Rob Van Dam, an innovator whose influence spans WWE, ECW, TNA, and AEW, may have wrestled his last match. The WWE Hall of Famer is now openly contemplating retirement after a serious injury has kept him sidelined for months.
Speaking with TMZ Inside The Ring, RVD detailed the severity of the calcaneus (heel) fracture he suffered at an independent event in April. The injury has sidelined him for five months, far longer than the initial prognosis. “I feel like I’m between the middle and the end of it. So, you know, it’s been a while, a lot longer than I thought it would take to heal,” Van Dam said.
The timing of the injury was particularly significant, as it derailed plans for a high-profile WWE match. Van Dam confirmed he had been in talks to face John Cena as part of Cena’s retirement tour—a nostalgic showdown that would have echoed their classic WWE Championship clash at ECW One Night Stand 2006.
RVD admitted that while he sees gradual improvement, a return to the ring remains a distant possibility. “I’m at a point now where, I mean, I can see improvement all the time, but I’m nowhere near ready to wrestle,” he explained.
That uncertainty has forced him to consider retirement, though he remains undecided. “Sure, it’s possible. I think anything’s possible. And I’m not ruling anything out personally, as far as whether I want to continue or not… I change my mind like every few days about it.” (h/t TJR Wrestling)