Rob Van Dam Was Close to AEW Debut in Last Year

RVD is definitely one of the most technically-gifted pro wrestlers to have ever competed in the pro wrestling world. The icon even made a couple of appearances on AEW television and now it appears he almost debuted in AEW last year.

The WWE Hall of Famer had a solid match against Jack Perry back in August and made an appearance before that as well. RVD would then return on last week’s episode of AEW Collision, where he teamed up with Hook and squared off against Matt Menard and Angelo Parker. Naturally, RVD’s team would pick up the victory.

RVD’s AEW debut was planned several months in advance. While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, the WWE Hall of Famer revealed that on September 5th, 2022, AEW contacted him about a date. However, communication dropped afterwards, so his debut did not happen last year.

”I was at a convention in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, Legends Fest and I got the message (about coming back to AEW), you know? ‘Hey, can you do the 23rd in Grand Rapids?’ Interestingly enough, last year, at this exact same time, they messaged me with that, September 5th, actually. And that’s when I got the okay to do it. It was like a year ago, and then I did it. But some time had passed then. But that day was, you know, near Battle Creek. Yeah, from Battle Creek, hometown boys was — so obviously, same idea. Again, that’ll be cool. It’s one week before, I’m going to be doing my show in Battle Creek, which those guys have been working on that for like a year, you know, promoting it. And it’s a big full circle return home and then just the week before, they put me in Grand Rapids, which is just right down the street.”

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“Communication dropped (is why I didn’t debut for AEW in 2022). So that’s it. Sometimes that would happen. Sometimes. Both of the companies over the years, every once in a while, would call, just to check out my schedule. I don’t hold it (the date). I hold it in mind skeptically as a possibility. And that’s all because I know how it works. But that’s how it works, never hear from them again. And then it’s like, well, all right, whatever, I can hypothesize. You know, I wonder what did I do? But you know, I’m very stoic and (a) part of stoicism is really being able to accept things as they are and just let it roll right off my shoulder.”

We will have to wait and see when the WWE Hall of Famer will make his return to AEW television, as his appearances are all on a case-by-case basis now.

What’s your view on what RVD said? Do you want to see RVD back in AEW? Share your thoughts in the comments!