In a recent episode of his “1 Of A Kind” podcast, wrestler Rob Van Dam shared his insights on the revered popularity of Stan Hansen in Japan. Van Dam attributes Hansen’s fame to his ability to communicate the belief that he could confidently take on anyone in the ring and come out as the winner.
Here are some notable segments of the podcast:
Referring to why Stan Hansen became incredibly popular in Japan, Van Dam said, “Based on my experience, Japan is a representative of Eastern philosophy. It’s where Eastern philosophy originates. The older you get there, the respect for age, wisdom, and experience seems to grow, particularly for wrestling stars. And I recall, after having been going to Japan for a few years, how at a truck stop on an extended, dull bus ride, everyone rushed to Dory Funk Jr., Abdullah the Butcher, and Stan Hansen as we got off the bus. I thought, ‘What should a guy do around here to earn respect?’ And the answer is to have a lot more experience.”
Speaking of Hansen’s qualities, Van Dam recalled, “Stan is always consistent, just a solid bull who pushes through everyone and everything. He reminded me of a juggernaut, not caring about whether there were chairs or people in his way. He would storm out of the dressing room with a bull rope, sometimes with a bell tied on the end, swinging it around everyone. His character was so powerful and believable, making everyone respect him. Even when he was considered older, he would never back down while facing big guys like Vader, Kobashi. And I think that’s why Stan was so well-liked.”
Recounting Stan Hansen stories, Van Dam said, “It was this one time when the black carts were in Japan, they had annoyedit everyone around because they tried too hard to fit in. So Hansen decided to punish those boys in the middle of a tour. He used a chair to strike them over the head so hard that it made the wounded spots look like tomato paste. To them, it was part of paying their dues.”
In conclusion, Rob Van Dam’s perspective on Stan Hansen’s popularity in Japan tells a lot about the respect for age and experience in the Eastern world.