RVD is one of the greatest names in professional wrestling history, known for his technical prowess in the ring. While he had runs in WCW, WWE and TNA, fans would remember him for his tenure at ECW. It is for this reason he received a tribute from one of WWE’s current prodigies, Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins donned gear for the Extreme Rules premium live event in October 2022 that was quite reminiscent of Rob Van Dam’s signature attire. As Rob Van Dam established himself in the world of wrestling in Philadelphia, the birthplace of ECW, Seth Rollins’ tribute was befitting of the venue with such a great history attached to it.
RVD was honored to have been paid a tribute by The Architect. In a new interview with Wrestling News, Rob Van Dam recalled being proud to have his likeness associated with the event, though he admitted he was in the dark about the whole thing until he hopped on Twitter the next morning.
“It’s pretty cool you know because they were in Philadelphia and it was some kind of Extreme Rules match so it was cool to be the role model for that whole thing, for at least Seth. Nah, I found out on Twitter the next day like everybody else. I understood it more the next day as I got a little bit more info and then of course some people are like ‘Dude they’re gonna reach out to you, they’re gonna bring you in’ and I’m like not thinking too much into it. Who knows, I figured it was probably Paul Heyman’s idea so I sent him a fist bump emoji.”
In the Fight Pit Match and during his entrance at Extreme Rules, Rollins posed, exactly like RVD used to do. Rollins also scaled the side of the cage during the match yelling “Seth Freakin’ Rollins” reminiscent of the way RVD used to shout “Rob Van Dam.” The Architect also executed a Frog Splash in a fashion resembling RVD’s Five-Star Frog Splash finisher.
Seth Rollins is known for his eccentric style of paying tribute to notable personalities at WWE premium live events. In the past, he has paid tribute to legends such as Dusty Rhodes, Elton John, Thanos, The Joker, among many others.
It seems the tribute worked as a good luck charm for Rollins. The night following the PPV saw Seth Rollins secure the United States Championship. For more updates, stay tuned to Ringside News.
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