Rob Van Dam Assesses WWE's Growth, Approach To Recruitment

WWE recently announced their initiative to cultivate indie wrestlers and eventually take them up into the promotion with WWE ID, which will certify existing wrestling schools to grow stars that will someday immediately jump into the WWE machine.

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam recently commented on the news and the promotion's efforts to invest in its future and the independent scene as well.

"If WWE continues to do this and partners with and therefore legitimizes certain organizations, it could be like the old territory days," Van Dam said during an episode of his "1 Of A Kind" podcast. 

He was referencing how the wrestling industry was created out of several small promotions under banners of organizations before WWE became a juggernaut promotion under Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan. However, the veteran pointed out that a return to the old territory days could lead to the "illegitimate" promotions becoming "outlaw promotions." Van Dam, though, finds the prospect of a full-circle journey in wrestling intriguing.

"It looks pretty cool, WWE is on the grow, and you gotta have places to put that growing energy and man, they're just a machine for it," he added. 

The veteran star jokingly added that WWE might just announce plans for a WWE-themed amusement park next year, and with how the product has been growing in the mainstream, this joke isn't too far-fetched.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "1 Of A Kind" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.