RVD Says He Hasn't Been Utilized to His Fullest in TNA

[It's Damn Real!]

http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/TNA/article10019765.shtml

Rob Van Dam told Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald that he doesn't feel he's been utilized to his maximum potential in TNA. "I can’t say that I have been utilized to the fullest,” Van Dam said. “I’d say very much not, but I don’t want that to come off as a complaint because I really like my deal with TNA. I’m very professional and there for whatever they need me to do. Having said that, I still care about my character and my career, and I’m very easy to get along with.

“Hopefully that rubs off on a professional basis. I’m not one guy to complain that they should be doing this with me or that. I will offer some ideas up, and at the same time, give my opinion to the writer and stuff like that. It doesn’t do any good to throw out that negativity out there. Everyone has a job do. I feel like if I were to complain about, say the writing for instance in a public forum, I don’t see that as any different as ‘stooging off’ in any other place of employment."

Of late I'd probably agree, though I'm not the world's biggest RVD fan to begin with, but his initial year with the company was as big a push as I've seen in some time, IMO, marked with the confetti-rained celebration of beating AJ Styles clean to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Thoughts on this?

 

[GrandSword]

Yeah, even thogh Rob has lost a step, he is still apart from Sting and Angle possibly their biggest name since TNA doesn't pUsh their originals. Especialy since Rob is a perfect fit for the TNA company. But in fairness no one in TNA really gets a push besides Sting. Even Kurt frickin' Angle seems to be floating around lately. In any case, when I first saw the BFG series I truly thought this was built for Rob. He was going to come in and get some wins rebuild him up to the title and he would headline BFG.

I still think that way as Crimson isn't ready for the main event and the four way match at the end of the BFGS Rob will probably pin someone like Morgan so Crimson remains "undefeated".

Rob feuding with Steiner though would be a win right now, two top guys in the industry would be great for the fans.

 

[Brian in Austin]

RVD just doesn't impress me as a character. Sure, he's very athletic and talented, but he just doesn't have that 'it' factor that puts him (IMHO) that upper echelon of stars in TNA. Not sure what it is they could really do with him right now, given the angle they are running with Sting, Angle, and also Immortal. So the world title, for now, is off the table. It also seems like Roode is going to be their next big push, so again, he's odd man out of that title opportunity. TV title is out given how poorly they've written for that belt and the goofiness surrounding it. Sad that title isn't given more respect as I remember years ago how important "TV Champs" were to the program. Anyway, I just don't see where he fits into the main event right now and especially if Anderson makes another run at it along with Roode.

 

[rondiesel2005]

there is a lot of guys in TNA that needs to be push, when RVD came in he already got the TNA world champion in a month or two so I don't understand why he says he feels like he hasn't been Hasn't been utilized to his fullest in TNA. he has to remember that he in the small league and its going to take time, plus since they are trying to sign new faces, they might want to get rid of those that they aren't using or don't know what to do with. Some times wrestlers change their gimmick a little bit if they want to do better, I suggest RVD do the same if he wants to stay on top, but he is one of those lay back characters in TNA.

It sounds like he wants more, what more can he ask for, he might as well change his gimmick a little bit if he wants to be utilized properly and plus he needs to understand, the company he is in they don't know what to do for their storylines, there no long term plan for them and he should know that.

speaking of not been utilized, what happen to Christopher Daniels?? is it just me or he right back to the same spot when he left the company before because he felt they were doing anything with him. They got him headline for the X Division main event against AJ styles, but what happen to him now?

 

[UnBEARaBULLfan]

I like RVD but IMO he really doesn't put forth to much effort in the ring and his matches are just so so, and it looks to me like he messes up alot. That might be why they are not utilizing him to his fullest. His best match this year was with Jerry Lynn and before that nothing comes to mind, could be cause of my short memory but I don't recall anything special from him recently. Could be because of his to laid back attitude and they figure he realy doesn't give a shit so why push him . My opnion is he should put forth more effort and then maybe they will give him a push.

