“I want my money back”

Everyone has their own preferred form of pro wrestling. AEW doesn't have the ongoing storylines that WWE produces every week, but it does have a lot more pure pro wrestling. This has been a burden and a blessing for Tony Khan's company over the last 5 years. RVD, despite making a few appearances for AEW, doesn't seem to be excited about everything they do.

The August 10, 2024 edition of AEW Collision featured a World Title Eliminator match between World Champion Swerve Strickland and Tomohiro Ishii. This encounter gained attention when a video clip of the match went viral, showing Ishii taking punches from Swerve without flinching, a move that was considered “no sale” in wrestling.

The viral clip sparked reactions from fans and wrestling personalities, and fans weren't silent either. One fan cut a part of the fight and called it “Dog shit.” This caught the attention of WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam. Van Dam, who is known for his outspoken views, commented on the clip, saying: “I want my money back” and underlines the unconventional nature of the moment.

While some viewers criticized the sequence, others offered a different perspective. Twitter user @StevieTenenbaum defended the match, noting that fans tended to focus on short snippets rather than the entire event. “It's so easy to pick out a 10-second clip and say, 'This match is bad' for engagement,” they have written. “You all really spoil a hobby that should be fun.”

There was some speculation that RVD's appearances for AEW may have robbed him of his WrestleMania moment in Philadelphia. Of course, Rob Van Dam is still the Whole F'n Show and he's also a free agent, so his opinions are his own.

This debate about pro wrestling isn't going away anytime soon. If anything, it will likely give AEW supporters even more fuel to keep their fanbase burning. RVD has voiced his opinion on the situation. Only time will tell if and when he will make his next AEW cameo following this comment.