Jerry Lynn On His Favorite ECW Match With Rob Van Dam, Dangers Of Piledriver Move In Pro Wrestling

In a recent interview on My Mom’s Basement, Jerry Lynn discussed his favorite ECW match with Rob Van Dam, the dangers of the piledriver in pro wrestling, and much more. You can read his comments below.

Jerry Lynn on his favorite match with Rob Van Dam in ECW: “My favorite is one that wasn’t even a pay-per-view match. It was at the arena in Philly. I think the date was September 17, 1999. It was one where I wa supposed to wrestle him, and at the beginning of the show, the Impact Players jumped me and they sent me to the hospital. I can’t remember if it was Lance or Justin that was wrestling Rob instead. Of course, there was a run-in, and I came in with my ribs all taped up and helped Rob clear the ring. And then I was leaving the ring, and Rob challenged the mic and challenged me and said the people came here to see me fight.

“So, I limped back to the ring and off to the races we went. Well, the whole first part of the match was ‘RVD’ chants, and there was a spot halfway through where he clotheslined me and I went through the table. It was just out of nowhere. So, after the table spot, the refs came out and other people came out and they’re carrying me back. Halfway down the aisle, I pushed them all off and went back to the ring and after that, it was ‘Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!’ So, we took the crowd and flipped them. Everyone was on their feet. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. That’s my favorite match just because of how the crowd was.”

On the dangers of the piledriver in pro wrestling and the move being banned by some companies: “I took some tombstones from Justin Credible off the turnbuckle. There is a lot of trust there. It has to be someone you really trust. In ECW, I couldn’t think of a finisher. Nova was very innovative and coming up with cool stuff, so I asked Nova one day, ‘Can you help me come up with a finisher?’ He said, ‘Sure.’ The next week, he says, ‘Remember Dynamite Kid in Japan would do the cradle piledriver? Why don’t you try that?’ That’s how it all started. It’s very dangerous. When you get them up, when you let go, you’ve got nothing except when you bend your knees a little so their head doesn’t slide down further. So, I tell them a certain way to base so I can protect them. I started doing that in probably 1999 until 2013, and I think I had four mishaps. It’s dangerous anytime you’re dumping someone on their head.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit My Mom’s Basement with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.