Why Rob Van Dam Walked Away From WWE In 2007

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam has opened up about the real reason behind his decision to leave WWE in 2007, revealing that a loss of passion for wrestling and a focus on his personal well-being ultimately led to his departure.

Speaking on his 1 Of A Kind With RVD podcast, Rob Van Dam reflected on how his 30-day suspension and the forfeiture of both the WWE and ECW Championships, following his arrest alongside Sabu for marijuana possession, played a major role in his decision. He also felt that WWE’s version of ECW was declining, which further drained his motivation.

“I got suspended for 30 days, and then both championship belts were forfeited. Then I felt like ECW was in the toilet, swirling down the drain, and they wanted to flush it, so my passion was gone.”

Despite WWE executives attempting to convince him to stay by offering time off with a potential return, Van Dam rejected the idea, believing that having a set return date would prevent him from fully disconnecting.

“I said, ‘I’m finishing my contract, and then I need a break, I’m not going to re-sign.’ We talked many times about what it would take for me to re-sign, and I chose spirit first. They offered, ‘How about you sign for six months, or a year, and then come back?’ And I was like, ‘I can’t do it, I need to know what it felt like to be free in order to grow.’”

Even after leaving, Van Dam admitted he never truly felt ready to return full-time.

“I needed my spirit to be healthy again… but it never f**king happened.”

Since then, Rob Van Dam has continued to wrestle on his own terms, making a brief WWE return in 2013 and wrestling sporadically, most recently competing on AEW Dynamite on 20 April 2024.

What Were The Differences In Working For WWE Vs. TNA According To Rob Van Dam?

Rob Van Dam spoke about the key differences in working for both WWE and TNA, and said that the main difference was in TNA, he had a much lighter schedule compared to his time in WWE. Van Dam said that whilst working for WWE he would wrestle roughly 20 to 25 times per month, but when working for TNA he would work the same amount of matches as one month in WWE in a whole year, meaning much less physical demands on his body.

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