During a recent episode of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam reflected on an interesting aspect of his time in WWEnot being allowed to use the word wrestler. The rule, put in place by Vince McMahon, was a key part of WWEs push toward sports entertainment over professional wrestling.
Everybody knows that when I was in WWE, Vince had long ago decided that we were sports entertainment, right? We werent allowed to call ourselves wrestlers, Van Dam shared. Everybody in 2001, 2002, through at least most ofif that ever changed, then I dont even know when the f**k it was.
Van Dam explained that superstars had to be cautious with their wording during promos to align with WWEs branding policies. If we did a promo and said, Hey, thats right, one of your favorite wrestlers is coming to your town! They go Cut, cut! One of your favorite superstars. Oh, okay. And that was the rule. And maybe thats changed.
Van Dam acknowledged that WWEs policies are constantly evolving, adapting to the times. The rules and policies always change. And you know, it has to. Theyre always evolving and adapting as the times change.
The former WWE Champion also reflected on how quickly the world changes, comparing todays advancements to the early 2000s. How many times have I said in the last week that the world changes so f**king much and so fast? Like, we were talking about the future and I was saying, even what I doif Im working ten years from now, I could be involved in something thats not even here right now, something we couldnt even dream of.
Taking a trip down memory lane, Van Dam recalled the early days of cell phones, marveling at how much technology has evolved. I go back to 2001 when we picked up our first cell phones. You know, they werent very smart back then and had the f**king cord. And anyway, the flip-up. But we could never have imagined that, Yeah, take a picture and send it to Japan, hell get it instantly, Like, what you couldnt imagine before it happened.
Rob Van Dams insights offer a fascinating look at how WWE shaped its identity during the early 2000s, focusing on sports entertainment and distancing itself from traditional wrestling terminology.
What do you think about WWEs decision to ban the word "wrestler" during Rob Van Dams career? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
