Rob Van Dam on WWE PG Era Discomfort: Adjusting to a Restrained Environment

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam, known for his hardcore style and unapologetic personality, recently shared insights into his experience during WWE’s “PG Era.” Speaking on his podcast, 1 Of A Kind, Van Dam discussed why this era, marked by family-friendly content, wasn’t the best fit for his wrestling style and persona.

Why Rob Van Dam Struggled with WWE’s PG Era

Van Dam, who rose to fame through ECW’s extreme matches and his open advocacy for cannabis, found WWE’s shift to PG content challenging. WWE’s PG Era, initiated in the late 2000s, emphasized cleaner language, limited violence, and a focus on family-oriented programming. For Van Dam, this shift meant adapting to restrictions he wasn’t accustomed to. “I wasn’t super comfortable with that era,” he admitted, adding, “Maybe I felt like I had tighter cuffs on me than I really did.”

The limitations affected both his in-ring style and his creative freedom. Used to a gritty, hardcore approach, Van Dam felt constrained without the use of weapons, crowd-brawling, and other ECW-inspired antics that he was known for. Reflecting on the changes, he remarked, “We’re not diving into the crowd, fighting with chairs and weapons, and swearing, and bleeding.”

Adjusting to the WWE’s Structured Live TV Format

Beyond content limitations, Van Dam also found WWE’s structured live television format challenging. Accustomed to pacing his matches independently, he struggled to fit his style into WWE’s tight schedule and live broadcast demands. The former ECW star noted that fans often wanted to see the raw, unfiltered RVD from his past, but the PG Era’s restrictions kept this side of him in check.

Van Dam’s Legacy and the Evolution of WWE

Despite these challenges, Van Dam continued to perform in WWE during the PG Era, including a return stint from 2013 to 2014. Reflecting on WWE’s modern approach, Van Dam observed that some elements he once missed are now more common, like announcer table breaks, though he questioned if their frequency diminishes their impact.

For fans of Rob Van Dam, his reflections highlight the contrast between WWE’s various eras and how wrestlers adapt—or struggle—to fit within changing boundaries.