What’s the story?
Rob Van Dam recently teased on his Twitter account that he could soon be making a return to WWE, likely rejoining the company in time for their tour of Australia this Summer.
The background
RVD’s most recent WWE run came a few years ago when he wrestled intermittently between 2013 and 2014. Returning at the 2013 Money In The Bank pay-per-view, RVD was welcomed back to the company by the fans but his run with the company was fairly bland and the general consensus was that he was underutilised upon his return.
His most significant angle during this 13-month stint was when he aligned himself with Ricardo Rodriguez and began a World Heavyweight Championship feud with the champion at the time, Alberto Del Rio.
After the Del Rio feud, RVD took a brief hiatus and didn’t return to the company until April 2014. It was at this point that RVD began to fade into the background of WWE and he himself even stated in an interview with WNS podcast that “In 2014, it was like they had nothing for me”.
RVD reportedly turned down an opportunity to return to WWE in December 2015, where the plan was for him to team with the Dudley Boyz in a feud against the Wyatt Family.
The heart of the matter
However, it now seems that RVD is more open to the idea of a return to WWE and may have something lined up in the near future.
When asked by a fan on Twitter if he will be part of Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore’s tour of Australia this June RVD said, “Nope but it looks like I’ll be coming August”. August just so happens to be when WWE will be touring Australia, which led to the speculation on RVD’s imminent return to the company.
When questioned on this subject, he neither confirmed, nor denied the rumours, but his answer did suggest that there is some substance to these rumours.
What’s next?
Although nothing has been confirmed by either party, it certainly seems that another WWE run for RVD is on the cards and could come this Summer or perhaps even sooner. Raw and Smackdown Live are both desperately in need of something mid-card depth on the rosters and someone with RVD’s experience and popularity would fit the bill perfectly.
It’s unlikely that Van Dam will be back in time for WrestleMania, but post-Mania shows often see new faces debut and old faces return in order to freshen the product, could RVD be one of these faces?
Author’s take
Personally, I think an RVD return would work out great for both parties if he is used correctly. At 46 years-old, Van Dam’s in-ring wrestling career is inevitably winding down and another run with WWE could be his last chance of a big payday.
RVD would also be of great benefit to the WWE.
Whether he joins the Raw roster and works with the likes of Kevin Owens, Braun Strowman and Sami Zayn or heads over to Smackdown Live to feud with Superstars such as Baron Corbin and AJ Styles, he would be a reliable and extremely popular member of the roster who could put on great matches with established stars or work with up and coming talent to help nurture them and give them some exposure.
Although his 2014 stint with the company wasn’t the most memorable, the recent brand split would likely lead to more opportunities for RVD and a more meaningful run for both him and fans of WWE.
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