Former WWE star Rob Van Dam was the recent guest on “The Steve Austin Show: Unleashed”, and below are some interview highlights. You can listen to the entire interview at this link.
Being on Top in Professional Wrestling:
Yeah, and that is pretty much what I enjoyed most about the industry. There is a certain amount of acting to it; to cut a promo you have to be good as an actor to be able to deliver someone else’s message, but that RVD that they are living through, they meaning the office, well, that is my brand. That is what I live off of, so it’s not the same as just acting. Like my personal values, I can tell you that next Monday, that wherever I am at, and they think that the TV Title or Heavyweight Title means everything to me, it doesn’t, I don’t care about that, I have way different values than that, and the more I think like that, the less passion I have for the industry because that is part of it. Back in ECW when I was on top of that company, I was at a point where a lot of people like yourself [Steve Austin] and be the top guy and deliver those promos where you say that I am the best, and there isn’t anyone that can touch me. You have to believe in yourself and have to believe you are a little bit crazy to be the best.
On Wanting to be the Best in Pro Wrestling:
For me, when I am in the ring showing off, I totally believe in that moment, that is what makes my work stand out to certain people the way I sell because I am totally into it, but let’s say back in the day, I did carry around that ego that I was the whole F’N show, that I was the best, and I had the freedom to back it up every single night. What was important to me is that the company grows and that everything is on my shoulders. I wanted everyone that bought a ticket that night in our biggest house ever, I wanted everyone to be happy that they bought a ticket to see me, so I am going to work my balls off, and afterwards when everyone is screaming, “the whole F’N show!” “the whole F’N show!” and when they all brought signs, it was rewarding that kind of belief, feeding into that, you have to have that drive, although you may say it’s a work there is a lot of competition, so it’s very easy for people on the outside to never know about. Back then, I had that competitive edge where I wanted to stand out more against the next guy, and work hard. I wanted the promoters to be talking about me and that’s important to me. I want to fight to go out there and tell a good story. These kids now, they don’t know why they are fighting for.
On the ECW Style vs WWE Style:
Well, there isn’t that many places to go, so if you’re talking about one-off indy shots than yeah, but with WWE, I felt like, when I went there there wasn’t anything else left. I hadn’t gone anywhere I went after ECW and WWE. I had a few indy shots here and there, but I did them very selectively. I did a movie and whatever, but when I went there I looked at it at the time of selling out artistically because of my perception of what WWE was. It seemed like it was a digitalized version of pro wrestling. When I do these concussion interviews, I think I had Balls Mahoney every night cracking me with that chair, the sound going out, everything was in slow motion. I didn’t know it can lead to long term damage obviously. That style, we were so proud of, we wanted to see ECW take off and wanted to connect with the crowd that enjoyed that like-minded difference. Once that folded, because I sacrificed a lot. I gave up on a lot of offers to stay there, and once that went down, and there was no other option, if I wanted to continue to be a professional wrestler on television in the United States, WWE was all there was. Paul was already there, so when I was ready and made the call. I did look at it like, ok, I’m doing this for the money, the business, not for the art, because they are probably going to call me, “Robot Van Dam” and have me go out there and erase my past because that is what I thought about them. Plus, while ECW guys were beating up each other, I would see WWE guys tap each other’s backs with a chair, and go down; it was insulting to me. They started exposing more of the entertainment side, and being trained by the Original Sheik, I have those old school values that I cannot compromise, and I figure, why should I now? I’m on my way out so I’m not trying to do much, you know what I mean? It’s hard for me to change my values now about beating a guy and winning the match.