 

[natiboy]

i don't really watch tna, but i feel like every known superstar they bring in esp from WWE they push right away to the title scene and win the championship. Which doesn't sound exciting when you know what's to come. Maybe RVD will get a phone call from Triple H?

 

[MrHashasheen]

Meh. I never liked RVD myself from what I've watched of ECW and the WWE, though I admit his athleticism and style was pretty impressive for its time. But now? He's clearly lazy and unmotivated, and I hold the position that he did practically nothing to deserve either a world title run (practically no one in 2010 who got one deserved one, except for AJ) or getting kept at the top of card.

Just like the case of Samoa Joe, you can't build a guy if they're clearly unmotivated and secure in their spot.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

i don't really watch tna, but i feel like every known superstar they bring in esp from WWE they push right away to the title scene and win the championship. Which doesn't sound exciting when you know what's to come. Maybe RVD will get a phone call from Triple H?

Then what are you even commenting on this topic for?

Want a list of ex-WWE names who came to TNA and never got pushed to the WHC? Bobby Lashley, Trevor Murdoch, Goldust, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Syxx, Brian Kendrick, Matt Hardy, Ric Flair, Orlando Jordan, The Nasty Boyz, Sean Morley, etc.

Now, can we please bury this rhetorical bullshit and get this discussion back on the topic of RVD and his apparently misuse in TNA? Thank you.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

i don't really watch tna, but i feel like every known superstar they bring in esp from WWE they push right away to the title scene and win the championship. Which doesn't sound exciting when you know what's to come. Maybe RVD will get a phone call from Triple H?

Yeah, TNA is so stupid when they do that. Why not sign someone known and then stick them in the mid-card for a year. That is sure to garner more attention, right?

I hope RVD gets a call from Triple H. I like him as a performer, but the thing with RVD is that he got to shine in the WWF/E and ECW because he was unique. Now he's in TNA and I can name 10 guys who can do the high-flying style as good or better than him. RVD's a cool cat, I just doubt if he has anything to offer to the business in general, let alone Impact Wrestling.

Aside from my pure respect for the guy and him pioneering what he does right now, I can't say I'm a fan of his attitude. He acts like he's bigger than TNA, and while that is completely true it doesn't mean that you can or should throw it and its roster under the bus with such bold statements as "Nobody does the RVD moves because nobody can" and "I don't feel like I've been utlized as well as I thought".

One, nobody does your moves out of respect and the fact that there's some weird code not to use someone else's moves or he'll cry you a river, not because they can't. It's a freaking splash, Rob. Get over yourself.

Two, you were in the Main Event basically since you debuted in March. AJ Styles lost his belt to you, which you held for some time before dropping it without losing it officially which made you an automatic contender once you came back. Then you were in the Main Event for months before finally having that title shot and vanishing from the Main Event scene. But that's not it. You're currently winning a good, solid portion of your matches. Cleanly. If that's not being utilized well I don't know what is.

Like I said, I love RVD, but I don't fancy his attitude.

 

[three count bout]

Its hard to gage this statement because RVD doesn't actually explain how he feels he should be used by IW. Its just a blanket statement that may have some truth behind it. RVD has been a champion and a recognizable figure in Wrestling for some time now so if feels he should be chasing the title I would understand-But I'm sure Rob is smart enough to realize he can't always be in the hunt. Which is why its important that IW can find other things of interests (storylines, feuds, etc) in his time when he's not actively fighting for the strap. RVD (when not phoning it in) can be exciting and hard hitting in the ring. I believe whats actually currently being wasted is RVD should be getting some young guys over. IW should have some young stars that can look believable beating a former world champ, which will give them a nice rub.

 

[ratedrdestiny]

I am so sick and tired of RVD complaining! Honestly, this guy is in his early 40s. He should be happy to still be working. He's been a champion everywhere he's wrestled.What more does this guy want. I am a fan of his ability, but come on man be happy to still be working. I personally am tired of his cool, whatever personality anyway. Stop complaining and just do what your asked damn!

