Insane Championship Wrestling has announced that former WWE/ECW star Rob Van Dam will debut for the company at Fear & Loathing X on November 19th. RVD’s opponent for the show will be ICW veteran Lionheart.
Also currently announced for ICW’s premiere event are:
Tickets are available the purchase via Ticketmaster now.
https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/904806945068126209
Rob Van Dam seems to be hinting he could be returning to the WWE this summer, possibly in order to join the company in time for a tour of Australia.
A fan from Australia asked Rob if he would be touring the country with Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion in June, but RVD’s response left more questions than answers. RVD stated he would be in Australia in August, which happens to be when WWE will be touring the country.
Nope but it looks like I'll be coming in August. https://t.co/iBBn2JMWlO
— Rob Van Dam (@TherealRVD) March 17, 2017
When asked if he’d be touring Australia with WWE in August, the former WWE Champion gave a coy response.
More info soon. https://t.co/jApaCzH60m
— Rob Van Dam (@TherealRVD) March 17, 2017
The 46-year old Rob Van Dam has had a rocky on-again off-again relationship with WWE over the years. He wrestled with the company from 2001 to 2007, where he became one of the most popular stars on the roster. Shortly after the failed ECW relaunch, his suspension for marijuana possession, and general downturn in the company, RVD left in 2007.
He wrestled for a few years in TNA before briefly returning to WWE in 2013-14.
RVD has always had a cult like following and strong merchandise sales, making him an appealing talent for WWE.
– The 2017 Royal Rumble PPV from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas will now be a 4-hour show. Ticket holders received an email last night announcing the earlier start time.
– During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog, former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam says he has an ‘open door’ to return to the company. “I have an open door with WWE as far as wrestling goes,” said Van Dam. “I also have an ongoing merchandise relationship. I hope that the right opportunity presents itself so that I will do another run with WWE. For me, the fans missing me and wanting to see me on TV is very important, but the business end of it also has to be right.
He also addressed a rumor from late 2015 that he turned down an offer to return. The angle would have involved him, Tommy Dreamer and the Dudley Boyz feuding with the Wyatt Family. Things didn’t come together, but RVD insists he did not “turn down” WWE’s offer. “I was super busy and it wasn’t a good time for me. Because of that, it would have taken more for it to be worth my while than it would have been for them, so we just didn’t do it.”
Will Rob Van Dam return to WWE?
RVD hasn’t wrestled for WWE in over two years, which has naturally left fans wondering whether he’s already had his last match for Vince McMahon’s organization.
This morning on Twitter, the 45-year-old responded to a fan question asking whether he will ever return to WWE:
Probably. I go with the flow of life. https://t.co/EcWi18TYzE
— Rob Van Dam (@TherealRVD) October 3, 2016
RVD addressed his current relationship with WWE last week while speaking to Sean Waltman on the X-Pac 1,2,360 podcast.
His current relationship with WWE and 2013/2014 stints:
I have a deal now with them, just like [Chris] Jericho, where I can do short term deals. I did a three-month deal and still did sixty-six matches in ninety days, and then the traveling. So then the next time I went back I spread it out a little more, was doing mostly just TVs and that was over five months. It was like eighty matches, or eighty-eight. Me and Jericho have the same deal but I don’t have the ambition that he does. He likes being there a lot. I mean, I really like not being on the road. A lot of celebrities are afraid of being out of sight, out of mind. I’m the complete opposite. I’ve always been trying to do as little as possible and I’m getting better at it all the time.
Did WWE reach out to him for the brand split?
No, I haven’t heard from them since, it’s almost been a year actually. It was last October when we talked, and it really wasn’t a good time for me to go out on the road. I had personal stuff that I was going through. But there’s always a dollar amount that makes it worthwhile, you know what I mean? But the amount that would’ve made it worth it for me to go out and work wouldn’t have been worth it for them and what they were thinking, and so that just didn’t work out, which was good because I really wasn’t wanting to do it then. And also I might’ve scared them away with the number it would’ve taken to make it worth my while. So no, I really haven’t even talked to them.
– Former ECW & WWE stars Rob Van Dam and Sabu will be appearing on Thursday’s episode of “Traveling the Stars: Ancient Aliens with Action Bronson and Friends” on VICE’s new VICELAND channel.
