Rob Van Dam has long been open about his love for marijuana, even facing legal trouble in 2006 for possession, which led to a month-long suspension from WWE. On his 1 Of A Kind podcast, RVD revealed how smoking weed helped him form a relationship with 3-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.
“I enjoy hanging out with [Bret Hart]. He’s not just telling one joke after another, but when he’s telling stories, he’s entertaining. He’s always been super cool. That was what I bonded with him over, actually, when I learned that he likes to smoke.
We had a mutual friend who is a wrestling promoter in San Jose named Kirk White. Kirk became Bret’s agent and was booking him at conventions. I would see both of them, and when we had a chance, I would smoke.”
RVD continued to describe a specific moment during their time together on the road.
“I did an RVD TV episode with Bret in a hotel room on the road somewhere, and I think we smoked. We definitely smoked. I think we did it on camera. Maybe not. Maybe it was before I smoked on camera because I thought it was ‘too dirty.’ Lou Dog, a friend of ours, he would come with the loudest buds. You could smell his buds in the whole building. He’s an excellent grower.”
The former WWE Champion said that the shared experience immediately established trust and respect between the two stars.
“That was how I bonded with Bret, at first. It was a mutual trust and respect right away. Bret is definitely a good guy and a good friend. I definitely have Bret’s back. He’s being more honest than bitter.”
Why WWE Is Keeping Bret Hart Under Legends Contract Despite Negative Comments About Triple H & Shawn Michaels
According to WrestleVotes, there is a clear business rationale behind WWE maintaining its relationship with Bret Hart despite his publicly critical remarks aimed at company leadership.
The discussion on WrestleVotes Live was prompted by a fan question, asking, “with the recent remarks from Bret Hart regarding Triple H and Shawn Michaels, right or wrong, are you surprised Bret continues to have a legends deal with WWE?” and whether his merchandise sales overshadowed his comments.
Joey Votes shared that the response he received from backstage sources indicated a focus on control, reporting: “the kind of general idea I got back was it’s easier to control somebody in-house than out-house.”
He elaborated on the company’s calculation, stating, “why then let somebody go like Bret Hart hypothetically where now he can do his own thing and he can sell his own merchandise and, you know, appear standing next to Ricky Steamboat, say, on AEW if you wanted to, or rather just keep him under contract.” Essentially, the contract restricts his outside opportunities, keeping a potentially problematic voice from aiding the competition.
Furthermore, the company can “still make money off them by doing action figures and t-shirts and all that type of stuff.”
TC offered further analysis, referencing what he called “The Hitman Effect”. He argued that separating from the legend would backfire: “If you got rid of Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart from all the Legends merchandise, the video games, the entrance or the signature at the beginning of the show, it’s only going to make people want to listen to Bret Hart more.”
For the company, ignoring the comments is the best strategy: “I think that’s the right way to play it for WWE here.” He insisted, “I wouldn’t put more emphasis on it by disassociating myself with Bret Hart.” As for Hart’s actual on-screen future, Joey Votes added, “Don’t think you’ll see him anytime soon on TV.”
