Rob Van Dam Explains Why In-Ring Moves Mean More In WWE

Over the course of his nearly 25-year in-ring career, Rob Van Dam has just about seen it all. Working across independent promotions along with stints in ECW, WCW, WWE, TNA, and even AEW in recent years, few are more qualified to speak on the wrestling industry as a whole than "The Whole F'in Show." 

On the latest episode of "1 of a Kind With RVD," Van Dam was asked about "the WWE style" of wrestling and how it changed him as a performer. He acknowledged that it was a change for him and noted the notable differences between WWE and other promotions.

"After going to WWE, everybody changes somewhat," Van Dam said. "It's, in a way, where what you're doing means more. It's a different pace. It's selling, it's reacting, it's actually savoring the moments." 

Harkening upon the notion of individual, high-impact moves meaning something, Van Dam called out a handful that is seemingly thrown away all too often these days, saying that they tend to matter more in WWE. 

"Instead of taking a Canadian Destroyer, standing up, taking a Superkick, standing up, taking a Piledriver, popping back up, taking a DDT and for some reason staying down or getting down, spearing the other guy, and then for some reason, going back to selling."

The contrary, Van Dam explained, is just how it is outside of WWE, which he thinks will not make someone a big star in the promotion. 

"You don't sell. You don't understand the mainstream mentality of reaching everyone and pulling their emotions in," the former WWE Heavyweight Champion said. "Until you learn that, you're not going to be as big of a star."

Looking back on his return to WWE in 2013, after being gone for the majority of the previous six years, Rob Van Dam recalled working against Sami Callihan on an independent show, just before the latter arrived in "NXT" as his Solomon Crowe character. Having been there before, RVD knew that change was in store for Callihan.

"He'd been on a good run," he said of Callihan. "Everyone knew he was going to WWE, and this was gonna be his last match [before that]." 

In preparing for their match, Van Dam recognized that Callihan was in for a whole new world in the next step of his career. "As soon as we started talking about the business, I was like, 'Wow. [We're] on two different planets, dude. When you go to WWE, they're gonna change you so much," he recalled.

While Callihan's run in "NXT," as Crowe, only lasted a little less than two years, he's found plenty of success in the time since, working across the world and most notably, with TNA Wrestling, where he is a former World Champion. 

With that in mind, perhaps the WWE style doesn't suit everyone. According to Van Dam, having seen just about all sides of the industry, that is fine as well. "Everyone has their realm and no selling and [a lot of that stuff is] okay on the indy scene by their standards," he said. "But not in the big time."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "1 of a Kind With RVD" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.