[PHOTO] "This was what they wanted me to wear"- Rob Van Dam reveals ring gear that WWE wanted him to use on TV
WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam recently pointed out a picture of the ring gear that the company wanted him to wear back in the day.
Van Dam was one of the most exciting acts on WWE TV during the Ruthless Aggression Era. The former ECW star did incredibly well as a babyface on the main roster at the time. RVD was quite well known for his signature airbrushed singlet that usually had funky designs made on it.
The Hall of Famer recently stated that his ring gear was one of the first things that WWE tried to change about him. In response to his tweet, a fan shared a picture of him wearing a black singlet, minus the airbrushes.
The former WWE Champion replied to the tweet and confirmed that this was the gear that the company wanted him to wear.
"This was one of the first things WWE tried to change about me," he wrote.
This was one of the first things WWE tried to change about me twitter.com/JaggzNasty/sta…
Rob Van Dam added that he used it for non-televised live events.
"This was what they wanted me to wear. I kept it for non televised house shows."
You can check out the gear in question below:
This was what they wanted me to wear. I kept it for non televised house shows twitter.com/thejoeydayligh…
How did fans react to Rob Van Dam's tweet?
It goes without saying that RVD is one of the most beloved stars in pro-wrestling history. He was one of the most unique characters in the business during his peak and wowed audiences wherever he went. Here's how the legend's ardent fans reacted to his tweet about the gear that WWE wanted him to wear:
@TherealRVD Like its not bad but when it ain't broke dont fix it.
@TherealRVD Lol dude I always hated this one. It looked so generic compared to your other ones. But these 4 are personally my faves. https://t.co/GhX2B7nwxS
@TherealRVD But then you wouldn't have been "one of a kind"
@TherealRVD They didn’t get it smh. Not that you needed the cool gear to be over or stand out, but this isn’t one of a kind at all.
Here's what Airbrush Artist Joe Holland had to say about creating RVD's unique gear:
“He wanted me to do a silhouette of him, like doing his jump kick with his leg out. He liked it a lot and he came back and asked me for more. And he said ‘let’s do something different every single week. Let’s blow their minds!’. It worked. My favourite one is where he’s got black outfit and it’s for bloody bones. It was around Halloween time. There’s a big Yin-Yang on the back. His favourite was an outfit that looks like metal. That looks like rivets and metals. It was an experience. It worked out.” [H/T Essentially Sports]
Rob Van Dam's last match for WWE came in 2014 when he defeated Seth Rollins on Main Event. Since then, the legendary wrestler has performed for various independent promotions and for IMPACT Wrestling. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.
What was your favorite Rob Van Dam ring gear? Let us know in the comments section below.