WWE locker room "respected" a Money in the Bank winner for refusing to travel for an overseas show
WWE superstars have one of the most strenuous work schedules in the world, and it's not shocking when talents don't wish to work on certain shows. Rob Van Dam recently opened up about when he refused to go on a Tribute to the Troops show.
Back in the day, WWE used to travel to where the troops were stationed and organized shows for them that included almost every top name in the company.
RVD was amongst the more popular names on the roster in the mid-2000s and, unlike most wrestlers, turned down the voluntary choice to go overseas for the event.
WWE apparently told talents that they weren't forced to compete at Tribute to the Troops, and RVD, who was admittedly burnt out, decided to skip the show. Vince McMahon, however, was displeased by the former world champion's decision and tried to talk him into changing his mind.
During the latest episode of his "1 of a Kind" podcast, RVD revealed that other talents told him that they, too, didn't want to attend the show and respected him for saying no.
"I was stewing about it. And other wrestlers are coming up to me saying, 'Man, Rob, I respect you for saying no. Like, I don't want to go either, but I can't say no. I'm not RVD.' Dude. Why do I always hear that? Like there's nothing in my contract that says I can get no heat. You know what I mean?" (H/T Wrestling Writing)
I just have principles, and I'm not a puppet: WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam
It's pretty evident that pro wrestling doesn't have many personalities as unique and straightforward as RVD. The former ECW Champion explained that he wasn't one of those who WWE would easily control, and while his approach sometimes worked against him, he stood by his call to miss Tribute to the Troops.
Van Dam just wanted to spend some time at home, and the reactions of several of his colleagues annoyed him a bit, as he added below:
"I just have principles, and I'm not a puppet, and, you know, that works for and against me, but here I'm saying that Christmas break, I will be in California or wherever the hell I lived at the time. I guess that was it. Anyway, it was the subject, like, 'Are they gonna let you not go?' And I was getting mad. What do you mean, 'Let me not go?' Like, am I a prisoner?"
WWE Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam with the 2006 Money In The Bank briefcase,which he would cash in to challenge and defeat John Cena to become WWE Champion at the ECW One Night Stand 2006 event. https://t.co/taS5mhJTLZ
What are your honest opinions on WWE's schedule? Is it too much for a talent? Sound off in the comments section below.