Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Rob Van Dam Lost His WWE HOF Ring! His AEW Status, Shawn Michaels & Paul Heyman Impressions

Episode Date: September 26, 2023

Rob Van Dam (@therealrvd) is a professional wrestler and a WWE Hall of Famer known for his time in ECW, WWE, Impact Wrestling and AEW. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet at the Blue Wire Studios in Las Vegas to talk about his new podcast called "1 Of A Kind" on the Premier Streaming Network, his recent appearances on AEW, using his ECW theme music "Walk" by Pantera, the story of losing his WWE Hall of Fame ring and getting it back, his viral segment with Matt Riddle, the chemistry he had in the ring with Jeff Hardy, his thoughts on Brock Lesnar, people thinking he is related to Jean-Claude Van Damme, Shane McMahon using the Van Terminator and calling it Coast-To-Coast, why he wishes he didn't impersonate Shawn Michaels, his favorite ECW memories and much more! Sponsors:  BLUECHEW: Use the code CVV to get your first month of BlueChew for FREE at http://bluechew.com  BONCHARGE: Go to http://boncharge.com/CVV and use coupon code CVV to save 15%  MYBOOKIE: Get a 50% welcome bonus when you use the code CVV and sign up at http://mybookie.ag  MUDWTR: To get 15% off go to http://mudwtr.com/cvv and use the code CVV15  MANSCAPED - Get 20% off and free worldwide shipping with the code CVV at manscaped.com   MIRACLE MADE: Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made! Go to http://TryMiracle.com/CVV and use the code CVV to claim your FREE 3-PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF Quote I'm thinking about: The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are go. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Believe. Oh, so good to see you here, my friend. Welcome back to another one on Insight. It's CVV with RVD. So good to have Rob Van Damme back in the show. If you watch these interviews on YouTube,

and I know there's a lot of people that both listen to the podcast and watch on YouTube, and you are a special kind of person. If you do that, I appreciate you. But you may remember almost exactly two years ago, RVD was our first guest ever that we had inside the beautiful Blue Wire Studios at the Win, Las Vegas. I always tell people who haven't been there. The win is like the hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Like the wind's the nicest hotel. So to be able to have a podcast studio inside the nicest hotel, I just don't think it gets any better than that.

And here we are back inside the Blue Wire Studios with Rob. Rob Van Dam. And a lot's happened in the last two years since we spoke to him. Made a few appearances on AEW. We get into that and we just get into the general awesomeness that is Rob Van Dam. This is like, it's like this aura of like chillness and like awesomeness. And by the way, Rob Van Dam has a brand new podcast. It's called one of a kind. So when this episode's done, go over, check that out. Make sure to follow his show. show. I'm sure you're already following insight, but if not, just check right now. Just check wherever you're listening, whether that's on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, just check to make sure you're following because my goodness, the lineup that we have coming up is crazy. We've recorded interviews with Hulk Hogan, Rick Flair, Mike Keota, T.J. Wilson, and Talia. The list goes on and on. Baron Corbin, Tomaso Champa, Becky Lynch. The amount of interviews that are coming out is just, it's crazy.

I can't even believe it. So just make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss out on those. If you are listening right now, when you enjoy this, please share it with a friend. Snap a screenshot and tag us. He's at The Real RVD. I'm at Chris Van Vleet, and if you do follow me on social media, you know I've been talking a lot about full-time creator, a program that I just started for creators, maybe just like you,

who are looking to take their content to that next level and who are looking to maybe one day make this their job, or at the very least, just start earning some money, like maybe some side income from your content. If you want to learn directly from me and find out what I've done to grow my podcast, grow my YouTube channels, plural, and my social media accounts,

go to full-time creator. dot CO, sign up there, and we hope to see you as part of the community. All right, let's get into this. Please enjoy my conversation with Rob Van Dam. Rob Van Dam. So good to see you. Thank you for coming back in here. Absolutely, dude.

Thanks for thinking of RVD when you think of LV. I mean, come on. You were the first guest we ever had inside this studio. So we're bringing this around full circle. like two years ago almost exactly. And I shall not be the last. They are knocking down the door to get on this show now. I would hope so they're not, I mean, people are,

the people are talking about your podcast. Hey, let's talk about my podcast. Every time your podcast comes out, all the headlines that come out of your show. Yeah, a lot of them don't give me credit. I noticed that. I did. I noticed that too. They'll take like little blurbs or misquotes or whatever,

but then they don't say where they got it, you know? And it's like, the whole idea is like we're trying to get some numbers there, right? We're all trying to do the same thing. It's true. One of a kind. Yeah. But they were like, oh, yeah, Rob Van Damme said this about Brock Lesnar. It's like, but where?

Right. Where did Rob Van Damme say this? I think the show's great. They know. They do that on purpose because, right? I mean, because they don't want to put something else over besides there. I think it's just that I think that maybe wrestling journalism is not always following the most they should be following.

I think that's what it is. But you look like you're having a blast doing the podcast. It is fun. It is fun. Dominic, my partner, makes it pretty easy. So it's just conversation for a while.

He does seem to ask me too many questions. I don't know the answer to, though, you know? That's like, you know, what, do you,

do you remember how you felt October 17th, 2004 in, in, you know, whatever, mediumville, New York.

What? No, dude, I don't know how I felt, man. Are there ever times when he brings up a match? And you're like, I don't remember that match. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that happens too sometimes. But we also have, he has someone helping him with some of the questions sometimes too. So, but for the most part, though, it is fun, though.

Yeah. And, you know, pretty relative. He asked me every week, you know, did you watch any wrestling this week? And if I did, then that makes it easy to target what wrestling we're going to talk about. You know, if I saw a match or something. but I've been pretty far away from the TV for a while, so I usually have the same answer with that as well. Is not remembering matches?

Is that from being hit in the head, or is that from smoking a lot of weed? Actually, neither. It's from having 8 million matches. Yeah. You know, I mean, there's something I just saw on social media yesterday, or maybe it was today, but I think it was yesterday, and it was myself and somebody,

and we tagged against Paul and somebody and I was like that match actually happened. I can't remember. Paul is in Triple H or Paul's a big show? No, Paul Heyman, neither. Oh, Paul Hayman. Yeah, I guess that was pretty vague. Man, I can't remember who would that have been.

But it was something random like me and Taz maybe against Paul and Heyman and somebody. I don't know, it was just, it was amazing. We have all the world's information here. So should we look it up? Yeah. We can see what we can find here. But that happens just for Mesaim matches, you know, but I don't have, by the way, I have a great memory.

