WWE Excluded Rob Van Dam From Money in the Bank Video

The wrestling promotion omitted Rob Van Dam's 2006 ladder match victory from a retrospective YouTube feature.

Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Wrestling

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a wrestler climbing a ladder in a darkened arena, evoking the tension of a wrestling championship. — WWE faced fan criticism after excluding wrestler Rob Van Dam from a recent promotional YouTube video celebrating historic Money in the Bank match winners. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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WWE released a promotional video highlighting top Money in the Bank winners that failed to include Rob Van Dam's historic 2006 victory. The wrestling legend addressed the omission during an episode of his 1 Of A Kind podcast.

Why it matters

The exclusion drew attention from fans and the wrestler himself, highlighting the ongoing tension between historic wrestling achievements and modern promotional narratives.

Rob Van Dam, 55, has competed in three matches since his return to the ring in February 2026. He currently has three to four additional matches scheduled through the end of 2026.

The players

Rob Van Dam

He is a 55-year-old professional wrestler who famously defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship at ECW: One Night Stand.

WWE

This is a global sports entertainment organization headquartered in Stamford that produces major wrestling programming and digital content.

John Cena

He is a veteran professional wrestler and actor who was the opponent defeated by Rob Van Dam for the WWE Championship.

The details

The WWE video titled Greatest Money in the Bank Ladder Match showcased highlights for stars such as Big E, The Miz, Seth Rollins, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Brock Lesnar but left out Van Dam's 2006 performance. Van Dam, who later defeated John Cena at ECW: One Night Stand, discussed the snub on his podcast as he continues his current limited in-ring schedule.

Rob Van Dam won the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2006.
The wrestler suffered a double heel fracture in 2025.
Van Dam returned to the ring in February 2026.
He has three to four matches scheduled through the end of 2026.

Season Trajectory

This promotional omission underscores the shifting narrative focus within WWE as it moves away from its ECW-era history toward modern star-building. The choice of featured talent impacts the historical legacy of the Money in the Bank concept as the company reshapes its public-facing archives.

The exclusion confirms that WWE's current digital archival priorities prioritize modern stars over historic figures like Van Dam. Readers tracking the wrestler's career should note he does not expect any upcoming offers from major promotions.

The takeaway

Legacy athletes often face shifting visibility as entertainment companies prioritize current branding over historical archives. This situation serves as a reminder that promotional content is curated to align with current business strategies rather than objective wrestling history.