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Rob Van Dam returned to Impact Wrestling in stunning fashion by teaming up with Sabu to take on the Lucha Brothers at United We Stand. He still looked as good as he did in his prime, as he took arguably the best team in the business to their limit.
Hours before the events, I had a chance to catch up with RVD for a chat on the Press Pass Podcast. Before that Josh Mathews asked RVD why he returned to Impact Wrestling not just for a match, but for an extended run and this is what he had to say:
One's perspective has to change as we move through time because you're looking at life and that's just a fact. I'm still interested in good business, interested in opportunities, and I just follow my spirit. So, right now, everything's lined up in this fashion. So, it's a good deal.
I talked to Scott D'Amore, we talked about the business and then I understood Impact's schedule and I was able to compare that with all the other schedules I've had over the last 30 years, and everything is favourable and hopefully, it's a win-win for everybody.
I followed up the question by asking RVD if there was anyone from the Impact Wrestling roster who would fit into the original ECW locker room. RVD replied:
I'm sure that I know a lot of the guys who're in the locker room right now but I haven't been in there yet. So I have a lot of people to still meet. But there's no doubt about it. There are several wrestlers who would have done very well in ECW. And that's a testament to how ECW has impacted the entire business.
Overall, all pro wrestling is a lot more like ECW than it used to be. ECW used to be the only group that was hardcore, that had people going through tables and having these fatal four ways, triple threats. Everything. That was ECW and now all the groups are extreme. All of them are. And that's how times have changed and how ECW has affected the whole standard.
Back in the day not many of the other wrestlers would have been comfortable in ECW because it was so different. But now, years later, people that watched ECW growing up who are now pro wrestlers themselves, yeah...there definitely could have been a lot more people because a lot of the wrestlers today were inspired by ECW and they enjoyed and preferred that kind of style.
They find it more entertaining for the crowd but also themselves.
So, I'm proud to say that just like myself, ECW has changed everything!
