Vince McMahon thought ex-champion was already in WWE Hall of Fame before induction

Vince McMahon is known for having control over virtually everything in WWE, even the Hall of Fame, so you’d expect him to know which WWE legends have been inducted.

Not according to one former WWE star, who has revealed the reason why it took so long for him to take his place in WWE’s Hall of Fame – it was simply because Vince McMahon already thought he’d been inducted. 

Talking on Busted Open Radio former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam, who was an inductee to the 2021 Hall of Fame class, revealed that he was told by Michael Hayes that Vince assumed he was already a paid-up Hall o of Fame member. 

It was cool. You know, whenever that 203 area code shows up on my cell phone, I’m like, ‘Okay, let me see. Let me try and identify my feelings about it.’ It was Johnny Ace. He said, ‘Hey, Vince wanted me to call you in and see if you’re interested in being inducted in the Hall of Fame this year.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, it would be an honour. Absolutely.

I learned that, I think it was Michael Hayes that told me that they were sitting around the table like they do when it came up. I guess Vince said something to the effect of ‘Too bad RVD is already in the Hall of Fame, or he’d be a good candidate for this year’, and someone said, I think it was Michael Hayes, said, ‘Vince, RVD is not in the Hall of Fame.’ He thought I was and was like, ‘What?’ So, pretty cool how that went down and I’m glad, obviously, to be part of it.”

ECW legend Van Dam joined WWE during the infamous invasion angle of 2001, and would go on to win tag team, European and Intercontinental gold. As well his famous win over John Cena at One Night Stand in 2006 that saw him become WWE Champion. 

He was inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame in 2021 alongside Molly Holly, Eric