shane using the move, he seemed frustrated with it.
RVD admits that he would “consider” going to TNA upon his return to wrestling, but feels that going anywhere else instead of the WWE would be a “step down.”
Rob tells a story about wrestling with a younger guy, who claimed to have worked all over the world. Rob noticed that he didn't know what he was doing when the guy tried bending Rob over his knee and spanking him. Mister Van Dam apparently doesn't like being spanked by other men, and rewarded the individual with a German Suplex, dropping him right onto his head.
Rob doesn't believe in being stiff with new guys.
He isn't a member, but is a supporter of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and MPP. (Marijuana Policy Project) Later on in the show Rob weighed the damages and hazards of tobacco versus that of marijuana.
Rob says that the usual formula to the top in the WWE involves; “politicking” “kissing ass” “stabbing people in the back,” and holding people down, all of which Rob “refuses” to do.
Motivational speaking is apparently a future goal for Van Dam. He would have been an MMA fighter provided it was as popular now as it was when he was a kid.
Rob isn't too impressed with the new ECW product. He says he was fooled into believing that it would have the same spirit as the old ECW, and once he realized that there wasn't going to be an attempt at recapturing the same atmosphere, he was no longer interested in endorsing ECW and left. He also believes that the new product hinders the legacy of the original ECW. He marks December to Dismember as “the death of ECW.”
Rob isn't ruling out a return, but has no interest in wrestling in the near future.
Rob also touched on being trained by Killer Kowalski, and whether or not he wanted to help train future wrestling stars.
Rob felt that the WWE's wellness policy was “violating” him, but felt like because of inspections from congress that something had to be done. He also said that he'd rather pay for his own medical treatment than have promoters pay for it, thus paying the workers less money.
Rob covers many topics in this 90 minute interview including upcoming appearances at The Wrestlefest March 1st in Newark, Ca. and the NWA Legend's Fanfest this August in Charlotte, NC. For more information please visit: http://www.btwrestling.com or http://www.nwalegends.com
For more information on Rob Van Dam and RVDTV visit: www.robvandam.com
You can listen to the full-length 90 minute interview and oher current interviews with TNA Knockout's ODB and Traci Brooks along with D-Ray 3000 at http://www.inyourheadonline.com and new episodes Wednesdays at 8 PM EST, this week with Chikara's Mitch Ryder.
Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
INCREDIBLE BENEFITS! Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...
Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?
AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?