Kurt Angle Says Rob Van Dam Was “Above Everyone Else” On The ECW Roster

Hamish Woodward

In the latest edition of the Kurt Angle show, former WWE superstar Kurt Angle spoke all about another legend of the ring, former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam.

RVD was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, adding to the list of ECW Alumni who have been honoured, in a list including Terry Funk, Mick Foley and The Dudley Boys.

Kurt Angle spoke about meeting Rob Van Dam, backstage at an ECW show he was supposed to be a part of. In October 1996, Angle walked out of the ECW show, following an angle where Raven crucified Sandman outside the ring.

However, it was not all bad memories for him that day.

Kurt Angle recalled meeting Rob Van Dam backstage that night, calling him “very nice”, and labelled him as “above everybody else on that roster” in ECW.

“I remember meeting Rob, uh, very nice, very friendly.

He went up and introduced himself to me, and what I remembered about Rob the most was him and Jerry Lynn had a banger of a match. I mean, this match was incredible, and uh, he stuck out to me, uh, he was above everybody else on that roster.

And I’m not taking anything away from Taz, but RVD seemed to be the guy that uh, really uh, started up that night and had the best match of the night.”

The WWE Hall of Famer was then asked about Rob Van Dam joining the WWE for the Invasion angle, following the sale of WCW to Vince McMahon.

Kurt Angle revealed that he “knew it would be easy” for RVD to fit in with the WWE locker room, because he was “so easy to get along with”.

Kurt Angle suplexing Rob Vna Dam, during a triple threat match with Steve Austin at No Mercy 2001

He also noted how apolitical backstage the former WWE and ECW Champion was, stating that “he’s just a laid-back dude”.

“I knew it would be easy for him to fit in because he was so easy to get along with. It was quiet, you know, he was laid back, he was Rob Van Dam. Just, ‘hey dude’, nice and cool, you know.

But, uh, that kind of attitude will help you because, uh, you know, the guy is not trying to be political, you know. He’s not going to be talking about people behind their backs.

Uh, he’s not a backstabber, you know who he is. He shows who he is every day. I mean, he’s Rob Van Dam, he tells it like it is, and he’s just a laid-back dude. So, I knew he would mesh well with the WWE.”

Please credit The Kurt Angle Show, with a H/T for Atletifo for the transcription, if you use any quotes from this article.

Leave a comment

Privacy Policy