We’ve reported on wrestling veterans throwing in their thoughts and opinions on the forthcoming All Elite Wrestling (AEW), especially when it comes to potentially working with the startup company. One wrestler, however, has taken a more pragmatic approach in how he views AEW.
Sitting down for a discussion with the WINCLY podcast, Rob Van Dam divulged his thoughts on AEW and spoke about what his future in the wrestling industry might look like.
When asked if there was a certain promotion he would like to associate with, RVD admitted that there’s not — at least at this point in time. He admitted that, for him, “Money talks.”
His goal at this juncture of his career is simple: work less and make more money.
“I’m really looking to do less and less — travel less,” he confessed. “I consider myself semi-retired. At the same time, I stay ready, so I don’t have to get ready.”
Asked if he saw any similarities between AEW and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), RVD replied that he doesn’t see the comparison. He recalled ECW being a “gradual thing” and not something that made an impact “out of nowhere like this seems to be.” These comments are reminiscent of Kevin Nash’s thoughts, where he shared that AEW should “grow slow.”
“These Guys Don’t EVen Have A TV Deal Yet”
Other wrestlers have excitedly predicted a modern Monday Night Wars on the horizon between AEW and WWE. RVD doesn’t think so, saying, “As far as the Monday Night Wars goes, c’mon, these guys don’t even have a TV deal yet. I wish them all the luck in the world — I hope they do well.”
“They [AEW] have to prove history wrong that they are different and that they’re gonna stick around. People who have a whole lot of money usually don’t waste a lot of money. That’s why they have money. I’m not saying that they are wasteful but if things aren’t set up right and they’re paying guys the rumored reports, then they’ve got to make the money back and I hope they do.”
Despite all the hype and excitement, however, RVD still believes WWE will stand tall, claiming that he doesn’t see WWE getting “knocked out of its first place position.” He did add a caveat though: “[…] history is what it is and I’m all about breaking tradition.”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