I mean, if that was a serious question, I have, but I have absolutely no long-term damage from any of the concussions, regardless of what the fans will tell you. I mean, if you want to go by actual neurologist reports and testing and facts, then I have no long-term concussion damage whatsoever. But if you want to go by the Internet, then apparently I can't hold two words together. But also the same is about marijuana.

And by the way, and I don't know if people are ready to hear this or not, but I get myself checked out a lot. I stay on top of myself physically for my own education. I get x-rays and MRIs, even when I don't need them. And recently, I got my lungs scanned because I wanted to see what kind of condition they were in as a long-term cannabis smoker, right? Yeah. I got the reports.

I had one doctor read them, and he was fairly vague. He said they're good. They're good. There's no sign of any abnormalities, and they look healthy. And I had another doctor look at, and it was a little more specific. And he said that specifically that my lungs are clear, that there's no scar. which is what happens from a cigarette smoke, and there's no inflammation or abnormalities, and my lungs are healthy. And so, you know, I've always said, you know, that there's no proof anywhere that smoking cannabis leads to any kind of lung damage. And people aren't

ready to hear that because it just doesn't make sense to them. They don't want their sense of what they think is common sense, you know, to be challenged. But years ago, Mark Emery, who was the Prince of Pot, a very famous activist from Canada, that the U.S. wanted Canada to extradite him here for selling seeds. He sold so many. When I met that guy, he told me that people, when they smoke marijuana, that the T.HC actually goes into pockets and crevices of your avioli, the air sacs and your lungs, and actually scoop out the impurities and help clean your lungs out.

And he said that that happens because of the large inhale. Besides like swimmers, a lot of right people that don't smoke weed don't ever in a normal day go and really like breathe in and stretch their air sacs out. And he said the THC goes in and scoops it out. And as far as I'm concerned, he's got a lot more. value in what he said, then what the basic thinkers on the internet will tell you. I found the match.

Big Show and Paul Heyman. Okay. Versus Rob Van Dam and Hardcore Holly. Oh, okay. Yes, I don't remember that, man. That's happening. No. It happened.

It's strange to me that I do remember most of them. You know, then I remember the years that I came in and left all the companies and stuff, like over 30-some years. It's, to me, it's kind of amazing that I can just, like, pull most of that out of my head, but I definitely don't remember every man. It's, I mean, you've had so many. And a lot of them are just thrown together, you know, you get there and you wait until

they throw the, uh, the card up on the wall, the tape, they tape a sheet up there on the wall and you look at it and you go, okay, uh, you know, me versus hardcore Holly. I'm on fourth. All right, cool. You know, or shit, I'm on first. We're good. I'm at first. I'm out of here. You know, whatever. Yeah. But that's usually how it works. And then, uh, when you leave, the match kind of leaves your mind a lot of times too, unless you have that match repeatedly. That match, I don't think, has happened more than that one time. Not that I know of.

I always ask WWE Hall of Fame ors this. What's the inscription on your WWE Hall of Fame ring? Inside of it? Yeah. Rob Van Dam. Okay. Because some people put a quote or a date or something. Yeah.

I don't think I've actually seen it. The writing's so small. Yeah, there it is, Rob Van Dam. And I see? Yeah. Oops. Oh! Dude, if you look at that thing, it rolled right over to me.

Now, that was spotless when I gave it to you. Make sure you return it in spotless, brand new condition. It is perfect. Okay. Oh, that is very small. Very rough on it. Yeah. Yeah, so that's why this lighting made it easy to see the...

There it is, yeah. That's for good. I'm not... I'm really hard. I use my knuckles. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, you've shipped it. There's so many.

Yeah, I'm ready for it to fall apart. I feel like they should send you a new one at this point. You've only had it for two years. Yeah. It's already falling apart. Yeah. So the very first week that I got it, I did a show in Wisconsin, and I wasn't used to having it, you know. I laughed it in the hotel room.

Went back to Las Vegas. And so it took an honest maid and an honest front desk person and an honest wrestling promoter. Thank you, Ben, McCoy, for calling me and saying, did you forget something, dude? I didn't even know yet. I just had gone home the next day. And wow, I had it for, I don't know, I think it was the same week.

So I didn't have very long. I lost it already. That story could have gone so badly. Yeah. Your ring could have showed up on eBay. Right. I would have looked like a dick. Like I pawned it.

People would have said, oh, he needs to. He has been on TV, so he must be. When I texted you to set this up, I'm like, dude, we can talk about AEW. You're like, nah, it's just a one-time thing. Literally like four hours later, the announcement came out, Ra Van Dam is going to be a collision. That's how quick. Stuff happens.

I got the message on Saturday. I was at a convention in. Where was I? I was in, uh, um, but we could probably look that one up too. Yeah. It doesn't matter. Yeah. Are we going to really reach for it?

I can't let it go now. Like, it's so, it's okay. I was in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Oh, Legends of Hamburg? Yes. It was a Legends Fest and I got the message, you know, and hey, can you do the 23rd in Grand Rapids? Interestingly enough, last year at this exact same time,

they messaged me with that, September 5th, actually. and that's when I got, you know, the okay to do it. It was like a year ago, and then I did it, but it's some time it passed then. But the idea was, you know, near Battle Creek, from Battle Creek, hometown voice. So obviously, same idea again. That'll be cool.

It's one week before I'm going to be doing my show in Battle Creek, which those guys have been working on that for like a year, you know, promoting it. And that's a big full circle return home. and then just the week before they put me in Grand Rapids, which is just right down the street. So you could have been in AEW a year ago? Is that what you're saying?

Yeah. What happened? Communication dropped. Okay. That's it. Sometimes that would happen. Sometimes both of the companies over there every once in a while would call, just check on my schedule.

Like check, are you available? And then you, boom, that's it. Then you hold the date. Well, I don't, I don't hold it. I hold it in mind skeptically as a possibility. And that's all because I know how it works. Yeah. You know, but that's how works.

Never hear from them again. And it's like, well, all right. Whatever. I can hypothesize, you know, and start, you know, I wonder what, you know, what did I do, you know? Like, but, you know, just, it's like I am a, you know, I'm very a stoic. And part of stoicism is really being able to accept. things as they are and just let it roll right off my shoulder. So how did this time with AEW come around?

