10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Feb 22)

9. Chris Benoit Told RVD He Was "Stupid" For Leaving WCW

RVD Sabu
WWE

Rob Van Dam became one of ECW's top stars in the mid-to-late-90s, and that success led him to further glory in WWE after Paul Heyman's group bit the dust. It was a bit of a risk for Van Dam to even join the Philadelphia promotion; he had a decent chance of making a splash in WCW as 'Robbie V', but Rob himself didn't want to wait.

According to Chris Benoit, that meant he was stupid.

On the WINCLY podcast, RVD told how Benoit couldn't comprehend why he'd want to leave television exposure and stability (albeit as a lower-card wrestler) behind in favour of ECW's unpredictability. That's pretty rich considering Benoit had already worked for the company between 1994-1995.

Van Dam ignored Benoit's advice, did some work in Japan and then settled down in ECW from around 1996 onwards. We'd say it worked out for him and didn't end up being a silly move.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.