RVD & Sabu: United They Stand
The extreme duo reunited to kick off WrestleMania weekend.
It was after 1 a.m. and the Rahway Rec Center was packed.
Hundreds upon hundreds of fans from all over the world were on their feet, wiping their eyes in disbelief. Were they dreaming? Two of the most beloved luchadors in all of pro wrestling were standing across the ring from a gnarly, scarred up gypsy and the second coming of Jean-Claude Van Damme. Did somebody leave Guerrilla Radio on while drifting to sleep?
Hell no! Impact Wrestling had turned back the clock 20 years, reuniting former ECW Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam and Sabu for one night only.
Despite plenty of room on the bleachers and a smorgasbord of sugary snacks, most of the wrestling media had left and went to bed by this point. It didn’t matter, though, because this extreme dream match was for the fans. Nobody was expecting five stars or 1,500 word think pieces out of this. We just wanted to party like it was 1999.
RVD had already stunned the wrestling world earlier that week when Impact announced that the nearly 30-year veteran had signed a short-term deal. Since last appearing on Impact TV in 2013, Mr. Monday Night has had one foot out the door of the business. Sure, he went back to WWE for a year, but he was often relegated to the pre-show, putting over the freshest crop of NXT graduates. Aside from a few independent shows a year, RVD has been focused on acting, standup comedy and promot…actually, you can see what he’s been up to in his new documentary Headstrong.
“I got totally burnt out from the WWE schedule and I’ve never shaken that off,” RVD said during the Impact Press Pass Podcast. “Most of my peers hate being home. I love being home. Every time I leave, it really has to be worth it. The wrestling business right now is good. All the other groups outside the monopoly have all come up. Business is hot right now and it’s time to bring RVD in.”
Initially, as RVD tells it, Impact Co-Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore reached out to see if he would work the United We Stand event in Rahway, New Jersey. Then, D’Amore asked about a few more dates. The compensation, schedule, work load and other factors all seemed to be in RVD’s favor. “I’m still interested in good business and opportunities – I follow my spirit,” he said. “Everything is lined up in this fashion. Hopefully, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Of course, somebody else played a major role in RVD’s decision to return: Sabu. The suicidal, homicidal, genocidal, death defying madman helped train RVD alongside his uncle The Original Sheik. Through all the peaks and valleys of their respective careers, from collecting titles all over the globe to being arrested for drug possession to inducting Sheik into the WWE Hall of Fame, they’ve always been there for each other. Their bond is so strong that RVD was the obvious choice to write the forward of Sabu’s new autobiography. “There is nobody else in the business that really is a brother like Sabu,” RVD said. “I think of all the years we had each other’s back inside and outside the ring and all over the world. He’ll always be the guy I’ve known the longest and I’m closest with. There’s nobody I’d rather have as my partner.”
On April 4, they had each other’s back once again, as they teamed against the modern-day innovators known as the Lucha Bros. The crowd erupted for RVD’s entrance, chanting “This Is Awesome” before the bell even rang. All four athletes soaked up the admiration; Pentagon taunting RVD with “Ciero Miedo” while the Whole F’n Show responded with his trademark “RVD” gesture. Pentagon then took off his glove and was about to get in RVD’s face again, but Sabu grabbed his hand and the brawl was on.
Over the next eight minutes, both teams performed their greatest hits. Fenix dazzled the crowd with a flurry of teeth-rattling kicks; RVD dusted off some rolling thunder. Sabu retrieved a steel chair; Pentagon ate it. The highlight of the night was RVD and Sabu ascending the top rope across from each other, and hitting double leg drops on the Lucha Bros. through a table. RVD tried to follow that up with a Five-Star Frog Splash, but Pentagon tossed a chair in his face, sending him crashing to the floor. The Lucha Bros. then finished off Sabu with their Fear Factor spike piledriver.
Afterward, half the crowd darted toward the exit and the other half flocked to the entrance, hoping for a selfie with RVD. He accommodated as many as he could, genuinely appreciative of the fans’ respect. Based on his performance, his future in Impact has left a lot to the imagination. How will he hold up against the stars of today? Can RVD hang with Rich Swann or Ace Austin or Brian Cage?
He may be older, slower and still a bit burnt out, but he’s also one of a kind. What the media missed out on is what those sleepy fans already knew before the clock struck midnight.
Whether he’s Mr. Monday Night or Mr. Friday Morning, RVD remains timeless.
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