On a recent edition of his “1 Of A Kind” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam discussed suffering a torn ACL injury in 2005 that sidelined him for about a year, his initial disdain for supernatural characters in wrestling, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On disliking supernatural gimmicks: “When I was in ECW, I would have been against supernatural characters. I would have thought that it was killing the credibility that I worked so hard to build. Now, my understanding of what professional wrestling is is quite different to what my understanding was back then. And, there’s so many things — we’re all part of it; all our efforts do impact the result, which, in fact, changes the substance of what it is. All that is just part of a big entertainment show that has wrestling as its foundation, but The Undertaker’s part of the show is their favorite part of the show … when the lights go out and his music hits, everyone’s [hyped] and they love him. So, his being a part of the show would win anyone over.”
On how he tore his ACL: “One night it finally snapped, my ACL in a match. Me and Rey were wrestling the Basham Brothers. They went to backdrop me and I just rolled off his back, and landed on my feet, BAM! My ACL, it snapped, and then I couldn’t straighten my leg out or bend it. It was just stuck in a position slightly bent. And I was like ‘F**k.’ And I tagged out, rolled out, kept walking back and forth, back and forth alongside the ring down there on the floor, trying to walk it off, and it was not working.”
On his reaction to the injury: “I was like ‘F**k.’ And I kept looking over at Terry Taylor, he was the agent, I saw him watching and I was like ‘F**k! I don’t know what happened. It’s not getting better.’ I’m walking and walking and walking, it wouldn’t straighten out or bend. It was f****d. So then I had to get surgery, which was my only surgery that I had in my career.”
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Rob Van Dam, a WWE Hall of Famer, recently opened up about his career and personal experiences on his podcast, “1 Of A Kind.” In the podcast, he discussed suffering a torn ACL injury in 2005, his initial dislike for supernatural characters in wrestling, and more.
One of the topics Van Dam touched upon was his initial disdain for supernatural gimmicks in wrestling. During his time in ECW, he believed that such characters were detrimental to the credibility he had worked hard to establish. However, as time went on, Van Dam’s understanding of professional wrestling evolved. He realized that wrestling is not just about individual credibility but also about creating an entertaining show for the audience. He acknowledged that characters like The Undertaker, with their supernatural elements, have a significant impact on the fans and are often their favorite part of the show.
Van Dam also shared the story of how he tore his ACL during a match with Rey Mysterio against the Basham Brothers. While attempting a backdrop move, Van Dam rolled off Mysterio’s back and landed on his feet. Unfortunately, the impact caused his ACL to snap, leaving him unable to straighten or bend his leg properly. Despite the pain and discomfort, Van Dam tried to walk it off but realized that it was not getting better. Eventually, he had to undergo surgery, which was the only surgery he had throughout his wrestling career.
Reflecting on the injury, Van Dam expressed frustration and concern. He kept looking over at Terry Taylor, who was the agent for the match, hoping for a solution. However, it became evident that surgery was necessary to address the issue.
Rob Van Dam’s insights provide a glimpse into the physical toll that professional wrestling can take on performers. Despite the challenges and setbacks, Van Dam’s passion for the sport remained strong throughout his career.
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