On #ActionAliens @ActionBronson wrassles with Super Genie (@melissalcoates), Sabu, and @TherealRVD, Thursday 9pm. pic.twitter.com/qVpaPqNa41
— VICE TV (@VICETV) September 5, 2016
– We recently reported that WWE Smackdown Superstar Natalya has been working out to get in better ring shape over the past year. Both Nattie and Alicia Fox sat down to speak with “The National” to discuss their fitness regimen as well as the new era for women in the WWE. Natalya notes that she’s been working with Rob MacIntyre of the “Hard Knocks South” gym, who’s also worked with stars such as John Cena. Natalya had this to say regarding her progress and goals:
“My coach, Rob MacIntyre, trained Olympians and (fellow WWE wrestlers) John Cena, Nikki Bella, Cesaro, and the list goes on. He has helped streamline my workout through an app he’s designed called Mogy. If I have only half an hour, I’ll go into my app find a workout that he’s designed for me and focus on just a few lifts. I’ll focus on doing a few Olympic lifts that work my whole body.
The workout is very important so that I warm-up my body for a match. I’ll go into Rob’s app and I’ll find three lifts I like: I’ll do a clean and jerk combo, I’ll do some Olympic dead lifts and some squats. If I don’t have a lot of time, I won’t lift really heavy, I’ll lift for reps. If I have more time, I lift heavier weights. I have a weightlifting belt I wear. It’s really awesome. The Olympic lift helped me a lot with my in-ring performance. If I only have 30 minutes, Rob recommends low weight and high reps.”
You can read the entire interview TheNational.ae.
– TubeFilter.com listed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s YouTube channel as their “Top Gainer” for the month of July 2016. Rock’s channel came in at number six in terms of worldwide subscribers, after posting his first video during the last week of June. On a somewhat related note, WWE ranked #70 on the chart for July, bringing in 376,667 subscribers and 524,305,620 views. They ranked 59th in June, whereas the Rock was not yet listed.
Speaking of the Rock, his very first “Vlog” post can be seen below via his YouTube channel:
ECW original Rob Van Dam recently appeared on The Buzzards Wrestling Podcast. With WWE bringing back so many familiar faces to pad out the RAW and SmackDown rosters, it seems like RVD would be a great fit for either brand. The former WWE Champion would be open to getting back in a WWE ring under the right circumstances, but it would first require WWE expressing interest.
“First off, it’s not up to me. I mean, I have no inside information,” he said. “Second off, Hunter – Triple H – is the boss of WWE, and I really can’t tell you if that’s in his vision. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not. I don’t think he’s ever seen me as someone he thought should be pushed forward. I think every achievement I got was in spite of him and people that think like him. And like I said, I’m an exception. I’m not the traditional, stereotype that they’re looking for. I get that. I get that.”
Rob Van Dam knows he’s on the tail end of his career, but he’s not ready to call it quits just yet. Despite a long career and a few injuries along the way, he feels as good as he did when he was in his 20’s. “I’m not looking to do much more in wrestling, but at the same time, I don’t really see a big advantage in retiring. Don’t know, really, if you are gonna see the end of my wrestling career real soon. I know, physically, I still feel as good as I have in like the last 20 years.”
At the same time, he doesn’t know if he still has the killer instinct it takes to hang with the up and coming guys. He can still go in the ring, but to keep up with the demands of a full-time WWE Superstar. He admitted, “Honestly, everyone else in the dressing room wants it more than me. They do, and that’s an issue. Because they’re all 22 and they’re all so excited to be there – and I can’t wait to get out of there and get some dinner afterwards. It’s been like that for a long, long time.”
It’s a really good interview. You can listen to RVD on The Buzzards Wrestling Podcast here:
https://audioboom.com/boos/4949662-episode-2-rvd-rob-van-dam-weakies-summerslam
Above is video of Rob Van Dam asking wrestling fans to help pay for hip surgery for fellow-ECW Original Sabu.
Sabu has been dealing with the hip issues for a few years now, but also has back & shoulder problems. The hip issues are affecting his sleep and walking as he now has a visible limp. He still works indies and is planning on making a full return to the ring once he recovers from surgery.