So I got messaged when I was at the convention. Well, I mean, sorry, the initial debut in AEW. Well, they reached out to me so long ago, like towards the beginning of the year. It was kind of hypothetical, checking my interest and availability. And the dates that they mentioned, even though it was way back then, ended up being the exact same dates, August 2nd and August 9th. And I couldn't believe that. Like, how could you be that far planned ahead?

Yeah. That was like January, maybe, or, you know, maybe February. It was a long, long time ago that they first brought it up. So that was one of those things where every once in a while, if I'd be talking to a fan at a con and they'd say, you know, we're going to see you and show up on WWE and say, I don't know. You know, and I'd be like, maybe you might see me pop up on the other show too. I don't know.

But I didn't really expect much of it until it was like, boom, all right, cool. You know, we're going through with it. So I would have thought, based on that, if I was going to return again and they hadn't planned it yet, then it would be a year from now. You know what I mean? But apparently, apparently that's not always the case, as Matt Hardy and Jeff told me, you know, when I was at this conversation, saying that exact same thing. And he said, no, it's not always like that.

You know, sometimes, you know, boom, something changes, you know, the day before. Well, it's funny that the initial one was about a year out. And then this next one's like, oh, less than a week out. Boom. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. So that shows you the spectrum. Yeah.

And that is the industry as I know it. So there's no reason to expect anything different, you know. Did you plant the seed to have Pantera be your song, to have walk? you to come out to that? I did, but it was already planted. So I wasn't the first one. I reached out to them and it was very short before my trip happened. You know, I don't remember.

It was just right before and I was just like, man, you know, that'd be so awesome. If we could get the walk, it would really add a lot. And the producer I was talking to said, yeah, Donnie tried, you know, and he couldn't good and I was like oh okay and then it was the day of the show they told me uh boom we got walked and I was you know like a few hours before you know like I'm at the arena and I was like wow are you serious dude that that changes everything about because otherwise they're going to have to look at the monitor and you know be like oh okay yeah that's every day what what song would they use you know they would make a song for you right they would make and then that wouldn't get over

nearly as much. So super cool. And does that mean that they're going to have it this week? I don't know. I hope so. They've got to now. They have to, right? Do you have any idea how much it probably cost to have them play walk every time?

No, but Tony did tell me when I left after my match with Jack Perry, that I got the right to use your song just for these two shows. Hopefully, if we, you know, if we can work together in the future, hopefully I can get it again. So I was like, awesome, dude. The crowd knew it was you. When Jerry Lynn was cutting that promo, and it's like, you know, I've got someone from ECW that still wrestles immediately. RVD, RVD, RVD, then your music hits. That was such a cool moment to see. Yeah, it was cool to feel too, very much. And then, and it was funny, all of the,

the negative feedback that came with a lot of the fans talking about that I was out of shape or something. I had to, and it's like, I mean, since I know that what I look like under my shirt, then how are they going to look like anything except for idiots to me? And then idiots to everybody once I had to show a couple of pictures. Or even that backstage thing that I did, that was enough to get most of the people to say, dude, he's in great shape. But anyway, yeah, regardless of how much people don't want their comfortable concepts to be

challenged, I feel great at 52. I'm in great condition. And I'm loving life, living my best life right now. And we're also plenty of positive. There were a lot of people that had these side by side of, like, RVD doesn't age. Look at this. This is RVD 25 years ago. This is RVD now.

This is crazy. Yeah, that's true. And really, you know, I shouldn't necessarily draw attention to the negativity of it. But I'm surprised that there is that much of it there because I just don't live in that negative world. And then, of course, through social media, then I'm exposed to it. And then, you know, I sometimes feel obligated to say something about it because people are just limiting themselves with their own thoughts, even not even taking it personally, but people that are like in their 30s that start. you know, saying, I'm an old man, you know, get any time. Like, dude, you're, you're going to put yourself in the grave.

And you're, and it's like, you know, if you really, really tell yourself that you're old, then yeah, you'll start feeling old and you'll age yourself. So it's just like, I'm disappointed overall that people in the status quo, you know, would do that, you know, the general population of basic thinkers because I would just rather inspire people to enjoy their life, you know. Well, what are the two most powerful words in English language are I am? Because whatever comes after that, you will believe you are. And there's a lot of people, like you're saying, they're 31 and they're going, oh, man,

I'm so old. It's like, what are you talking about? Yeah. And, you know, maybe they are, but. Now they're clearly not. I sure don't relate to it yet, you know. And like, there's, there's, there's nothing yet that I've reached where I would want to go back. And people probably don't believe that. That probably hard for people accept. But if there's

people in their mid-20s that think they don't want to see someone in their 50s wrestle or whatever, they say that as if they think that they have something that I don't, that that's better than what I have. But I would hate to go back to being 25. I would hate it. Really? I don't know about you, but yeah, I would hate it. I certainly have a lot more knowledge now. Like if I knew than what I know now, my goodness, I feel like I'd be such a much more successful 25-year-old. Everybody says that. But yeah, for me, I mean, it's like everything in life is so much better,

even though if I went back in time, I would have people that have passed on, you know, that I've lost. Even considering all that, I just feel like I've always been paying my dues until so recently, you know, after the divorce, rebuilding myself, being married for like, and then separated and that thing going on for like 18 years or something. That I did, that was like the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, partized things in life and things that were so important before. don't even matter anymore and stuff like that.

So that was a great source of growth for me. And now I feel like now I'm, I don't know, I'm going around getting my flowers, man. I'm getting appreciated now. Now I get respect finally because I've stuck to what I do and doing it the way that I chose to do it, even though everybody gave me pushback and said, I'm doing everything wrong.

finally, after outliving everybody else, then finally I get a little respect for the level of status that I've achieved in my way. So I don't know, when I think of going back, I think of being so, dude, I was so immature, even in my WWE run. I look back in that. When I think about my perspective of the world, I do not feel like a grown man at all. I was a kid. And so it's weird to me that they like people in their young 20s so much. But also, I was very, I was in my way. I was in a cherry for my age. I hadn't really grown up, but when I think about just my relationship

with the universe back then, compared to what I know now and what I have now, I was a kid. Fall is officially here, gentlemen, and it's about to get busy during the holidays. Don't let that stop you from sticking to your habits and being the best

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You know, need is a pretty strong word, dude. And part of being fulfilled, which I am, is really having no need. That is the most RVD answer ever. I love that. Anything else you want to accomplish? I mean, look at your resume. You've done it all. You've done it all.

I always go with consistency, you know, as much as they try to expect me to change and even change the path that I'm on and expect me to evolve towards that and to conform towards a different pathway. I don't do it. I'm done for consistency. I don't have a goal.

