Rob Van Dam has reflected on one of the most bizarre off-ring moments of his career, revealing that a confrontation with a fan during an ECW event in 1999 ultimately led to a lawsuit and legal proceedings.
During the One of a Kind podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer recalled how a fan crossed the line during a live show in Allentown, Pennsylvania, forcing him into a situation that extended far beyond the wrestling ring.
A Fan Threw Water During The Match
The incident took place while Van Dam was portraying a heel against Bobby Duncum Jr. During the match, he was outside the ring with a microphone when a fan sitting in the front row dumped water on him.
Van Dam said he initially believed the bottle itself had struck him in the head, prompting an immediate reaction.
I turned around and grabbed this f*cker by the shirt. I wanted really bad to heel on him, but he was frozen stiff.
Rather than escalating the situation physically, Van Dam used the microphone to confront the fan verbally before calling for security to intervene. Arena security quickly removed the fan from ringside, allowing the event to continue.
I had him and I had the mic, and I just said, ‘What the fck are you doing, man? You just poured f*cking water on me, f*cking dumbass. If anyone needs a shower here, it’s you. Security, get rid of this piece of shit right here.’”
“Security came and got him and he left. I had my match with Bobby. The guy brings a lawsuit from it, and I had to fly in to go to a mediation and give my deposition.
The Incident Ended Up In Court
What Van Dam assumed was an isolated fan altercation didn’t end there. According to the former ECW star, the fan later filed a lawsuit against both Van Dam and WWE over the confrontation. The legal action resulted in arbitration proceedings, requiring Van Dam to become directly involved in the case.
His story was that I picked him up over my head and I spun him around clockwise one and a half times, and then stopped, half a clock the other way, and I threw him down against the guardrail and just all kinds of sh*t.
He explained that he had to travel for mediation and also give a formal deposition as part of the process.
While the case never became one of wrestling’s more widely discussed legal disputes, Van Dam said it was an unusual experience that he never expected would stem from a split-second reaction during a live event.
This guy was so confused. He sued WWE first and they just gave him five grand. Didn’t even look into it, nothing. Gave him the five grand. Then he sued ECW and ECW gave him the five grand.”
“Somebody suggested, ‘Hey, what if we settle this and give you f*ck-off money for five grand?’ And they said, ‘Okay, fine.’ Boom, the ruling against me. He gets five grand, he gets to walk away.”
“I’m pissed because I just feel like I got fcked. Not that I have to pay anything. It was coming from Paul and ECW, but I felt screwed. I felt like, fck no, that guy shouldn’t get any money.
Fan interactions have always been part of professional wrestling, particularly during ECW’s peak years when performers often worked just inches away from the audience. While most encounters stayed within the boundaries of entertainment, Van Dam’s story serves as a reminder of how quickly those situations could spiral when fans became physically involved.