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I can see both sides of the coin here. I've never considered myself to be an especially big fan of RVD. While I do think he does have a lot of in-ring talent, the IWC has exaggerated this guy's overall abilities quite a bit. Has he been utilized to the fullest of his ability? Well, let's look at what he does and doesn't bring to the table.

Pros
1. RVD is hugely over with TNA's core audience. A lot of people that watch TNA are either indy fans, fans of the original ECW or both and Rob Van Dam is about as close to godlike as it can get in their eyes.

2. RVD is good inside the ring. RVD is someone with a lot of athleticism and is probably considered to be one of the most innovative wrestlers in North America during the 90s. Most of the time, his matches are at the very least solid.

3. RVD is still a big, recognizable name. RVD still has name brand value. If nothing else, the fact that RVD is overall still thought of as one of the biggest stars in wrestling isn't necessarily a bad thing. When a pro wrestler has little else to offer, there's always the name.

Cons
1. RVD has zero promo ability. The guy is an absolute dud on the stick. I'm sorry, but there's no debating it, he's awful on the microphone. For a long time now, cutting promos has been a huge part of getting over with fans, connecting with them and generally making them invested in you emotionally. RVD simply cannot do that in spite of all the times TNA's given him to talk since coming there.

2. RVD is the latest example of a flawed philosophy in TNA. As I said, RVD still has his name and that's always something, but TNA is well known for bringing in guys that are well known in the hopes that the fans will flock to TNA television and shows. While RVD is a big star, he's not THAT big of a star that can just pull in fans in droves. It's not really his fault that this is one of TNA's most time honored strategies, but it resulted in a huge push for him that he had no complaints about at the time.

3. RVD's time in TNA has been underwhelming overall. I think this is something that both TNA and RVD can be blamed for. TNA basically shoved AJ Styles aside for RVD. They put the title on him, pushed him to the moon and hoped that he'd just draw viewers like shit draws flies. A lot of people were expecting these epic matches with RVD as well. However, that simply did not happen in either case. RVD didn't draw and most of his matches in TNA have simply not been very much to write home about, a few have been downright awful. His first run and so far only run as TNA WHC was marred by mediocrity partially due to TNA booking. The TNA Ranking System reduced his run to basically little more than 1 match feuds before he was supposed to move onto a new #1 contender on a monthly basis. Even then, the matches generally weren't all that great.

So has TNA really tried with RVD? Yeah, I think so. However, RVD simply was unable to do what TNA hoped he could do and, to some degree, they moved on. Whenever a wrestler doesn't pull in the numbers, after a while, TNA moves on. Jeff Hardy pulled in numbers for the short term but that didn't last, plus his problems caught up with him. So, they went to Anderson but he had zero luck and the result was 2 mediocre runs.

 

[Mustang Sally]

.... but his initial year with the company was as big a push as I've seen in some time, IMO, marked with the confetti-rained celebration of beating AJ Styles clean to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

I'm putting this in the form of a question because I'm not sure of the answer, but isn't RVD's contract based on a limit to the number of appearances he makes......and if he's used more than the allotted amount, TNA has to pay him a much larger amount of money; almost a "penalty" stipend? Further, didn't they reach the limit very early that first year and have to pay him the larger amount to continue their storylines?

If this is true, it might explain why they've lessened his push since then, reasoning that he cost too much to feature as much as they would like.

Is this the case?

 

[FozzyRocks05]

Of course your not because your past your prime, I don't know if you layed off the gahnja for more than three seconds to realize but ECW is dead. There was an article a few days ago saying TNA talent wasn't looking to RVD for advice. That's because your advice is stupid. It would all end the same by going "So like dude after the chair shot I just toke up until it stops hurting and do some thinking man"...dude"....Guys who want to learn something in TNA are gonna look to people who actually contributed something to the industry like Sting, Flair and as much as it hurts to say Hogan...etc (oh yea Angle as well)....RVD your being used as much as you deserve to be used potential or not

 

