In a recent episode of his podcast “1 Of A Kind,” WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam discussed topics such as the Coast-to-Coast finisher, Shane McMahon’s adaptation of the Van Terminator, among other related topics.
Here are some highlights of the podcast:
As to whether Shane McMahon ever credited him for the coast-to-coast move, Rob Van Dam said, “I don’t remember him ever mentioning it to me. If he did, then I don’t remember. He definitely didn’t give me credit. It never came up. I believe that Paul [Heyman] showed him footage of me doing the Van Terminator and asked them, ‘Can you do this?’ His response was, ‘Maybe if I put a trash can on the ropes, I could get an extra three feet there I don’t have to fly down.’ So basically, that’s how the coast-to-coast move came about. But you know, I get credit from you guys, from all the hardcore fans that were present from the beginning.”
When asked why no one ever tried the Van Terminator before him, Van Dam expressed surprise that he was the first to think of it. He credited his out-of-the-box thinking for coming up with moves not seen before, saying, “It’s a four-sided ring with three ropes. Wrestling has been around for a long time. I’m pretty stoked that I’m acknowledged for being original and that boosted my confidence in my individuality.”
Considering why it’s not a more common move, he said, “Now that I’ve proved it can be done, I see guys on indie shows trying it. Sometimes they tweak it to make it their own, which is cool. But, the ring size varies and sometimes the ropes are loose, sometimes they’re tight. There are many variables when you wrestle for different companies and in different countries. Consistency is not guaranteed. It’s a move that takes the best conditions to execute.”