During the recent Cope Vs. Jon Moxley rematch, the AEW World Champion was slammed onto Spike, Cope’s signature spiked board. The spot, which saw the spikes stuck in Moxley’s back, has sparked a debate about whether AEW went too far or if all’s fair in the name of wrestling action.
On social media, Rob Van Dam shared his opposition to the spot, which some have found questionable given his ECW ties. When a fan said it was “laughable” for RVD to be opposed to the violent AEW moment, Van Dam gave a lengthy response. The WWE Hall of Famer pointed out that he didn’t compete in Barbed Wire matches in ECW, nor did he ever blade. He added that fans are “stupid” if they believe he’s being hypocritcal about the AEW spot.
Taz, another veteran of ECW, also defended the promotion from the attitude that it was merely about violence. The former ECW World Champion argued that being ‘hardcore’ was a mindset in ECW and not just about being as violent as possible.
Outside of its violent in-ring action, ECW helped produce exciting cruiserweights and luchadors, and was able to tell compelling storylines without the need for blading. Several talents involved would enjoy succesful careers both in and outside ECW’s violent homestead including RVD, The Dudley Boyz, and more.
ECW may be a thing of the past, but the memories and attitudes of the promotion continue to live on today. While some may feel AEW imitated ECW with this particular spot, there was far more to the promotion than blood and guts as far as RVD and Taz are concerned.