I do it because I enjoy doing it. It gives me a hell of reason to stay conditioned, you know. And it's awesome to still connect with the fans and stuff. But there's, yeah, there's not some dream that I have that, ooh, I got to, I got to be on the Chris Jericho cruise. Do you think about how much longer you can wrestle for? Not really. I mean, you know, sometimes the thought goes through my head. Like if I'm having a bad travel day, for instance, I'm done.

I hate this, you know, like I just want to be home. Traveling sucks. I'll have those moments inside my head, but they usually don't last that long. And I used to think I was going to retire. That was like several years ago. And I thought I was probably close to hanging the boots up. And now I just don't even think I will. I think I'll be like Dory Funk Jr.

And just, I may quit taking books. but I don't think I'm going to make a big deal out of being retired because the credibility of wrestlers retiring is so blown anyway, you know, so I don't, uh, you know, Sabu used to say, it'd be cool if we did a retirement tour and we went around the world and wrestled for all the companies that we've wrestled for, but the timing of that didn't work out too well because he finished up before me. You talk about your conditioning and your conditioning is top tier. I love seeing the photos of you doing the splits across the chairs, doing the Van Dam lift. Can you still do that now?

Yeah, I just filmed that recently with that, what I say, haters or daughters will be held accountable. You saw that video, right? On Twitter, so that was just a, that was a few weeks ago. That was before my match with Jack Perry. But, you know, I still stretch and still keep in condition. You know, my pre-match stretch is something that I don't do as often because I don't wrestle as often. And that really is the best stretch where I'm stretching for a full hour going through every muscle in three or four different positions, you know, a complete body check and contest. And it's a real self-learning experience, you know, about that for years I've thought on and off.

about trying to have a platform where I could share my stretch. And I filmed it lots of times. Even at one time, I was at DDP Studios, and he was going to distribute it, which is a shoe win, right? Of course. Boom. Yeah. Winner.

But I can't really translate what's going on in my head when I'm stretching in a way that I'm comfortable with. And I tried walking Stevie Richards through it at DDP Studio one time. And we got like halfway through. And he said, you know, that. that he understood what I was saying, but it's just, it's such an inner experience for me

that I've come to believe that maybe it's just for me and it's not something to share. There's so much, it's not just positional, but it's like it's balance, it's where you hold your weight, it's pressure, it's breathing,

and then it could be like twisting your hips this way. It could be like bending back and looking up. And there's just, and first you have to teach your muscles to trust you to relax so that they don't contract against your stretches is because that's counterproductive, and that takes a long time of being inside yourself because your muscles don't want to be injured, so they're protecting themselves.

And so when people are grunt and groaning and they're fighting their own stretch, that's the opposite of what you need to do. You need to have that muscle go to sleep and then trust you to elongate it just past, you know, the comfort zone there. And it's like there's so much going on. I can't, I don't know how to do it. Flexibility is so underrated. It needs to be talked about, I think, by way more people.

It's the reason Tom Brady played football until he's 45. I recently had Kurt Engel on the show, and he's like, dude, I never stretched. I wish I did. And now Kurt Engel talks about it, like, he's in pain every day. Yeah. And I would imagine you're probably not. Yeah, no, I feel pretty good. And I feel better now in my 50s than I did in my 40s, by the way.

And a lot of that, I had, like, back issues. And I went to Cedar Sinai in 2012-ish, because it was like the end of my impact run. And anyway, compressed discs, bone spurs, and arthritis and bulging disc and all this stuff. And, dude, that stuff, it went away. It went away. It bothered me for so long. and now it's like I don't have the back issues that I used to have. So that's part of why I'm in such a good mood now and why I'm like,

why retire? Because now my body's feeling good. And I mean, there's a lot of things that I do. I'm always progressively doing things different. You know, what if it was something like just like taking sugar out of my diet? Could that be? Maybe, you know, but I can't tell you that that's what it's from. But I can tell you that I feel good.

And, you know, and I look pretty damn good too. I'd say, I've also never seen you in a bad mood ever. Yeah, well, it's not something that you want to see because I don't have a wide range. And when I'm in a bad mood, I can't, I can't just snap right back. I can't just change moods like some people, like a dog. And then they'll just like turn their back on the dog they just bid at. Like, dude, that dog is going to swing on you. You're just tired of flat.

You can't turn your head. Yeah, you probably remember, I'm sure you heard. the story about when WW wanted to get me so pissed at that match with Jericho, a run-in with Jericho. And all day long, they were like, because they thought that that, that's what was missing. That was where the money is, is an angry RVD. And so all day long, you know, they're like, just think of something that makes you look really mad. You know, I was like, I got it. Get away from me.

You know, like, they were really making me mad. And then, like, right before I ran out there, um, or before Jericho went out there, and then I did a run in on him, I guess. But before he went out there, he was, and they had told him, too, you know, like, get him, get him, man, work with him, you know. And he said something, and he said,

just act like I hit on, on your, you know, on your wife. And I was just like, you know, that just kind of like the camel, the straw that broke the camel's back. I was just like, that's it. You know, I got so angry. I went out there during the running, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, you know,

punched him in the face, slammed him, splashed him, through the belt on him. I was supposed to cover him and do my own count, one, two, three. He was the champion. Yeah. That would have really meant a lot, but I couldn't even remember to do that

because I was just so angry. I had to go right to the dressing room, threw everything in my bag, zipped it up, went out to the car, threw my bag in the car, went back to the hotel, and I was pissed until sometime

the next morning or the next afternoon. Katie always says that when we first started seeing each other, and she didn't know me that well, sometimes she would pick fights just because she was used to having drama and relationships, and then she learned that it's not worth it because I'll stay angry, you know, for a long time.

And so she quit doing that. I feel like the essence of RVD was summed up in that segment with Matt Riddle, the dude bro who's idea was that I think it was mine I mean it was so organic you know it doesn't matter I mean it had to be so perfect

yeah I feel like that thing that was that could have lasted for 10 minutes and we would have all been invested you guys seem to be on the same wavelength I feel like I guess so you know I don't really know him super well you know good dude I've

I met him at the Playboy Mansion at a marijuana advocacy party. What a way to start a story, by the way. In the grotto. Yeah. In the grotto. Yeah. He had one of those little tiny pipes, a little plastic water pipe that has the folding straw that comes out like this. You unfold the straw and you go and then you suck all the water down because it's so small that you can't help it. The water is nasty and polluted.