RVD mentions that Sabu was against asking fans for help and that surgery was a last resort for him, but RVD and some of Sabu’s closest friends created the GoFundMe page anyway. They have a goal of $50,000 and as of this writing, 55 people have raised $1,548.
Rob Van Dam’s wife Sonya Szatkowski recently filed divorce papers in LA, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple split up back in December after more than 17 years together, according to TMZ.com.
She told TMZ that the two are still speaking but their marriage just wasn’t working anymore:
“It’s a private time. It’s a hard thing for me to even talk about.”
Sonya is asking for spousal support and for her legal fees to be paid. She also wants her last name restored to Delbeck.
– Here’s the latest episode of Rob Van Dam’s Extreme Championship Comedy with special appearances by Booker T and Sabu.
– R-Truth has released his latest single, “Me, Myself and I” on iTunes. He tweeted the following link to the song and the video.
Me Myself and I – Single by Ron Killingshttps://t.co/kzZhZUQImS pic.twitter.com/jFsOle7Xql
— Ron Killings (@RonKillings) December 1, 2015
– The producers of the new marijuana-themed documentary, “The Emperor, The President & The King,” which prominently features former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam, recently released the above clip from the film that features RVD talking about marijuana curing cancer, Rick Simpson and the healing properties included in marijuana. For more information on Rick Simpson and his website for curing cancer with marijuana, visit PhoenixTears.ca.
– There is said to be a feeling among many in WWE that Billy Gunn will eventually be brought back to the company after he deals with being “punished” for about 9-12 months. As noted, Gunn was fired from his job as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs for a power-lifting competition he took part in back in July.
– Stephanie McMahon and Linda McMahon are currently in Miami, Florida for the Eisenhower Fellows’ “Making Strides: Global Networks Forum On Women’s Leadership” event. Stephanie tweeted the following photo of the two together at the event.
Proud to be with the my mom at the Global Networks Forum for Women's Leadership! #GNFWomen #WomenLeaders pic.twitter.com/m049IERs7U
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) November 18, 2015
Former WWE and ECW star Rob Van Dam recently took part in a Periscope Q&A where he was asked by a fan if he would be returning to WWE at WrestleMania 32.
RVD explained that if he were to appear at WrestleMania he would have to start appearing on WWE TV soon to build up the match, and that he doesn’t like going on the road during the winter months. He says while it would be a bad time for him to return, he is open to the idea of getting back in a WWE ring at a later time.
Back in September, RVD said he could still perform in the ring the same way he could 20 years ago, but didn’t think it was something he wanted:
“I have a merchandise deal with the WWE and right now, I’m too on the go. I have no reason to do a run right now. Honestly, it’s better not to … I don’t see that changing in the future. Physically, I feel great. I’ve always said, I’m unique in that way. People say wrestling wears you down, but no one thinks I just don’t want to. I can do the same as I did 20 years ago. Who knows, maybe someone threw it out there for reaction and the internet has had its fun with it.”
Related: RVD Takes Credit For Extending The Life Of Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp
RVD last appeared on WWE television back at the 2014 Slammy Awards to present the Slammy Award for Extreme Moment of the Year.
Rob Van Dam did a chat on Periscope last week and said he took Seth Rollins’ since-retired Curb Stomp finisher better than anyone else.
RVD referenced a RAW match from summer 2014 where Rollins defeated him with the move. Rollins later told RVD that WWE was on the verge of banning the move, but RVD took it so well they were able to convince WWE officials to keep it around longer.
WWE ended up pulling the move this past spring after WrestleMania 31 when Rollins won the WWE World Heavyweight Title. It was reported by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the move was said to be “on hold” until WWE’s concussion lawsuits are gone or no longer a threat.
Rollins told fans at a Q&A in May that he was no longer using the move and that the Pedigree would be his main finisher going forward.
Former WWE & ECW star Rob Van Dam recently spoke with GrueMonkey.com about his experiences working with Paul Heyman and whether or not we’ll ever see him in WWE again.
RVD called ECW the most fun he ever had during his career. “I went from being considered a good wrestler with potential, to being a superstar. That happened around ’98 and it was the ECW crowd that elevated me. Learning to wrestle in front the most opinionated crowd waiting for you to mess up so they could make fun of me, put the right amount of pressure on me.”