[Tripleb2k1]

they cant even use RVD all the time contractually....even by TNA's standards, he has a part time contract. if I was running a company I wouldnt feel compelled to push someone who I gotta keep track of how many dates I made him work or I am contractually required to write him off the show...thats why the Abyss attack with the board full of nails

 

[George Steele's Barber]

This is a pretty big non-story to me. I wouldn't expect a guy who is clearly as laid back as they come to say much anything else. You can read in to it many different ways:

- no one can truly be used to their fullest potential
- he does not appreciate the product and is scapegoating
- he is being used properly but can't admit it to himself
- he is a hypocrit for complaining than saying he doesn't want to be a complainer
- he thinks TNAs writing is horrible but he doesn't want to boldly say it
- he is so stoned off his ass that he doesn't know what the hell he is saying half the time

In my opinion this is a pretty harmless comment and big non-story.

 

[silrock316]

RVD would make my list of the top 5 most over rated wrestlers of all time. And I dont mean just his wrestling ability. I mean the whole package. Now I am a Philly boy and I have seen RVD at his best.

This man after all the years in the business is still WELL BELOW average on the stick. His character is so burnt(no pun) its not even funny. He has basically had the same gimmick for nearly 20 years. Its done, over with, LET IT GO.

His moveset has dwindled in recent years. WOOO BIG DEAL he can roll over 3 times and drop his back on the guy. Basically every good high flyer is good with his feet anymore so his kicks are not even impressive anymore.

HOWEVER, with the way Impact Wrestling utilizes older talent like Sting and Hogan, to under utilize RVD who can move around much better than those two, is kinda stupid.

I just don't think he should complain because he isn't going to be that much of a difference maker for ratings. Simply put.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

RVD is:

1. Past his prime.
2. Nowhere near the best wrestler in TNA.
3. Nowhere near the best mic worker in TNA.
4. Nowhere near the biggest draw in TNA.
5. Hardly popular with his co-workers.
6. A loud-mouthed, ungrateful, ego-driven pothead who is seemingly incapable of conducting an interview without burying his company or his coworkers to some extent.
7. A "Rockstar"

Has RVD been utilized to his fullest in TNA? Undoubtedly. He's had an underwhelming title reign, which is the most that can be expected of him. He's somehow in the top four of the BFG series. He will probably end up headlining BFG in spite of everything. I really don't see what he's complaining about. He's already received far more of a push than he deserves. I guess RVD won't be happy until all of his opponents are forced to come to the ring and state "I'm about to get my ass kicked" before RVD marches out and squashes them (see: CW Anderson in ECW). Whereas his fellow veterans like Kurt Angle routinely give their all to build the company, RVD is only in TNA for RVD. He simply doesn't deserve any more than he's been given.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

Here is one thing TNA can do for RVD, give him the TV Title and let him run with it for as long as they can like he did in ECW. Get it off that goof Eric Young who is making it a mockery.

 

[Dubbs312]

RVD WWWAAAASSSSS everything he think he IS back in the 90s. I have a huge amount of respect for RVD. Anyone that has seen ANY of Jerry Lynn and RVD matches knows what type of skill set the man has. That is the thing though, any conversation you hear about RVD matches it is always Jerry Lynn and RVD. I have seen RVD wrestle house matches against Kurt Angle and they were AMAZING. Why they didn't really push that fued in wwe is beyond me, but thats the problem with RVD. When you think of how great he was you think of the fans singing his music, Fonzie with that damn whistle, and moves that no normal man should be able to do. Now days I can call a RVD match with out looking at the tv. RVD is well past his prime and he should take the X division guys and try and teach them any, and all that he can. When you got guys that as athletic as you are but 20 years younger sorry if the company isn't putting you over more. Maybe if he decided to wear yellow and red and started tearing off his shirt more people in the back would push him. Till then, RVD shut up and show me another amazing match on tv that doesn't involve Jerry Lynn.