So, but that's what he were, you know, he passed that around and he was a fan. And I, I knew him because of the ultimate fighter, that reality show. So it was like way back then, he's always, he's always been cool, you know. I actually have come to terms with the fact that I gave up a reputation for being a possible intellectual for one of a stoner because in the majority of people's minds, they're two different things. And if you choose to smoke weed, then you're somehow dumb, dude, or slow. And a lot of times I have to stoop to that level in order to connect with those people. You know, I've been an advocate since like 97 or 98, speaking at colleges, doing my part, helping to change laws, you know, for the better.

And so I knew with the information I had, people were smoking cigarettes, killing themselves, pot-shaming me when marijuana actually extends your life expectancy. And people still aren't ready to hear that yet, but someday soon they will hear that. My mentor, one of my mentors, Jack Harer told me that, that there was a study, and I looked it up and supposedly there's like a mysterious study where the papers came up missing or something in the 70s. But it all made sense anyway that he said that cannabis use will add to your longevity, elongate your life expectancy.

And when people hear that, then they'll be ready to come around and start maybe accepting it more. We only have like 12 states so far that don't have some kind of a legal marijuana program, 12 states. Like they're almost, it's almost completely overthrown.

Yeah. Nationwide. Somehow it's still, a Schedule 1 controlled substance. I feel like Joe Rogan is starting to change the perception of like if you smoke weed, you're a stoner. Like you smoke weed. He has some incredibly intelligent conversation.

I'm sure it's just a matter of time before you're on the Joe Rogan experience. Kurt Engel was just on there, Rick Flair, Hogan, Undertaker, Jake the Snake, DDP. I feel like it's just a matter of time until RVD's on there. You know, a lot of people that smoke weed are slow and stupid, you know? Well, look, RVD, a lot of people that don't smoke weed are slow and stupid. Well, yeah, that's the point. And it's the most accessible drug that's out there. You know what I mean?

It grows in the ground. So you put those two together. And, you know, plus it's all been intentionally, you know, misinformation has been, like, pumped out there since, you know, 1937 when Harry Anslinger decided to go after marijuana. start all the Reef for Madness campaign bullshit. Is it every day for you? Yeah.

Like as soon as you wake up? Last time I did this, this show, your first show. Oh, that one. Yeah. That was funny. The headlines read. RVD says he's wrestled high 100% of the time. And, you know, my career's been all downhill after that.

I got to tell you, man, destroyed me. Yeah. If I have it, then, yeah, I'll smoke good every day. Some days I don't have it, and it's not a big deal. because I travel a lot. Yeah. So sometimes, you know, I hop on a plane and I fly and I'll take a red eye and then I sleep and I get up the next day and I go and I do an appearance or go the building or whatever.

And all of a sudden, hey, it's been a day and a half or two days and I haven't had any. No big deal. Like I, you know, it's like I choose to use it, but it's not like I've ever felt like I need it. When you're at home, it's all day, every day? Like, if I'm, if I am just, um, if I am just doing that, yeah, I mean, I always have like other stuff to do to sometimes, you know what I mean? I got a nap, bro, you know, you know. Godfather sat right there and said he smokes more weed than you.

He might. I don't know. Do you believe that? Um, I believe it's possible. You ever smoked weed with Snoop? No. Never messed up. Willie Nelson?

Nope. I feel like you're, you're right up there on the Mount Rushmore of weed smokers. I feel like. I'm told I'm not far from most people. Yeah, but. Although I think Snoop told a story about smoking with Willie Nelson and being like, that was on another level. Yeah.

Like his stuff was crazy. Yeah. Well, you know, I'll wake up and usually I smoke two dubies in the morning, just like Bob Marley, and I'll drink coffee. And then after that, I'll either do something as in go to the gym or I got to make some calls or I got to maybe go somewhere, pick something up, whatever. Otherwise, you know, if I decide to go ahead and roll that third duby, then that usually kind of changes the day and makes it more of a mellow day after the third one.

But yeah, I'm pretty much rolling all day. But anywhere, I think, probably between five and ten with a factor being sometimes, you know, like if Katie's there, you know, people don't think about that. But if she's smoking with me, it smokes half the duby, then I'm only getting half as much, you know. True. People don't think about that with weed. They think about it when you think about, you know, the two of us drank a fifth

of whiskey together, then they think about it. Yeah. But for some reason they don't, and you know what else? They don't think about it with the strength of pills when they talk about, he had five Vicodin, bro. Like, okay, was that five milligram, seven point five milligram? Was it a 10 milligram? because that makes a huge difference in how much it was.

Yeah. But people don't think about that at all. I don't know why. It's just there's a basic level of thinking, and that's where most people are, and it really just has to do with survival and thinking everything for how everything affects them. I talk about that on my podcast all the time.

Have you met John Cloth Van Dam? I met him one time very briefly at the Venice, Gold's Gym. Like how long ago? I feel like it was, well, let's see, six or seven years ago. Oh, okay, so relatively recently. Yeah. There's still people that are blown away to find out you're not actually related. Yeah, yeah.

I'm asked this almost in every interview still. I think I just talked about it at the convention that I was at in Hamburg. And it's something a wrestling promoter gave me the name. and I was inspired by him, you know. I don't remember ever anybody telling me that I resembled him. You kind of do? Well, once Ron Slinker gave me the name, Rob von Dumb, after that, now I'm used to hearing people say that.

Some people think that I'm him. You know, I loved your movie, and I'm like, I wonder if it really means one of my movies, because I do movies. And then if they say something about, you know, yeah, Cyborg was great. I'm like, oh, my God, they think I'm John Clark. because you know, you hear everything from people, you know what I mean? Like they really, you know, it's harder and harder to be surprised

because they say like a lot of ridiculous things. But sometimes they think they're talking to him. And, of course, a lot of people will say, dude, I swear to God, man, you do need to be brothers. My mom always tells this story about someone that yelled at her and said, well, why the hell they look so much alike? You guys don't even spell your gimmick name and his real name the same. But let me stop here right there. My gimmick name and his gimmick name.

Oh, that's true. Yeah, that's right. But he spells a D-A-M-M-E. Yeah. How do you pronounce your real last name? When I'm talking about my Polish name and not my Belgian one, it's Schatkovsky. That's the European word way to say it.

Speaking of your acting, I was looking some stuff up for this interview. His last name is Varenberg. Varenberg. I came across this headshot. Beautiful. And I'm like, is that actually RVD? Yeah. Because you got like the Dolph Ziegler hair here?