He added that Paul Heyman has always been the only guy that really understood him and looked out for him. “The other agents and promoters seemed confused why the fans liked me so much because I was so non-typical for there idea of a wrestler, so they just tried to capitalize on it without owning it. Paul understood and knew how to bring more out of me.”
As for a final run with WWE, RVD said, “I have a merchandise deal with the WWE and right now, I’m too on the go. I have no reason to do a run right now. Honestly, it’s better not to … I don’t see that changing in the future. Physically, I feel great. I’ve always said, I’m unique in that way. People say wrestling wears you down, but no one thinks I just don’t want to. I can do the same as I did 20 years ago. Who knows, maybe someone threw it out there for reaction and the internet has had its fun with it.”
– WWE has received a lot of mainstream media attention due to the fact that Jon Stewart hosted SummerSlam on Sunday night and interfered in the John Cena vs. Seth Rollins “Winner Take All” match. The following are some of the mainstream outlets that have covered the story:
* CBS News
* Yahoo!
* Rolling Stone
* N.Y. Daily News
* Wall Street Journal
* Sports Illustrated
– The following is a video preview of the new episode of “WWE Swerved,” which airs on the WWE Network immediately following tonight’s post-SummerSlam edition of WWE RAW.
– As Hollymood Entertainment continues to work on the new marijuana documentary featuring on-again, off-again WWE performer Rob Van Dam, as well as other celebrities, the company is offering bulk deals on their past wrestling-related DVDs, such as New Jack: Hardcore and 101 Reasons Not To Be A Pro Wrestler (the special limited edition copy). Those interested can contact Hollymood Entertainment at HollymoodLA@aol.com. To check out the trailer for the aforementioned marijuana documentary that features RVD and other celebrities, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW5rqVaPvh4.
– Brock Lesnar is scheduled to make a rare media appearance, as he will be on ESPN’s Mike & Mike radio show on Tuesday morning, August 18th at 9am EST. to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, where he will take on The Undertaker. Make sure to check back here at SEScoops.com on Tuesday afternoon for a recap of his appearance.
– As Hollymood Entertainment continues to work on the new marijuana documentary featuring on-again, off-again WWE performer Rob Van Dam, as well as other celebrities, the company is offering bulk deals on their past wrestling-related DVDs, such as New Jack: Hardcore and 101 Reasons Not To Be A Pro Wrestler (the special limited edition copy). Those interested can contact Hollymood Entertainment at HollymoodLA@aol.com. To check out the trailer for the aforementioned marijuana documentary that features RVD and other celebrities, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW5rqVaPvh4.
– Manny The Frenchie, the world’s most-followed Bulldog on Twitter, is backstage at tonight’s WWE SummerSlam “go-home” edition of RAW in Minneapolis. Below is a photo of the puppy with three of the WWE Divas.
Before tonight's #RAW in Minneapolis, @FrenchieManny stopped by the show to hang out with some #WWE divas! pic.twitter.com/IDCj07DOie
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) August 17, 2015
Part-time WWE performer Rob Van Dam took part in a Q&A at the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday and confirmed the fact that he is in between WWE contracts right now.
Van Dam noted that going to TNA or ROH right now would breach his WWE agreement. He said he does have a valid merchandise deal with WWE and intends to return, however he noted that he is not currently in a big rush to get back.
RVD also mentioned the possibility of doing a “retirement tour,” but noted that it’s not something that’s officially planned at the moment. He added that he will wrestle until an undisclosed time, noting he has an age in mind where he will stop, which he claims “isn’t too far off.”
As reported earlier today, TNA will be taping several weeks worth of Impact Wrestling episodes across the next four days, starting with tonight’s show, which airs semi-live on a two-hour delay from Orlando, Florida.
In the main event of tonight’s show, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line with Kurt Angle defending the title against Eric Young with a former TNA Champion returning to serve as special guest referee of the match.
