ECW Legend and Hardcore Wrestling Veteran Rob Van Dam joined the “That 90s Wrestling Podcast” where he revealed how he pitched the idea of an ECW show to Vince McMahon which was later turned into ECW One Night Stand.
RVD mentioned how the fans still use to chant ECW in WWE shows whenver any former ECW wrestler use to be in the ring. And those chants were more audible in the places like Philedelphia.
Rob Van Dam then revealed how he just went to Vince McMahon one day and asked him to have a show featuring just former ECW talent from WWE, later termed as the ECW Originals, and let them work like in ECW for just one night. To RVD’s surprise, Vince McMahon lapped up the idea.
Vince McMahon surely worked on the idea and thus ECW One Night Stand was born. Unfortunately, RVD got injured before the event and could not wrestle. However, he did a shoot-style promo criticizing WWE’s booking for him. The same promo in turn helped in his stocks within WWE.
After his return from injury, RVD went on to win the Money in the Bank Ladder match at WrestleMania 22 which he then cashed in for a WWE title shot at ECW One Night Stand 2006 against John Cena.
RVD believes that by sticking to his style of wrestling, his ideas and keeping ECW relevant, he created that spot for himself that WWE booked him for WWE Championship win at One Night Stand 2006.
Rob Van Dam went on to defeat John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006 and win the WWE Championship. John Cena got a hostile reception from the crowd at Hammerstein Ballroom.