WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam (RVD) isn’t happy with the direction of professional wrestling — and he’s calling out the stars of today for the lack of authenticity and emotional depth in their matches.
Veterans like RVD want pacing and storytelling to keep them invested. Modern wrestlers want fast, high-impact action to get that excitement and spectacle. In a recent interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Rob Van Dam aired some of his grievances with the pacing and choreography of modern wrestling.
“When I’m watching one of the products [likely AEW] I see the guy getting a powerbomb, stand up and powerbomb the other guy, stand up, superkick, don’t fall, superkick the other guy, 3 superkicks, spin around two times, BOOM hurricanrana. You know, they both stand up and both fall . I’m like, how do they expect anybody to be emotionally involved in what they’re doing?”
Is Rob Van Dam indirectly knocking AEW stars Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega?
That’s what wrestlers like Will Ospreay (aka The Aerial Assassin) do. His matches are full of high-flying moves and lightning-quick counters. Kenny Omega is technical with rapid-fire strikes. Ricochet is another AEW star who is all about aerial offense and slick move combinations—the kind of sequences RVD is complaining about.
For RVD it’s not just about style—it’s about believability. Although he is known for his own high-impact, aerial moves but always prioritized making it look real.
“And I feel like maybe I could have been one of the things that bridged that (influenced the wrestlers). But I had to get my moves in. It wasn’t about ‘the script,’ or having anything planned out beforehand (so it doesn’t look fake),” he said.
Rob Van Dam perfectly captures the essence of a topic prevalent in wrestling for years: true athleticism vs. show business. The style he is referring to as fast pacing with occasional promotional intent and constant movement is the new standard in wrestling today especially in AEW. While many fans enjoy the cinematographic stunts, the critics feel it lacks an emotional aspect.