The rise of celebrity involvement in professional wrestling has been a trend in recent years, with stars like Logan Paul, Pat McAfee, and Jelly Roll making an impact in WWE. However, WWE Hall of Famer and ECW legend Rob Van Dam is not a fan of the movement, stating in a new interview that he believes celebrity wrestlers hurt the “credibility” of the business and that it’s the “opposite of protecting the business.”
On the TMZ Inside The Ring podcast, RVD was asked if his long-held dislike for celebrity wrestlers has changed. He was blunt in his response, stating that while he understands the business is evolving, he still isn’t a fan of the practice.
“I changed my mind to the extent of where I can say, look. I got no control over it. The business is changing in so many ways away from what it used to be, and I know there’s nothing I can do to stop it. So I’m watching it happen. I’m understanding it less and less. Am I enjoying it? No, not really… Celebrities coming in, I’ve always felt like it takes like, one, it really hurts the credibility of what we’re doing. Two, you got to work around them to make it look like they could do something that they really couldn’t do. And three, it’s just bad for the business. That one that I got taught, I was taught, protect the business first. That was the number one rule. And this is the opposite of protecting the business.”
While he is not a fan of the trend in general, RVD did make a notable exception for Logan Paul. He praised Paul’s athletic ability and his impressive in-ring skills, particularly his execution of RVD’s own signature move, the Frog Splash.
“I think his Frog Splash is excellent, fantastic, as I like to say, hey, yeah, you know, he’s obviously very talented, very athletic. He picked it up really quick. Do I feel different about him a little bit? There’s always exceptions. I don’t believe in absolutes anywhere, and he’s definitely an exception.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit TMZ Inside The Ring with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