Like, is this just one of your headshots? Yeah, it's just for the composite card agent. Wow. What a look, you know? Like, that's like a glamour shot there. You think you've ever got booked off that? Maybe. I don't know.

That's a heck of a lot. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. I'm always so behind. I'm an horrible client for my, for my agents. I hate to do auditions. And I told them a long time ago, don't send me on auditions,

but sometimes they sneak one in and say, well, no, this is a meeting, you know, but then they want you to film on camera and it's like, and then I don't do that half the time. They're like, dude, I send your pictures out, tell them I represent you, you'll be available, and then you don't follow up. And I'm like, I meant to, I suck,

I'm sorry, but when they just want to book RVD, then I'm interested. And that happens enough, you know, except for now, of course, the strike. But I had like four or five things on the table that all got put on hold because of that. Wow. Hopefully that will come into play when it's meant to. When we look at your whole career, I feel like there's certain people that you had this amazing chemistry with in the ring. Jeff Hardy's one of those that immediately comes to mind for me. what is it about you and Jeff Hardy that just works so well?

Well, we're like-minded in what we think is cool about a match. And that has a lot to do with it. You know, when you think about what inspires you as a fan, because certain fans, you know, those four of us as kids that decided that we were all going to be wrestlers, me and my best friend, Dango, and then we had Robert and Eddie, and we would always have these tag matches. And we learned way back then.

but when you're a kid you're so judgmental we would tell Robert he was so stupid for the things that he liked and the wrestlers that he liked but what do you like him for? He's fat, he doesn't do any moves, you know,

and he's got the best chop, though. He's like, oh my God, that's so stupid. Oh, chops, that's really cool,

Robert, because kids are stupid. But we, you know, we'd be like, okay, we want to get these, we'd be big moves

that we're going to put in the match and he'd say like he wants to, like when he gets hit, spit, like one man gang you said he'd spit away in the crowd. Yeah. And we would just make fun of him because we didn't understand.

Everyone's got their own values. They're drawn towards different things, you know. So that's something that me and Jeff, I think, had in common is what we think is cool. Because whenever we talk about an idea, you know, like, what if, you know, what if I'm doing the split and I roll back to give you the reverse monkey flip? but can you like grab my feet and like you know boom do that that i don't know why but i call the trash compact i don't know what the name is he puts his legs down and cronses me oh sweet that'll be awesome like that that has a lot to do with the with the outcome of the match and you have that kind

of energy going into it as opposed to yeah yeah we could do that i love the title versus title ladder match that you and him did on raw is a european title versus intercontinental title and matches. Yeah, I don't remember specifically how many matches we had. I remember the invasion one because I've seen that or clips of that played so many times over the years. And I know that that's everybody's favorite outfit, the Bengal tiger strapped outfit. Yeah.

So that stands out. As well as a couple of moments in the match, like when I gave him the Van Daminator out of the ladder and then it sent him into the pit. That was a highlight for me. Van Dameter. This brings me to this. Does Shane reach out to you and talk to you and go, that's a move that I want to do?

No. No. No. That would have been respectful. It would have been respect. Not expected, but it would have been, you know,

very respectful. But the way I understand it, Paul Heyman showed him a video of me doing it and said, Can you do this? I love your Paul Hamon impression. Keep going. And gave it to him. Gave it to him.

And so, you know, obviously a lot of people saw that. It didn't see ECW. So they think that he came up with. They think that he came up with coast to coast? And really what sucks about it is like the people will always call my move coast to coast after that. Oh. Like if they always wanted me to do it, even if I'm, regardless of what's going on in the match, you know, if I'm going to miss it, you know, and it means nothing or whatever.

So I would be very picky about doing it and say, no, no, no. It gives me concussion every time I do it. You know what I mean? Just like with a splash. They always want to miss the splash. Of course. It hurts my ribs when I, you know, you had to have like things like that to counter them, uh, making you do things that you don't want to do because it, you know, it lowers

the value of it when you do it all the time. And so anyway, whenever it would come up and they would say, yeah, yeah, and then, you know, can do the coast to coast. No, I do the Van Terminator. Coast to coast is a trash can that's put in the ropes so that you don't have to go that extra three feet because you can hit the trash can. Three feet's exaggerating.

That'd be a pretty wide trash can. Maybe two feet. 18 inches for sure. Yeah, definitely. The United States Soccer Federation present the U.S. Soccer Podcast. My name is David Goss, and I'm joined by my co-host, Megan Clevenberg. And now we're giving people.

an inside look at the World Cup. Time's ticking. I think you can feel the intensity. All the guys are wanting to really take their claim, and they want to be on that World Cup roster. There's no doubt about it. Hosting the World Cup on the home soil comes with its pressures, but we're just really excited just as the people are.

The U.S. soccer podcast, presented by Henko. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. The reason I think that your frog splash looks so good is because it looked like you were inflicting damage on yourself as well as on your opponent. did it ever hurt you? Oh, of course, of course. Yeah, and there's a lot of moments that people don't know about

where you're already hurt before the match. And a matter of fact, probably maybe most moments sometimes, at least half the moments, you know. Like when you get to the building, you know, it's like, hey, how are you feeling today? Anything bothering you? You know, it's like, no, you're all my shoulders bother me a little bit. You know, and if you're Tommy Dreamer, then you say,

Tommy would say like you know my back hurts I'm good except I can't take a backdrop or a body slam or a suplex or a forearm or a trap but man I don't know if you ever had bruised ribs it's so painful to have bruised ribs

and it can last for a really long time so that very famous match that I had with Eddie Guerrero the ladder match he goes over the ladder and does a centon and lands on me, that moves my rib, where my rib connects to my spine. And that bothered me for years. In fact, that was the source of the back problem that I was telling you just recently went away. And that was, he died in 2005, and that just like two years ago, that stopped bothering me.

Wow. Yeah. What I was going to say, though, was while that was, it would come on and off. It would come on maybe for like four months where it just hurt so bad. there was nothing I could do. I'd go to chiropractors. I go to all these physicians. They have like a pile drive around my back.

Trying to loosen it up. And I just had like this not where my last rib connects into my spine. Like I say, bulging disc, compressed, blah, blah, blah. But it was that one bump that started it. And afterwards, every time I go out to the ring, I'm already sore. But I got to give the 100% RVD to the fans, you know? they've been waiting too much to see me, they don't know that my ribs hurting.

