13 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: The Original Sheik
5. He Bit RVD’s Nose During Their First Meeting
Unsurprisingly, the laid-back but charismatic Rob Van Dam proved to be one of the more captivating talking heads on this edition of 'Dark Side'. He remembered befriending a young Sabu and being invited to his uncle's house one day. It was made very clear to Rob early on that he was going to "camp", not to hang out. A wide-eyed 19 year old learned firsthand just how fearsome The Sheik could be on day one.
Sheik invited Rob into the ring then immediately shoved him into one of the corners. The old veteran then worked a choke hold on Van Dam (complete with wild facial expressions, screams and tongue sticking out), then Farhat bit this newbie he'd just met on the nose (?!). Rob wasn't too proud to admit to VICE that he "about peed [his] pants" when that happened, because he thought he was in real trouble.
It isn't every day a top level pro wrestler everyone believes is a psychopath anyway bites your nose, y'know? Then, something amazing happened. Sheik treated Van Dam very well after that. He and Sabu would wrestle for hours during the day, then they'd hang out by Farhat's pool learning from a true great. Ed's wife would make them all dinner, and Rob felt more like he was part of their family than a mere pro wrestling trainee.
Let's just say they don't bite noses or choke people in the corner at WWE's best in class Performance Center. That'd be a lawsuit waiting to happen! Basic back bumps and gruelling cardio routines, sure. Nose biting? No. In that sense, RVD had some of the most unique training ever.
Bonus points for his impression of Sheik too. He won't do that HBK one these days, but this was a winner.