Rob Van Dam will always be beloved by WWE fans for his creative offense and risky maneuvers, and with the recent brand split, some thought it might be a perfect way to bring him back to the ring.
Van Dam recently sat down with Sports Illustrated to talk about his past history with the WWE, as well as his possible future. During his last run, the possibility of a heel turn was presented to him, along with a new manager by his side in Paul Heyman. Van Dam explains why that got vetoed.
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“The office wanted to put me with Paul and turn me heel, but I already have one foot out the door in wrestling, so why change to a heel when I’m on my way out? I’ve been so willing to stay strong and stick to my guns for so long when it comes to my beliefs. I’m a symbol to people for a lot of different things, and changing me to a heel, at the last minute, could change that.”
WWE approached him with an offer to be part of the Dudleys vs Wyatt family feud along with Tommy Dreamer, but the two sides couldn’t reach a deal. That said, he doesn’t want people to think he straight up rejected their offer.
“I didn’t turn it down,” noted Van Dam. “That is somebody’s twist on my words. We weren’t able to come to an agreement. 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.”
There are many who would love to see Van Dam in the ring with some of the new talent WWE currently employs, and it could give some of the underutilized roster like Neville and Apollo Crews something significant to do on television. As it stands, he’s open to coming back but isn’t necessarily in a rush.
“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.
“I certainly hope that comes together, and it will be something that is right for me and right for WWE and right for the fans. But at this point, I do not have any plans of such. Even when I’m not wrestling, I still appreciate all my fans. I take all the compliments to heart. I don’t think all the other wrestlers hear the same love from the fans that I do—they are extreme about it.”
If he does return to the ring, hopefully,it will be more like Chris Jericho’s recent resurgence as opposed to his last run with the company.
