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In a surprising turn of events, wrestling icon Rob Van Dam has been officially dropped from WWE's WrestleMania 40 lineup, which is set to take place next year in Philadelphia. Van Dam, who's been making waves in AEW lately, revealed the unexpected news on his podcast, "1 Of A Kind." Though Rob Van Dam has been seen on AEW's "Dynamite," he still viewed himself as a member of the WWE family and had sought permission from the wrestling giant before his AEW appearances.
"I got a phone call and was officially unbooked from Philly," shared RVD, referring to his scheduled WWE WrestleMania 40 appearance. In a twist of fate, just 30 minutes later, RVD was rebooked for an AEW event in the same city.
Describing the sequence of events as "the universe doing what it does," RVD refrained from divulging too much detail. "I had someone inside [WWE] working on damage control," he said. "Then Twitter started rallying for my rebooking, but I didn't want to give it much attention because negotiations were still underway."
RVD's AEW Pivot
Rob Van Dam's relationship with WWE has been "put on ice," as he put it, giving way for his AEW involvement to take the forefront.
"Different dates, same town. One opportunity is becoming increasingly valuable to me over the other," RVD added, hinting at the growing significance of his role in AEW. This development has stirred quite a buzz in the wrestling community, as fans and pundits alike speculate on the future trajectory of Rob Van Dam's career.
While this shift may bring disappointment for WWE fans looking forward to RVD's participation in WrestleMania 40, it simultaneously adds an air of excitement to his future in AEW. The unfolding story reinforces the dynamic landscape of professional wrestling, where allegiances can shift rapidly, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. As for Rob Van Dam, only time will tell which wrestling stage he will ultimately call home.