Legend says Paul Heyman wanted him to appear in WWE instead of rival promotion (Exclusive)
As the owner of ECW, Paul Heyman was one of the most important figures in the wrestling business in the 1990s. In an exclusive interview, Rob Van Dam (RVD) recently recalled how his former boss advised him to appear in WWE instead of joining WCW.
Van Dam worked for ECW between 1996 and 2001. While wrestling for Paul Heyman's promotion, the 52-year-old legend felt underappreciated and considered accepting an offer to rejoin WWE's rivals WCW. Around the same time, Heyman had a good relationship with WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Van Dam disclosed details about the conversation he had with Heyman:
"I had a job offer from WCW. Paul was making me feel underappreciated. I was like, 'Well, of course I've gotta consider this. It's for a lot more money. There's a good chance they're gonna respect me. This could be good for my career.'" [3:53 – 4:08]
According to RVD, Heyman wanted him to stay in ECW while also appearing on WWE programming:
"Paul was like, 'What can I do to make you stay?' Then he was like, 'What if I could get you on WW…' I guess it was [WW]F then. 'Everyone would think you're on WCW, but we swerve them.' I was like, 'That sounds great, but how are you gonna do that?' I didn't know they'd already had this relationship going." [4:08 – 4:29]
Watch the video above to hear Van Dam's thoughts on Paul Heyman's continued WWE success as Roman Reigns' on-screen special counsel.
RVD reflects on ECW and Paul Heyman "invading" WWE
In 1996 and 1997, Paul Heyman and several ECW wrestlers appeared on WWE programming as part of a cross-promotional rivalry. The most notable ECW "invasion" occurred on February 24, 1997, when Heyman's brand took over an episode of Monday Night RAW.
Rob Van Dam wrestled on WWE television in 1997 before joining the company in 2001. However, he was not part of ECW's initial RAW hijacking.
"The very first time ECW invaded Monday Night RAW, I wasn't even there," Van Dam said. "That's when Sabu jumped off the letter R. I think that must have been '96, and I think that I had just joined the company. I don't know, I don't remember where I was when that happened, but I wasn't one of their top guys or [people] they would want to put forward obviously." [3:14 – 3:37]
You can hear more from RVD on his weekly podcast, 1 of a Kind, on the Premier Streaming Network.
Do you have a favorite moment from RVD's career? Let us know in the comments section below.
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