WWE Hall Of Famer Rob Van Dam Explains Why He “Beat The S**t” Out Of Spike Dudley

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam opened up about his intense matches with fellow ECW legend Spike Dudley, highlighting the unique physicality that defined their encounters.

Speaking on his podcast, 1 Of A Kind, Rob Van Dam shared how their in-ring chemistry brought out the best—and most brutal—moments in their matches.

I beat the s**t out of Spike, that’s what you do with him, you know? You’ve got a 100, maybe 165-pound dude in the ring with you, what else are you going to do? But that’s what Spike was good at—his durability and his endurance. He was able to take an a** whooping and keep on going, and that’s kind of what got him over.

Spike Dudley’s reputation as an underdog who could endure seemingly insurmountable punishment resonated deeply with ECW fans. His ability to absorb Van Dam’s high-impact offence while continuing to fight back earned him a devoted following in the hardcore wrestling promotion. Van Dam noted that his famously snug wrestling style was evident in his matches with Dudley, which stood out as especially hard-hitting.

I was pretty snug with everybody, but those matches—I remember those as being pretty solid. I had fun with it, but that was my style.

Despite the unrelenting brutality of their matches, Van Dam emphasised the mutual respect and camaraderie between the two.

I love Spike, still do, and I loved doing that to him—taking it and giving it both.

What Did Rob Van Dam Say He’d Do Differently About His And Sabu’s Arrest?

Rob Van Dam recalled when he and Sabu were arrested in 2006 and what he’d do differently if he could go back to when the police first pulled them over. Van Dam said that he’d have taken an air freshener can and sprayed so much of it that the police wouldn’t have been able to smell marijuana in the car.

H/t to ITRWrestling.com