So when I go out there, you know, I got to present that image that they want. And sometimes I remember like Randy Orton just covering me, just covering me. And it hurts so bad. I was like, I was just waiting for the two count to kick out because his weight was on it.

And I was like, oh my God, oh my God, I'm kicked him off. I was like, oh, holy crap. I'm in a lot of pain. And there was times,

you know, that lasted through my T&A run. too. Like I remember when I was with the teenage 2010, 11, 12, my back was messed up through all of that. There was times where I couldn't even breach my boots earlier in the day. And I'm like, how am I going to be doing the wrong thunder tonight? Holy crap. But with enough stretching and drugs and warming up and whatever I could do, you know, I sucked up and went through. That's crazy. What's a move you do in the ring that doesn't look like it'd be painful, but it's way more painful when you do it?

That's a good question. I almost I'm trying to think of like like weapons because I was just thinking about like I mean chair shots obviously they have to I mean when Balls-Mohoney is whacking with a chair I hope people know that that's coming in

like that's getting hit by a car like if anybody watches that it doesn't think so then uh then that's one of them um i was thinking about like when people uh and again i go back to me sorry to me but like some of the guys have like cookie sheets and stuff like that like anybody knows they can take a cookie sheet why it might sting a little bit if anything but it's gonna knock a 300 pound man down with an aluminum foil you know wrapped in a wrapped in something um something uh i don't know dude something that uh something that uh Well, taking, I'll tell you one move that taking, that I've never, ever learn how to, how to take without it killing me. And that's that, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, Alabama slam.

Yeah. The Patriot, Del Wilkes used to do that to me in all Japan. And every time, like, wham, like, I hit the back of my head, it knocks the wind out of me. And I never want to tell them, though, you know what I mean? Because my ego doesn't let me tell them. I'm just like, send it in, brother. Yeah, of course we'll do. I've always hated that move.

I think some of the chemistry you had with Sean Michaels is really good, too. Like, a lot of people talk about their best matches are against Sean Michaels. I feel like, you know, a lot of people talk about how easy it is to work with you, too. So when you put two people like that together, it's magic. Yeah, we could have had a pretty good program probably, you know, I think with the timing. But we still could have done it with him there. I was going to say the timing, like, I feel like I was peaking more when he was already, you know, like coming back down or whatever.

But that's really, that's really like nitpicking it and probably not even a big factor now that I actually talk it out of my head, you know what I mean? Because he's still been around long after that, that, I think one and done match that I had with him. Yeah. I think it was only one match. When you did the Paul Heyman impression last time, people were so bummed. you didn't do the Sean Michael's impression.

Oh, yeah. Can you give it to us now? Well, I don't like to call it a Sean Michael's impression anymore. You know what I mean? Like, looking back at it now, you know, like I got to be kind of a dick to be making fun of somebody that has an eye that's off focus. As seen in Headstrong, produced by Joe Clark and RVD, available on Amazon. In 2016, I had a concussion that gave me double vision. And it lasted for the better part of two years.

I had to go to vision therapy. And this is where I saw the neurologist, got the MRIs, had to pass a bunch of tests and stuff, and how I know now that I don't have any long-term concussion damage, unlike a lot of my peers. But having gone through that experience, though, I feel like what a dick I was, you know, to make fun of him because that has to suck so bad.

You know, losing your ability, first off to be able to focus, for me, it threw me off my game, like, completely. I was missing all these appointments, and I was just so confused, like, the whole time. It was just so weird. And it wasn't, like, I didn't have any memory loss or anything, but just as the side effects of having my vision messed up like that and having to deal with that. But, you know, the headaches and everything, you know. So you regret the HPK. impression um i don't know if i live with regret you know like i've i've talked to him about a few times he always says you know no problem he doesn't take anything seriously but you know i tell him you

know sorry anyway like that that you know he didn't deserve uh you know for me to attack him like that for any reason except for being the man that he is you know and that's why it's funny he's attacking top guy or whatever you know and especially when someone like that that other people wouldn't uh necessarily go after but but you know yeah i can wiggle my eyes i can wiggle my ears. I can wiggle my chest. I can do that too. We can like peck pop like the rock here. Yeah, certain people, you know, certain people

have more ability to control their muscles than others, you know. Can you wiggle your ears too? I can wiggle my ears. Yeah, yeah. Can't wiggle my eyeballs, though. Wiggle your eyeball? Oh, you can't cross them, you mean? I can cross them, but I can't do the thing you were doing. Was I wiggling my eyeballs?

No, like the, I can just do this. Oh, okay. Yeah, well, this will be the, this will be the thumbnail every day. We won't make this the thumbnail. Yeah, man. Oh, see, this one at the time. That's crazy. What are we doing?

Really? That's not normal. All right? That's not normal. That's crazy. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah, man of many times.

Hey, that's true. That's right. Many tell. I'm going to hit Vladville. going on stage. Nobody knows what Vladville is. Vaudeville? Right? Vladville? I know you. Forget. I know what vaudeville is. I don't know. Vaudville was like the...

The old-timey... Oh, am I saying it wrong? It's vaudeville, right? V-A-U-D-E. Vaudeville. Is it? And I combine... Am I combining it with the vampire, Vlad the Impalea? Is that I'm doing? Maybe. Vodville.

Yeah, vaudeville. Really? And there was the tag team in WWE, the vaudevillans? Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I guess I'm saying it wrong. Someone, get that hell out of there. Get that hell out of.

The Paul Hamon impression, though. Is it just the years of spending time with Paul? I just pay attention to people when they talk, you know. Who else can you do? I don't know. Give me some more Paul Heyman. It's so good. Well, a lot of people say I do a good piece, Michael Hayes.

I used to do Johnny Hays all the time. So good. Some more Paul. Okay. Listen, what's the difference between giving you a check now and having it in your mailbox when you get home on Tuesday? What's the difference? You said, come back to the podcast here. We started off the show with it.

Rob Van Dam's podcast, one of a kind. Yeah, it's on Premier Streaming Network. I just was at the Premier Streaming Network Wrestling Showcase with Josh Shernoff. Oh, cool. Yeah. I love Josh, and congrats to him on everything he's built. and you can listen to one of a kind wherever you're listening to this right now. You had some really kind things to say about Brock Lesnar.

You were talking about just like how special of a talent he is in pro wrestling. Yeah, I'm a fan. I always have been definitely, you know, like what's not to love? You know, he's good for the business and the fact that he can back it up and has backed it up and can go on, you know, when he was UFC world champion, that was, like, there's nothing else that would legitimize if, if you want to go that far. He's the baddest man on the planet. Yes.

