Rob Van Dam Reminisces Attempting to Persuade McMahon to Bring Jerry Lynn to WWE

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During the summer of 2001, Jerry Lynn, then WWE Light Heavyweight Champion, engaged in several bouts in WWE shows like "Sunday Night Heat" and "Jakked". He had earned the title after overcoming Crash Holly in a thrilling debut.

Although his championship remained largely confined to WWE's undercard shows, Lynn had an opportunity to display his exceptional skills in a broadcasted match against his old ECW adversary, Rob Van Dam (RVD), for the Hardcore Championship.

Reflecting on this specific face-off during a recent episode of "One of a Kind," RVD confessed that he, along with Paul Heyman, tirelessly lobbied Vince McMahon to give Lynn a more substantial presence in WWE's primary programming.

"My memory might be a bit hazy, but I recall discussing Jerry's potential hire with Vince," admitted RVD. He continued, "I'm unsure if he witnessed the magic Jerry and I brought to the ring in our match. Perhaps, he suggested I should aim for loftier aspirations? I can't recall precisely, a majority of my dialogues happened via Paul who attended agents' meetings multiple times daily.

Whenever I caught up with Paul, he always kept me posted. Paul once revealed that Vince didn't particularly care for Jerry or didn't see him as someone special."

Lynn's Short-Lived WWE Stint

RVD emphasized that despite their match lasting less than seven minutes, it was quite impressive and allowed fans to relive their classic ECW encounters.

"Sadly, this didn't secure him a permanent position," RVD expressed his disappointment. Following a knee injury, Lynn was released from WWE in February 2002, without him ever making a substantial impact on WWE's marquee TV shows. Post-WWE, Lynn continued his wrestling career with promotions such as TNA and ROH.