On a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross discussed the career of Rob Van Dam.
Ross reflected on calling RVD’s WCW debut match, his initial contact to hire the high flyer for WWE, and RVD refusing to put over Road Dogg in 1997.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On calling Rob Van Dam’s WCW TV Match with Pat Rose: “He was certainly in there with a good hand, Pat Rose is a good, I don’t know how you say it politely a enhancement type guy. Pat had a real good basic skill set so he could work with a young guy like Rob Van Dam and help him move along, move the needle forward. But, he was solid and he looked good I’m speaking of Rob. I think looking good was probably one of Pat Rose’s downfalls. He didn’t have that main event wrestler body that stereotypically used, but he was a hell of a hand. So, I didn’t know that. I didn’t know that I forgot about Rob and WCW Saturday Night. I really did. The pictures brought back memories..”
On his initial contact to have RVD work for WWE: “Well, I didn’t tamper with a contract. I didn’t want to screw Paul or Rob you don’t want to cultivate someone’s bad habits. He’s going to fulfill his obligations, but I was very interested in hiring him in 97. It just had to work things out and he was in a heavy program there at ECW. So, he needed to finish that. We didn’t need to put Paul in a bind. Sometimes the booker realizes this talent is going to leave and so we have to take that into accordance. It’s going to happen. So, do you want him to come to you, or you want to go to someplace else and of course WCW is out there, but I wanted to make sure we got Rob on our roster at some point and we finally did.”
On RVD refusing to put over Road Dogg In ’97: “Awkward. Unfortunate. I thought he got bad advice. Here’s the deal. Should he have put Road Dogg over? If that’s what the booker wanted, yeah. It’s the right thing to do. I know I could argue that point. I sure as hell would have stayed on my post and done my work and that’s just how Rob was raised. I’m sure that Eddie Farhat’s influences had a bearing on the decision that Rob was making. I just don’t believe in the worst excuse or reason better said I don’t think it’s cool when you don’t want to finish the project even though it may not be what you want to do you’re still getting paid and go out there and steal the show and turn heads again and move up the card. But, you can’t do it if you’re not there. You got to have a jersey to play. Don’t turn your jersey in.”
