During the new WWE Icons special covering Rob Van Dam's life and career, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon said there will always be a bond between himself and “The Whole F’N Show”. McMahon also stated that WWE been eyeing Rob Van Dam since the first ECW invasion in 1997, and more. Check out the highlights:
Explains why “we had our eye on RVD”:
“At that time no one knew that WWE was subsidizing ECW to a certain extent and even though it wasn't a written agreement or anything, Paul [Heyman] would loan us or allow us to take some of his talent. So, we had our eye on RVD. We wanted to bring him over anyhow from ECW. He was able to take some of the wild west ECW things and be able to incorporate that in more of a WWE logical form. So his style and his look [were] very different from anything we had and he was able to stand out because of that.”
On Rob Van Dam's ability to grow as a performer:
“Rob was able to grow. He came from ECW, adapted his style, but then continued to evolve. Very few people can do that but Rob was one of them. Rob is a smart man and he has really good ideas. Rob suggested let's do a reunion of sorts and we did, and it was... It was very interesting.”
On RVD winning Money In The Bank in 2006:
“Rob captured the imagination of people that had never seen that style before,” said Vince. “Rob's charisma began to grow and he became more confident in the ring and we're confident in his promos. Timing is everything, so to speak. It's one of those things where everybody reads the tea leaves and wonders what the audience wants and I think they wanted [RVD to win Money in the Bank] and that's what they got.”
On his decision to suspend Van Dam, after he won the WWE and ECW Championships:
“It was so disappointing, you know?” Vince began. “I was personally upset over Rob's actions because I thought he was above that. Obviously, when something like that happens, you have to be concerned with how the company looks and Rob was not champion for much longer.”
On Van Dam’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021:
“There are very few Rob Van Dams, there's only one. People love Rob. To this day, they love his style and the way he talked and the way he thought, and some people love him for his personal habits, as well, but he is one of a kind. So we welcome Rob back and we are really privileged to put him in the Hall of Fame this year.”
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)
