RVD Discusses Issues Faced During His Time in TNA Wrestling

Rob Van Dam made his name in the wrestling industry with his debut on the hardcore brand, ECW with his unique in-ring skills and fighting style. Since then he has gone onto work with multiple wrestling promotions and rightfully made his place among the industry’s legends. Recently, he talked about the challenges he faced during his run at TNA.

During an episode on his “1 Of a Kind” podcast, the legendary WWE Hall of Famer discussed a variety of topics, including conversations he had with former TNA President Scott D’Amore back in 2019. RVD recalled a meeting with D’Amore at a Las Vegas club and gave details about the TNA offer he got, comparing his future role to that of veteran wrestler Sting. However, despite his initial hesitation about his physical condition, RVD decided to join TNA after the talk.

“One time he [D’Amore] was saying, ‘You know, we’re going to be doing some things. I see a spot for you here in TNA.’ He came out here to Las Vegas and we met at the Nerd bar, and he had a spiel to give me, ‘I see you as being like our new Sting, where you’re the veteran, we don’t have to work you to death,”‘ recalled RVD. “At the time, my back was bothering me, and I let him know upfront, ‘Right now I’m a little banged up.’ And we had a good talk. Obviously, it went well as I got hired and was there.”

Moving on in the discussion, RVD reflected on his tenure with the promotion. He also opened up about the challenges he faced across two separate runs with TNA. He said that while working with Scott D’Amore was generally “fine”, but he was unhappy with the apparent lack of communication and usage of his abilities.

“Looking back at it, how was Scott to work with? It was fine. But I feel both of my runs that they respected me too much to talk to me,” said RVD. “I always thought that they weren’t using me in a way they would get their money back out of me. I never put my faith in it being a long-lasting thing.”

Despite his legendary status in the wrestling world, RVD noticed a gap between the promotion’s approach and his own expectations for creative direction and use. RVD thought that TNA respected him too much to have open conversations regarding his job, leaving him feeling underutilized and apprehensive about his future with the company. Stay tuned to Ringside News for more such stories!

What do you think of RVD’s comments about the challenges he faced at TNA? Let us know in the comments!