Rob Van Dam Says He'd Need To Build Credibility With AEW Fans To Face This Top Guy

WWE Hall of Famer and ECW legend Rob Van Dam is still going strong at 52. The 21-time champion in ECW, WWE, and TNA/Impact recently appeared in AEW during the company's shows in RVD's home state, Michigan. "The Whole F'n Show" isn't signed to an AEW deal. However, President and CEO Tony Khan stated that RVD is welcome to return on a case-by-case basis going forward, sparking potential dream match discussions among AEW fans.

On RVD's "1 Of A Kind" podcast, the idea of a match against Kenny Omega surfaced. Receptive to the idea, Van Dam noted how important it would be for him to first build momentum before the two could square off in an AEW ring. "It would take a while of getting the fans used to seeing me kicking ass weekly," he said, indicating that a hot run over several weeks would help dispel any possible negative fan perceptions of a 50-plus-year-old wrestler being considered an "an old man." Though, it could be argued Sting's work in the company may have already done that job. 

RVD's next AEW match isn't currently scheduled. Omega will next team with Chris Jericho as The Golden Jets to take on The Young Bucks at AEW Full Gear this Saturday. Van Dam further stated his case for a possible contest with Omega, referencing a oft-discussed match in the star's career, which featured a similar age gap. "If he can wrestle a seven-year-old, why not a 50-year-old," RVD asked rhetorically, referring to Omega's 2011 match with 9-year-old future Joshi wrestler Haruka Umesaki.