 

[X]

For once I'm going to have to side with TNA here. How have you not been used to your full potential Rob? You got an instant mega-push upon joining the company and became World champion within a matter of weeks, holding the belt for several months in what was probably one of the more memorable TNA title reigns in quite some time. Even when you dropped the title, you still worked an almost main event program with Abyss and has some fun hardcore matches with him. Since then, sure, I could see him arguing that he hasn't been used right, but what the hell else can they really do with him? He's already wrestled just about all of the main guys on the roster already and it was the right move to take the world title in a different direction after Rob dropped it. I love RVD, but man, I don't think he has much ground to stand on here. He's still one of the main focuses of the company, and he worked a great little match with his old friend Jerry Lynn a few weeks back, what more could you ask for?

TNA does a lot of things wrong, but they've done nothing wrong with their handling of RVD so far. I think Rob just needs to quiet down and be patient since he already got his big push and title reign, something he was likely not ever going to get a shot at again in the WWE.

 

[Dubbs312]

I really don't think his title reign was all that memorable honestly. I think it was TNA trying to force RVD down our throats. Be it we all know who he was but he just spent a lot of time in WWE where he was watered down. I think that fans need time to remember who exactly RVD is again. They did the same with Rhino or Rhyno how ever you want to spell it. In ECW the man was a beast, in WWE he was a dancing fool with Rikishi. Come to TNA and now hes the "war machine"... really I mean REALLY?! When TNA picks up these guys they need to sit them down and say hey listen you WERE this but THIS is whats in the fans minds. So here is what we are going to do, were going to build your fan base up again. It might take a couple months but they did it with Joe and now fans always chant "Joe's gonna kill you" so obviously it works.

 

[JJYanks121]

In a sense, he's right. RVD is not being used properly in TNA. However, the way he's being used is BETTER than he perceives it to be.

You see, RVD in my opinion should be used similar to how someone like Kane is used in the WWE. Wins and gets mini pushes every now and again to keep him relevant and to remind people that he's still kind of awesome, but mostly used to put on good matches and put over up and coming talent. While I've never been a big fan of RVD, I can certainly see the value in having a guy provide that role for you.

He's never going to draw huge for you, but he certainly is a credible name to get a win over, so that's where he belongs. He's been a champion of the company he's in so you can say that anyone that beats him has "beaten a former champion". The problem now is that he's a babyface and likely always will be. This is problematic because literally all the good up and comers are babyfaces as well. You can't run a program with RVD in a babyface/babyface sense. It won't work that well. Thus, there need to be some guys on the heel side of things for him to work with. At this point, the only guy that really would benefit from a feud with RVD is Gunner and MAYBE Mr. Anderson (if nothing else, Anderson's ever worsening mic skills can't be any worse that RVD's, could they?)

So that's how I think you maximize RVD. As of now, he's been oversaturated and treated as better than he is in my opinion. He got the world title and was treated as awesome for a year and then after struggling to get a title shot, he gets an unmemorable one and goes into this tournament. About the only complaint I'd have if I were RVD is that he should have been THE guy to take out Jeff Hardy since he was the friend that was betrayed. It never should have been Anderson. Other than that, he'd gotten treated better than fine by this company. Now have him transition into that veteran role and put over some young talent. Then you will truly maximize RVD.

 

[Dizzy]

of coruse he isnt being used in TNA.... he's in TNA: the place washed up druggies go to see their careers tank

Really? Like R-Truth, Christian? WWE should thank TNA for making it possible for their careers to be better than they were in WWF. Mr. Anderson (Who has MORE championships than he did in WWE)

Go back to the WWE section, you troll. Nobody likes a moron.

 

[ABMorales787]

Are you joking me? The dude is really starting become an arrogant jerk. I get that me may be snubbed a bit, but given the nature of his contract, he should be kissing Dixie Carter's feet for last year. One of the longest TNA reigns ever getting clean wins over half the roster despite deteriorating match quality. Does he really think he'd get that in WWE? Hell, I don't think he'd even deserve it there. As great as I've felt he is, I've also believed he's a firm fit of the upper-midcard scene. Where he happens to be. His horrid mic skills just are not gonna help him to stick in the main event.