How Rob Van Dam Had Had Enough When He Chose To Exit WWE
When Rob Van Dam walked out to the podium to announce the second round of picks for the WWE Draft in April, it shocked plenty of fans who thought they might never see "RVD" back on WWE television ever again. It wouldn't be out of the question if he never did, having bitterly left the pro wrestling company back in 2014 after his second stint with the promotion.
On a recent episode of the "Keepin' It 100" podcast, Van Dam opened up about his most recent WWE cameo and shed more light on why he walked away from the company in 2014 when his contract ran out, revealing he turned down an offer to re-sign.
"I needed to get away," the former WWE Champion said. "I just had enough. My contract was coming up, they had destroyed ECW, and personally, they weren't doing much with me. I don't know if they were trying to get me to go through and then work my way back up or what, but I found myself just in a place where I was not spiritually well. And that's why I left because I realized that my spirit needed a serious tune up, and that was something I couldn't do while I was under those conditions."
RVD was one of the key roster members in ECW when the company shut down in 2001, after which WWE bought the promotion. WWE later relaunched ECW in 2006, bringing back the ECW World Heavyweight Championship into its line of world titles and running "reunion" shows. But the hardcore brand didn't stick around long under WWE, later getting folded for the final time in 2010.
Why Rob Van Dam Left WWE In 2014
WWE's back-and-forth approach to how seriously it took ECW, its lineage, and its former roster members now working for the Vince McMahon-led company was something that weighed on Rob Van Dam.
"It did drive me nuts," RVD told Konan. "I went through cycles of frustration when I thought I was gonna leave and take the next flight home, and then, you know, a couple of days later, I'd be like, 'Wow!' because cool things would happen and I loved it."
Van Dam said he loved it when WWE brought ECW back, which led to him being extra motivated. But then the attention paid to the ECW brand waned. "And there's other times where the monotony just feeling like I can't do anything," he said.
So Van Dam decided he needed a clean break from WWE, despite the company offering him to re-sign and take several months off to rediscover his motivation. Van Dam did, but elsewhere. Since leaving WWE, the veteran has occasionally worked matches on the independent circuit, at times competing for IMPACT Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH.