GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Rob Van Dam doesn’t wrestle for WWE anymore, but he still keeps up with the product and when the Battle Creek native tuned in this past week, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Crazy watching them wrestle in empty arenas,” the former WWE champion said.
To be clear, the lack of attendance wasn’t a sign of wrestling’s decline. It was due to the coronavirus crisis.
“You have to keep the wheels spinning, keep moving,” says Van Dam, who spoke to 13 ON YOUR SIDE recently.
Van Dam's attitude has always been wrestling’s motto. Regardless of the situation, be it this, a tragedy or inclement weather, the show must go on, and that’s exactly what will happen at WWE’s biggest show this weekend
“It’s not just a show,” adds Van Dam. He’s right. It’s WrestleMania. WWE’s equivalent of the Superbowl, an event that annually sells out football stadiums.
However, things will be very different this year. There will be no football stadium and no sell out as the event was recently moved from Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium onto a closed set at WWE’s performance center in Orlando.
In addition, instead of WrestleMania being a one night live event, the WWE will tape the show ahead of time, then air half of the program this Saturday and the rest the following day.
“Everyone is making sacrifices right now but I can’t even imagine how they’re going to try and make it super exciting," Van Dam said.
It won’t be easy.
Citing health concerns, several wrestlers have removed themselves from the card and now even the main event has changed. Still, the 49-year-old wants to see WrestleMania happen and he believes the fans do too.
“I think cancelling it would really put a hole in people’s hearts,” he says.
While ultimately, it may not WWE’s best event ever, Van Dam is confident they’ll make it entertaining.
“I’m sure whatever they do it will be a good show,”
And no matter what happens, Mr. RVD will be watching.
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