Unless the former champion is a swerve of some kind, the following are the most likely candidates, according to a report from F4WOnline.com:
– Sting (highly unlikely due to his WWE deal)
– Samoa Joe (possible, but unlikely due to his rumored negotiations with WWE)
– Mick Foley (also seems unlikely now that he just recently taped a highly-promoted special for the WWE Network)
– A.J. Styles (would seem unlikely due to his various commitments, including Ring Of Honor starting next Tuesday)
– Chris Sabin (a possibility)
– Rob Van Dam (a possibility)
– Bully Ray (a very strong possibility)
– Also confirmed for tonight’s Impact Wrestling is a Ken Anderson vs. Ethan Carter III match where the fans get to choose the stipulation (likely an arm-wrestling match or a falls count anywhere match), and Divas action with Gail Kim & Awesome Kong vs. Taryn Terrell & Jade & Marti Bell.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com for complete results of tonight’s Impact Wrestling, as well as spoiler results of any matches/segments taped for future Impact Wrestling episodes!
– Booker T’s comment about Owen Hart on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW has been edited out of all of the replays for the show.
– As seen this past Sunday night, WWE pulled Daniel Bryan from his scheduled match on their Extreme Rules pay-per-view. According to PWInsider.com, the company made the call on Friday to have Bryan stay home.
– Former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam is featured in the third trailer released for the new medical marijuana documentary. Check out RVD in the new trailer for “The Emporer, The President & The King,” which is currently in production now, below. For updates on the project, and other productions from Hollymood Entertainment, subscribe to their official YouTube channel at YouTube.com.
– Last night at Extreme Rules, we saw a segment with Ryback interrupting a promo by Bo Dallas and taking him out with Shell Shocked. It’s being speculated that this might come in to play as Ryback gears up for a feud with Bo Dallas’ brother, Bray Wyatt.
– Paul Heyman is scheduled to be kept off WWE television until July, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Lesnar is scheduled to return from his “indefinite suspension” this summer and will likely be working a top match at SummerSlam.
– Director Derek J Sulek noted on Twitter that his movie “The Confession” with Rob Van Dam is now complete. Here’s the DVD artwork featuring RVD:
"The Confession" starring @TherealRVD @ashleyescharf is officially complete! Film festival listings coming soon! pic.twitter.com/1ri4Vu69bF
— Derek Sulek (@DerekJSulek) April 27, 2015
– Jeff Hardy suffered a dislocated finger while working an “Extreme Rules” match at the WrestleCon event, a match that also featured Matt Hardy as his partner in a tag-team bout against the team of Rob Van Dam and Sabu. Van Dam also suffered a minor injury, as his nose was busted open after taking a bad shot to the face from a ladder.
– TNA agent Al Snow recently worked a tryout as an announcer for the company.
– Speaking of TNA announcers, Josh Mathews is featured in the following video which previews Friday’s “Tag-Team Gold” edition of Impact Wrestling.
https://youtu.be/pemX3bPNpVA
Rob Van Dam recently spoke with the WNS Podcast and revealed why he is in no hurry to go back to WWE. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On his thoughts on his last WWE run: “I had some good matches because all the wrestlers up there are really good and I had some matches that I enjoyed with Seth (Rollins) and Cesaro. But, overall, it was nothing like the run the year before. 2013, I came back after many years off WWE television. They promoted it strong. Like maybe stronger than anybody’s return before with the video packages of RVD coming back. When I came back, I delivered. Money In The Bank match in Philadelphia, that was awesome. That whole run I had a good time in 2013. In 2014, it was like they had nothing for me. No big intros, the writers seemed to not notice I was there. Like my music hit the day after Wrestlemania and I kinda just walked out like I had always been there. It was good but I don’t think there was a lot of utilization put on RVD. That’s really the big reason I’m not in a hurry to go back.”
On the current product: “I actually don’t [watch]. Even when I’m on it unless I’m there watching in catering while the show’s going on live otherwise I don’t keep up with it. I certainly get a lot of feedback from fans because they’re everywhere. And everybody wants to tell me whether they’re happy or disappointed in what the wrestling product is. But you know it’s an art form. And the fans, it’s their job to receive that art expression and that’s the way it goes. The fans don’t dictate…i thinka lot of the judgment is okay for conversation when they’re amongst themselves. But, as a wrestler, I think that when the fans really think that they know what would be better of they were in Vince’s position. They think they could run a global billion dollar company then I tend to think fan talks would probably be more enjoyed among themselves.”
