Rob Van Dam Recalls Once Suggesting Cannabis To Chris Benoit
As a staple of ECW in the 1990s, Rob Van Dam knows all about stiff chairshots although we've seen fewer and fewer of those in recent years. That all changed at Fyter Fest when Cody Rhodes took an unprotected chairshot to the head and was busted open.
RVD talked about who really should be held accountable for those kinds of things when he joined the Unsanctioned Podcast.
"This is the first that I've heard of it. The way I feel about it, is one, WWE took away chairshots I think back in 2007. They made that policy and they are the standard-setters. But also, everyone considers them the whole business," said RVD. "Whenever someone wants to go after the business in a negative way, it's always Vince. They are not going after Ring of Honor and saying they need to give their guys health insurance; it's always Vince.
"But the truth is, on the indie shows they can do what they want and a lot of people still do headshots. The way I see it, it's not the promoters telling them to do the headshots, that's them doing it because they want to do it. As artists, I guess that's okay with me if that's what they want to do. But I want them to know the possible effects and damages. Again, as artists, if this is how they want to contribute to the show is by getting hit in the head with a chair, then I don't think I necessarily have a problem with it. And again, I didn't see it, but I don't look at it like it's the promotion, I look at it as Cody Rhodes or whoever you said."
RVD has never been bashful about his use of marijuana and he even suggested it once to Chris Benoit in one of their final conversations. To RVD's surprise, Benoit wasn't totally against it as he recalled.
"I remember telling Chris Benoit in Mexico, one of the last times I talked to him, and I was surprised to hear that he was open to it. Not to him taking it necessarily, but him open to the research that I was recording and he was believing that it wasn't that bad," stated Van Dam. "I don't remember him expressing much interest in his own personal use, but it was something that everybody knew that RVD is a stoner or whatever, and I'm telling him something. I don't know, I get on my soap box sometimes and I start preaching. Chris was into it and would just say like, 'yeah I don't think that's so bad for you.' I was just getting through to him in having a conversation and he didn't disapprove of it."
The topic of conversation then shifted to premature deaths in wrestling and how the cause of death often isn't mentioned. RVD shared his thoughts on that and wants to go against the norm when his time comes.
"Whenever it's suicide, they don't mention it. I guess that's out of respect for the family that they don't mention the cause of death. But for me, I hope everyone who hears this takes my word on this, if anyone listening outlives me, however I die, I want everybody to know exactly how the f**k I died," said RVD.