"I just had enough" - Former world champion explains why he decided to leave WWE
It is a known fact that WWE Superstars have a very hectic schedule. It is also known that several wrestlers did not get along well with the higher-ups during their stint with Vince McMahon's promotion.
Despite being arguably the most popular babyface in 2006, Rob Van Dam fell off the mountaintop after failing a wellness policy test. He was the WWE and ECW Champion at the time.
Needless to say, The Whole F'n Show is still looked upon by many as a favorite. He has had some memorable bouts in WWE. Speaking to Konnan and Disco Inferno on the latest episode of K100, RVD detailed:
"I needed to get away. I just had enough. My contract was coming up. They had destroyed ECW. Personally, they weren't doing much with me. I don't know if they were trying to get me to go through and then work my way back up, or what, but I find myself just in a place where I was not spiritually well, and that's why I left," Van Dam said. [52:26-52:50]
17 Years ago today, Rob Van Dam defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship in the main event of ECW One Night Stand 2006. https://t.co/EBRVbbvpbl
Rob Van Dam later returned in 2013 for a brief run with WWE. He was most recently seen during the draft as one of the announcers who revealed the superstars that were switching brands.
Rob Van Dam talks about wrestling 16-time WWE World Champion
ECW One Night Stand 2006 is a show wrestling fans fondly remember for its main event: John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam. This was the latter's cash-in. It was a rare occasion when the contract holder announced the cash-in beforehand.
Van Dam spoke about the atmosphere and detailed witnessing certain things fans did in New York, the venue of the event, during an interview with PWMania. He then had this to say about his opponent:
"John knew that he was in for a rough night, He was gonna get shit on a lot. He knew that. He’s just super cool. I really think he was looking forward to the match. I think that he had fun with it. I know I did.” (H/T PW Mania)
6/11/2006
Rob Van Dam defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship at #OneNightStand from the Hammerstein Ballroom in #WWENewYork, New York.
#ECW #RobVanDam #RVD #TheWholeFuckingShow #OneOfAKind #JohnCena #WWE #WWEChampion #WWETitle #WWESuperstar #WWELegend #WWEHistory https://t.co/lnCSqWicSF
There still is a large section of fans that wish RVD returns to the squared circle for some matches against the current crop of talents in the global juggernaut promotion.
If you use the quote, please credit the original source and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.