On his thoughts of working part-time instead of full-time: “I think it’s all about balance. First off, it is the kind of business that if you get into it you have to sleep, breathe and eat wrestling. You have to compete with all these other up and comers that want it so bad more than anything else in their lives. And anywhere in the world if you’re talking about trying to make it to the level of being a superstar and you’re fighting against those odds you pretty much, to, have to have that determination to make it. So, guys like myself and probably Chris Jericho. But I can speak for myself personally and whole heartedly and tell you that it’s true for me. I don’t want it nearly as bad as those guys do. However, I have over 25 years of experience that you can’t replace.with skill, natural gifts or talent. That’s something you only get with enough time so we have that. We jave a lot to offer. Plus, I’m a legend. I’ve impacted peoples’ lives in such a way that they’ll never forget. I get that because I was a fan and because I watched wrestling as a kid. Even if I hadn’t seen “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. Even if I hadn’t seen them in the last 25-30 years I’d still recog ized them if they walked into the room. That’s the way you ompact someone’s lives when you’re on their TV set in their living room week after week. Especially for a certain growth period in their life, that’s the lind of superstar vibration you can’t buy, you can’t get that anywhere else. So, you have to utilize that. Guys like that to draw and fans want to zee that. The you g guys that come up, they can be good, they can be talented, they can get the fans’ attention so they want to keep n eye on them. But, they can’t be legends or superstars without really putting in the time. It’s a balance and again the fans that theink they know it best, they look at it either way. The vetrans aren’t putting the young guys over, they think, or the young guys are squashing the superstars. No matter what you do, they’re going to pipe up and complain about it. But, when it comes to that, that’t the way it is. Like last time i don’t think any of the young guys had to worry about playing second fiddle to RVD.”
On his favorite opponent that brought the best out of him: “Throughout my whole career that’s goong to be Jerry Lynn. When I first wrestled him in ECW I could have bowled right over him and I could have been yesterday’s challenger. But, I thought there was something special about him. And so the cirst time I wrestled him we went 25 minutes and by the end pf the match my hair was pulled out all over the place, I had a bloody nose, my outfit was ripped, we had splinters we we were pulling out of our ass and when I finally beat him I felt like I had earned that victory and that for me was something I enjoyed about that time period in ECW being the whole F’N Show I had enough control to do my part to do what I could to mae sure that anyone that bought a ticket to come to see me got their money’s worth. Later in lofe that’s take. Away because what can you reLly do when you’re only out there for 2 minutes. And that’s going to include two ring entrances, a run in and a finisher. At that point you can’t be the Whole F’N show every night so that’s where some of the compromising was happening. Jerry Lynn and also Sabu because he’s so like minded. When we have a match we both have similar ideas what would make it a killer match. So that’s what’s important.”
On the differences between fans of different organizations: “Yes. Absolutely. ECW fans were original. They were part of the show. They were a bigpart of the show and other fans in other towns in other countries would imitate the fans that were on ECW television. Now with WWE there’s a mixture because it’s such a big crowd. You have the Middle America crowd that they target. It’s children and families and it’s family entertainment. The hardcore fans also go to those shows so you’re going to feel their energy too. But the wide majority of that vibration and energy from the crowd is more a family fin kind of thing. Now the fans in TNA that would come out to Universal Studios when I was there were shuttled in from the park where they were riding roller oasters and got to go to a free show. Then there were other fans that were there to support the product, that believed in the product and really wanted to see TNA move ahead. But at the same time, those fans wanted to do their part to help the company move ahead.”
On the atmosphere during One Night Stand 2006: “I think everybody watching that could feel the atmosphere watching that. The fans were screaming and there’s always been this feud between Philly and New York. And they would argue about whoch fans were the better ECW fans and we would travel back and forth and they both wanted us to consider them a home. The Manhattan Ballroom was the perfect environment to capture that energy that had fans pouring over top of us. Just the fact that those fans that night were 100% behind me and my passion and my vision which brought that night to fruition because it was me alone that said hey let’s have a PPV that’s ECW.”
