One of professional wrestling’s most infamous figures, Jim Cornette, is fond of the saying, “Sometimes you have to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.” Backrow Studios and Joe Clarke likely didn’t know that they’d be doing just that when Clarke jumped onto a tour with Tom Garland and wrestling legend, Rob Van Dam, to document Van Dam’s new life as a standup comedian/semi-retired wrestler. Thanks to a curve ball thrown their way three days into the tour, they ended up with not only a fascinating insight into the personality and mindset of Van Dam but also a focus on one of the most compelling issues in modern sports.
The film starts out by introducing the audience to Rob Van Dam, a veteran of the original ECW and a world champion with both WWE and TNA. Known as “RVD,” “Mr Monday Night,” “Mr Pay Per View,” and “The Whole Fucking Show,” he wowed wrestling fans with his daredevil athleticism and endeared them with his genuine, laidback demeanor. Now pushing 50 years old, Rob is no longer a top star. He has had losses in his personal life. However, he’s still mobile and healthy (a rarity in professional wrestlers with his career length and ring style.) Hell, he’s still got his hair. He’s definitely more “in his second act” than “on the back nine.”
He’s enjoying the new avenue of entertaining people. His former peers in professional wrestling like Colt Cabana, Ryback, and Matt Striker sing his praises. He’s perpetually agreeable when fans come up to him for selfies. He makes friends among the other comedians. He handles being on stage well. And, oh yeah, he’s had double vison for the past week after hitting his head during a wrestling match the night before the tour starts.
From then on out, the documentary follows Van Dam from comedy club to comedy club but the conversations shift towards his long career of “hundreds of concussions” which seems less of an exaggeration with each piece of archive footage. He dives from the ring ropes out onto concrete floors, opponents fling him upside down before driving him into the mats, and steel folding chair after steel folding chair is brought down onto his head. Over and over for nearly 30 years.
Rob is a Gen-X pro wrestler, his career was about new and innovative things but keeping to the old school mentality of taking pride in toughness and grit. It was dangerous combination of repeated high-risk stunts coupled with hiding pain and injury from the fans, the promoters, and even each other. Longtime friend and professional wrestler, Tommy Dreamer, talks about this but stresses the importance of seeking medical attention and following doctor’s orders. Rob’s girlfriend, Women of Wrestling’s Katie Forbes, is profiled as a loving and centering presence but also as going through the stress of the injury with Rob. After what seems like a dozen reassurances that he definitely intends to get himself checked out if the double vision persists, he finally does.
A year after the tour, Rob meets with Christopher Nowinski, a former WWE wrestler and NCAA defensive lineman. Since his brief time as wrestler, Nowinski, a Harvard graduate and a PhD, has helped found Concussion Legacy Foundation and become one of the foremost figures in bringing attention to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) research. Nowinski checks in with his progress and is told that the recovery is still ongoing, possibly due to RVD’s delays in seeking medical attention. Nowinski breaks down the difference between post-concussion syndrome and CTE and what either one could mean for him.
RVD seems content to and intent on continuing to love his life, moment by moment. He can’t stop being The Whole Fuckin’ Show because that’s who and what he is. It might seem insane given what he’s been through. It might seem to be liberated genius based on the results he’s gotten thus far. But, after watching Headstrong, you’ll get a full picture of what he’s gone through, what he’s going through, and where he’s going.
Rob Van Dam: Headstrong is currently available to view on Amazon Prime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H98VsWbhr-8
