On the latest episode of 1 Of A Kind, RVD (Rob Van Dam) talked about Stan Hansen’s popularity in Japan, which comes down to his ability to make people think he could go toe-to-toe with anyone and win and more. You can check out some highlights below:
On why Stan Hansen was over in Japan: “Well from my experience, Japan is a representative of Eastern philosophy. It’s literally where it originates is in the East. And people are different. And the older you get there, it seems like people respect the older, wiser, more experienced people there. It seems like it, and that definitely seemed to be true with the wrestling stars. And I remember, I had been going over there for a few years. I was getting the chance, ‘RVD’… But I was doing a split-legged moonsault, crossbodies, being me and feeling like I was making a name for myself. And I remember pulling over at this truck stop on a long, boring bus ride. And man, when we got off the bus, the people came running to Dory Funk Jr. They came running to Abdullah the Butcher, and they came running to Stan Hansen. And I was thinking like, ‘Wow, what’s the guy got to do around here to get some respect?’ And the answer is to get a lot more experience.
“Like now, I hear all the time from people that grew up watching me. That means I’ve been a significant part of their life for a long time. And I’ve been fairly consistent if they know what I’m about and, depending on what they value about me in their life, I don’t think I’ve changed a whole lot. So there’s that, they feel a lot more connected. But in Japan, in the East, same way with martial arts. If you watch the old movies, — and I’m not saying Hong Kong is in Japan, but in the Far East, the Orient, it’s the old bald dudes with a little gray mustache and beard that kicks the s**t out of a whole roomful of people. The the Drunken Master or whatever, and it’s the young people that are always trying to surpass that level of wisdom that comes from experience. So I found that to be a very, very strong factor. And it was really relevant at that moment for me at that truck stop. It really sunk in. And then just like everything, once you’re aware of it and it becomes part of your thought process, then you notice it a lot more. It’s been true ever since.”
On Hansen’s talent: “Stan is also very consistent with just being a bull. He just runs over everybody, kinda like a juggernaut. Just doesn’t care what’s in his way. Chairs, people, whatever. I remember being hurt the most on one tour being his partner, just because he ran in and pushed my head out of the way so he could come in and bully his way into the match. You know, came in from behind me and kinked my neck, and then everything hurt the rest of the tour. I was like, ‘Oh, cool. Thanks, Stan. Hope it was worth it for you.’ And I’m sure it was, because he didn’t give a darn about me, my young ass.
“But he would come out of the dressing room with a bull rope. And sometimes he would have a bell tied on the end of it, and he would just start swinging it. And you’ve seen a couple of other wrestlers do this as well. I saw Stan doing it. That was the first time, and that’s what it was about to me was, ‘Oh my god!’ Stan comes out. And the thing is, just like with the running of the bulls? They all know what’s going to happen. And they know that he’s coming up. They know when it’s his match, and they know when his music hits. And what do they do? They all crowd around the dressing room door so that as soon as he kicks it open, he screams ‘Ahhh!,’ everyone wants to go running and trample over each other. And a lot of people get hit with that rope. Kids! I remember it was an issue, and a couple of us guys were talking about it. Dan Kroffat was like, ‘Man, you know, that’s wrong.’ You have this little 14-year-old kid or something with a big welt on his face. Because he’s swinging that, ‘Wham! Wham!’ And he clears through the crowd like a weed whacker going through a field. That’s the way to describe Stan going through the crowd to the ring. They loved it! They loved the physicality of it, credibility? Come on, how are you not going to believe that? And he was always in character, always Stan. And you know, there’s a lot to respect about him. Because even when he was considered like an older guy or whatever, he still would go toe to toe with guys like Vader, Kobashi, big guys that he would not back down from. Any time he put the boots on, I feel like he was going to deliver at everybody’s expense. So I think that’s why Stan was so popular.”
On Stan Hansen stories: “And there are some stories for you right there, and I’ve told this one about when the black carts were over there, they got heat from all the boys because they were really, really annoying to be around they tried so hard to fit in. Always said the wrong things at the wrong time. They got so much heat, and mostly, it was the one guy over the other. It was a time that was super annoying. And David was his partner, so guilty by association, and they both wore these nylon black masks that covered everything like they were robbing banks or whatever. That’s what their heads look like, and they had to wrestle Stan like towards the end of a tour one time, and it was after they had a lot of heat. So, as Dan has decided, I’m going to spank those boys. And he took a chair like he wanted them over the head so hard Asana gross. It looks like Canada. Tomato paste. It Looked like this pork was bam, bashed on the guy’s forehead, and then wham, ditto on the other guy’s foot, opening both lots of blood. And to them, that was part of paying their dues.”
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit 1 Of A Kind an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.
