Rob Van Dam sidelined by heel fractures, halting Cena retirement bout

Rob Van Dam said he was in talks to return to WWE for a match with John Cena on Cena's 2025 retirement tour, but those plans were halted after the veteran wrestler suffered fractures to both heels in April, RVD told the TMZ Inside The Ropes podcast. The injury, he said, occurred during an independent appearance and has kept him on the sidelines for months, derailing what he described as a likely reunion bout.

"I wanted to be one of the return matches for John Cena on his retirement tour," RVD, a WWE Hall of Famer, told hosts Branson Quirke and Roger Corral. "I was talking to them. There was a lot of interest. Without giving away too many details, you know, we were probably going to do it. And then I broke my heels." RVD has not provided a timetable for a return and said recovery is ongoing; some reports identified the April incident as taking place at MLW Battle Riot VII.

The potential matchup would have reunited two figures whose rivalry is widely remembered for their ECW One Night Stand 2006 encounter, when RVD used the Money in the Bank briefcase to beat Cena and win the WWE Championship. RVD has frequently cited that match as the highlight of his career, saying on the Talk...