WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam on Retirement: 'I Don't Think I Ever Will'

Rob Van Dam doesn't get in the ring much nowadays, but the 52-year-old has no plans on retiring.

The WWE Hall of Famer appeared on the 1 of a Kind podcast and touched on his thoughts regarding retirement.

"I used to think I was gonna retire a few years ago," Van Dam said, per Wrestling Inc. "I didn't put a whole lot of thought into it. I just kind of figured I was semi-retired, and I'll probably just not pick up bookings anymore, eventually, or whatever. But now I don't think I ever will. I mean, why bother? I'll just probably do like Dory Funk Jr. and just not ever not retire."

"As much as I pride myself on being genuine and honest, and I like to set an example by the way I live," Vam Dam added. "I wouldn't wanna retire and then come back two years later and wrestle again like everybody does. But I don't know that I would miss it and that's why I thought that it would be easy to do before. Because people always ask, 'Do you miss it?' I'm like, 'No. I'm still doing it.'

"Maybe if I didn't do it and I knew I wasn't gonna do it again, maybe then I would have a different — for sure, I would have a different perspective, whatever it is, then. But instead, it's the opposite. I have one match coming up for sure. I might have three before then that are on me. Maybe developmental table, let's say. We'll see what happens there. But that's my thoughts on retiring anyway."

Van Dam has competed just twice in the 2023 calendar year, most recently earning a victory over Channing Decker at IWC Superstar Showdown IV in April. He has largely wrestled independent bookings since exiting Impact Wrestling for a second time at the end of 2020.

WWE inducted Van Dam into its Hall of Fame in 2021. He was inducted into the Hardcore Hall of Fame last year.

While it's unlikely he'll be making a return to WWE or dipping his toes in AEW's waters, Van Dam can continue taking occasional independent bookings and signings to make a healthy living well into his 50s—if not later. We've seen the likes of Sting be able to have well-received final runs thanks in large part to taking only occasional work and working in tag teams.

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