And what we do doesn't get enough respect because every fan thinks they can do it. And that seems to be more and more what they're after, you know, like with that all-inclusive, whatever it is, it seems like they're reaching out to get normal people, like to get a skateboard or in a basketball player. It seems like athletes that are normal kids or whatever so that people do relate more. And then people do think it's easier and then everybody can do it. At least that's one observation I've had looking at where it seems to be going.

You know, when I grew up, someone had to tell me that they could get me in. You know, if I started lifting weights and stuff, they'd get me in. otherwise, I don't think I ever would have had the idea. These guys were just larger than life. Like, don't you have to be born a pro wrestler? You know, I didn't think I could do that. It is amazing to me when I see independent wrestlers who have clearly never seen the inside of a gym before.

And I'm like, that feels like step one. Even just for the cardio, that feels like step one of like, you watched wrestling growing up, you know what most wrestlers look like, just start to lift some weights. Yeah, you know, when we had Spike Dudley and ECW that made a lot of, that made him so different because he was so small. He was 150 pounds and he would just take a hell of an ass weapon. You know, we would just throw him around,

beat this shit out of him. And of course, the fans would really get behind him. And he would like sneak in a few moves, you know, and have a little have a comeback. And people would be like, yes.

And that was so fun. But he was so different. But then obviously he's going to have fans that are going to be inspired by him. But he's still lifted weights. Yeah. I don't think he's. did. Really?

No. No. No. Spike wasn't one to lift weights. And, you know, why would he? Do you have a favorite Spike Dudley moment? I love Spike. I don't have a story that comes to mind, though, to do that question any justice?

I just feel like there's a lot of Spike Dudley highlights. A lot of them in WWA. It's just amazing to think of all the things that he's. he's done. Yeah. That's crazy. Yeah. There's a lot of guys that came over from ECW to WWE and weren't nearly as successful as you were. What do you think it was that allowed you to be successful in WWE? I think just the package that I had, you know, like I think prior to coming to WWE, when I was wrestling in ECW from 96 to 2001, I had a lot of eyes on me. And as I got better, I was already a viable product that would already be, you know, a commodity

in one of the other companies. So it wasn't like I had to start adjusting as soon as I got in the door. I did, but not completely from zero. I was already, while I was in ECW in 98, 99, 2001, in those years when we were really crushing it, and I was really, really crushing it with the TV championship and having really good showcasing matches. I was already at that point somebody that could have fit in, do a good position in WCW or WVE if they knew what to do with me. I feel like a lot of fans are surprised to find out that you never won the ECW

championship in original ECW. How much longer would ECW have had to gone, you know, stayed in business for you to have won? I feel like you were right there. How can I answer that? Yeah. Maybe six months, though, a year. Like, I feel like you were right there. I've really, really enjoyed my.

my mission, you know, like RVD understood the assignment. I have the World Television Championship built, and I'm making it mean at least as much, subjectively more than the World Championship built. Because during those ECW shows, a lot of times the fans would be chanting RVD, RVD through the whole show, you know, like through the earlier matches in between them,

waiting for me to come out. And then, of course, when Walk hit, I'd make him wait another couple of minutes before I'd even come through the curtain. So you were my favorite, you were my friend Greg's favorite wrestler, Greg Cusack, and he loved how long your entrance was.

Walk would repeat, like four than once. As you just walked around, just posing, just walking around the ring. So I got to give my buddy Greg a shout out. Yeah, man, I was tapping into that energy from all the fans. and plugging in is what I was doing. And, you know, first I'd send,

I'd have Fonsie blow his whistle so everybody could just hear him. Yes. And then send him through the curtain first. And he'd come through and I'd still be back there doing jumping jacks or pushups or taping my wrists up or something. So, yeah, that was good times. And point being, I really added a lot of value to the World Television Championship.

And I would have been fine if I would have been fine. if I would have stayed on that path and if Mike Awesome would have stayed and been our heavyweight champion and not gone to WCW? And not gone, yeah. I wanted us to be the opposite pillars that were holding the whole company up

and then I wanted when it was big enough to face each other. But I really wanted to build that and then have the TV championship versus the World Championship and Russell Mike Awesome one on one for the first time. I really respected

him as a wrestler as a champion, you know, being in that position to represent ECW, I thought he was a great foot to put forward, so to say. And so that's what I would have liked to have seen happen. I think we would have all liked to have seen that happen. He was so dominant as ECW champion. Yeah. And I loved how on commentary they were always talking about like how big he was. And I specifically remember them comparing him to the WCWCW. champion at the time and the W. The W.W.E. champion of the time being like, he's way

bigger. He's more athletic. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, they went there. That was true. Yeah. Yeah. Look, RVD, it's always so good to be able to spend some time with you. Thank you so much for coming by. I end every conversation with gratitude,

which I know is a big part of your life. What are three things in your life that you're grateful for right now? I am grateful for my health. I'm grateful for my wife, and I'm grateful for all the love and not necessarily in that order. Love that.

Everyone can go check out One of a Kind wherever you're listening to this. And on my YouTube page, too. We plug that. Plug it on. At the Real RVD. All my social media is the Real RVD. And that's where we are putting the clips of the One of a Kind podcast and putting full episodes there as well.

So we'll tag that down below if you're watching this on YouTube. So go follow RVD. Go subscribe to RVD. CVV and RVD. So good to see you, man. Oh, appreciate you. Let's get one of those. Hey, dude, you're looking, Jack, too.

I saw you working out with Michael Hearn. Oh, dude, that guy is a beast. Yeah. I just turned 40. I wanted to be in the best shape of my life of 40. Hey, congratulations. Here we are. How about one, how about we do one of these?

It's CVV and R. RVD. Damn, I know who that is. Boom. This guy. Well, there we go, my friend. Rob Van. Damn.

Love talking to that guy. So cool to see that he can still do everything that he used to be able to do in the ring. I love that guy. I love it. If you enjoyed this, please snap a screenshot. Share it on social media and tag us. He's at the real RVD. I'm at Chris Van Vliko.

Go check out his podcast. One of a kind now that this episode. is pretty much almost over. Go check it out. One of a kind wherever you're listening to this. And I appreciate all the people that do stay until the very, very end like this because you know we always have the best quotes.

I love this one. From Winston Churchill. The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. Be great. Be grateful. We will see you on the next one for some more.

Insight with Becky Lynch. Woo! Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do. With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air.

It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it. Get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What should be? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.