A TALE OF TWO ROCK STARS
Rob Van Dam’s self-aggrandizing blog (see robvandam.com) was one of THE most absurd things I’ve read in ages.
Van Dam pats himself, EV2 and Jeff Hardy on the back while BURYING the rest of TNA. He brags about “new all-time records for ratings,” refers to himself and Hardy as “two rock stars” and says “very few wrestlers stick out in people’s minds that way that Jeff and I do.” He says “hiring Jeff Hardy and RVD started a whole new era.”
Van Dam characterizes the rest of TNA as “too young, too green, too selfish to have the correct perspective.” He talks about exposure helping the “other” TNA wrestlers…”as long as they’re good enough to hang around with the rising standards.”
“We’re into making money,” Van Dam concludes. Boy, are YOU in the wrong place.
You’ve got to read it. The excerpts printed here DON’T COME CLOSE to capturing the arrogance and conceit of the blog as a whole.
Who died and made RVD Stone Cold Steve Austin?
Van Dam fairly TAUNTING pre-RVD TNA workers is akin to Tarvaris Jackson busting Sage Rosenfels’ chops because he’s ahead of him on Minnesota’s depth chart. Nobody in TNA is Brett Favre. Nobody in that promotion should display such braggadocio. One ratings spike is nothing to beat your chest about. Nor is flying high – but not that high – on nostalgic wings.
RVD isn’t a top guy. Having a belt, especially the TNA belt, doesn’t make you a top guy. RVD was a top guy in ECW. Big deal. So was Sandman. RVD was a mid-carder in WWE. Perhaps, on a good day, he was an upper-level mid-carder.
Decent worker. Soft look. Stoner interviews. The thumbs thing is catchy. That’s it. Average.
For Van Dam to brandish the hubris and chutzpah shown on his blog is mind-boggling, especially in a company containing a few guys that earned their stripes on bigger stages, and in a company where a lot of guys could kick his ass.
And that’s what somebody should do. I hate violence. But if my involvement in TNA pre-dated Van Dam’s and I felt I’d done my best on the company’s behalf, or if I felt I’d proven myself as a star or a draw elsewhere, I’d bust RVD right in the mouth. Such shocking ego and pomposity deserves nothing but. Besides, he’s hardcore, right?
I hate to drag Hardy into this. But, since RVD has decided to make Hardy his superstar sidekick, I feel compelled to point out that Hardy is a bloated, addled caricature of his former self, and has proven nothing in TNA except that he needs the WWE machine to be a star.
Did I miss something? Has RVD’s arrival in TNA made that much of a positive difference? Haven’t the ratings for Impact ACTUALLY BEEN DROPPING?
Somebody do me a favor: Print out RVD’s blog. Put a copy in Kurt Angle’s hands.
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