On his thoughts on his time in TNA: “When I first got there they were trying to do Monday nights up against Raw and I thought that sounded exciting. I didn’t know much about them but they were trying to hire some former WWE guys. During my time there, they were still trying to do the right thing. Moving nights and moving out of the studios and doing TV on the road. But at that time, that was the same week I had left them after doing 3 years with them. It was cool. It was an easy gig. I would work for two days and then I would have two weeks off. So that was the easiest gig of my career until they started adding more house shows. More events. I had a cap on how many shows I would do in a year. So, when they would use up all my dates then they’d injure me and I’d be off for a couple months. There were some times they were doing things right, other times not so right. When they turned Jeff Hardy into a heel I thought that was the stupidest thing ever. It was hard to take alot of what they were doing seriously. I was there for them trying to do my part to help spread the word do what I could do help draw attention to TNA. When they moved to Destination America I wasn’t surprised. I was always hearing their deal with Spike was over. While I was there, I was always hearing TNA’s gonna fold and they’ve still been going strong against all these rumours so I’m not going to rule them out. As long as there’s a reason to believe they’ll be around, I think they can do it. Destination America’s a new channel. Nobody knows about it so their viewership went way down and plummeted. But hopefully that’s just temporary growth pain. In the meantime, I don’t think any ody’s touching WWE’s position as number 1. I think it is a good year for independant to step up.”
On other ventures outside of wrestling: “I was just contacted. I don’t remember how the original conversation took place. The guy that was handling the production I’ve known him through previous projects and worked with him in the past. It was just fun. I hate doing auditions. I grew up on video games but I don’t play any. I’m not reading any comic books but my favourite comic growing up has always been Ghost Rider. My book is Twisted Perception a graphic novel that I wrote.”
On what’s on the horizon for him: “There’s a lot in the writing world. It’s very important to me I get my autobiography out before I die and someone else writes it and screws up my life. But I have other writing projects I’m still working on but in the future I see myself using my brain more and my body less.”
You can check out the complete interview at WrestlingNewsSource.com.
– NXT’s William Regal has announced some more comedy events for the month of April. Regal will be appearing in London and Birmingham while WWE holds their WrestleMania Revenge tour. For more information on “An Audience with a Wrestling Villain,” visit Facebook.com/ErosComedy.
– Rob Van Dam will be hosting an arm-wrestling competition to support the Marijuana Policy Project on April 19th in Denver, Colorado. For more information, visit MPP.org.
– Randy Orton praised Jon Stewart’s performance on this week’s RAW in a new tweet posted on his official Twitter account. “The Viper” tweeted the following.
Anybody else think #JonStewart was awesome last night? I think he killed it… hope to have him back.
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) March 3, 2015
The Jake Roberts documentary, “The Resurrection of Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts” is scheduled to premiere on March 8th as part of the Slamdance Film Festival at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood, California at 8pm. Tickets go on sale for the screening today at Bitly.com.
Among those scheduled to attend the premiere are Steve Austin, David Arquette, Danny Trejo, Cam Moulene, Scott Hall, John Hennigan (Mundo), Rob Van Dam, Diamond Dallas Page, and of course Jake Roberts himself.
The 93-minute documentary will be followed by a live question and answer session with the filmmakers and the cast members.
– Sting is in Orlando, Florida this week for WWE business-related reasons. It’s believed that he is working on his segment with Triple H scheduled for this Sunday’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view.
– There continues to be an expectation among many within WWE that Brock Lesnar will actually end up staying with the company after his current contract expires following this year’s WrestleMania.
– Hollymood Entertainment has just released another new trailer for the marijuana documentary featuring Rob Van Dam. The documentary is titled, “The Emperor, The President & The King” and is scheduled to be released late in 2015. You can watch the new trailer below, and can subscribe to the Hollymood Entertainment Youtube channel at Youtube.com/slowdive626.
(Partial Credit: PWInsider.com)
– WWE.com has published a photo gallery of the new Triple statue from McFarlane Toys’ WWE ICON series.
– David Otunga will be one of the hosts of this week’s WWE RAW Pre-Show tomorrow night on the WWE Network. Otunga could be filling in for Alex Riley, who recently returned to the ring in NXT.
– Rob Van Dam took a dig at the WWE creative team today when asked on Twitter about a potential return to the company:
“@jeffhardy21223: @TherealRVD have you ever thought about coming back yo the WWE? #comeback #rvd #youaremissed”Cool! Wait…same writers?
— Rob Van Dam (@TherealRVD) February 15, 2015