Rob Van Dam

I've never tried to be like anybody else. I'm a non-conformist in every way, and when it comes to wrestling, that's certainly true, too.

I'm not afraid of fear tactics. They don't work on me.

I'm proud of my independence. And certainly from a business perspective, that's always been a main agenda for me - to make my own position, don't try and be like somebody else, because there already is that somebody else.

If my spirit is down, then so are the physical and mental levels. That's always been the case. When I'm motivated, my body feels great and I'm ready and excited to go. When I get burned out, I feel it in all three categories - mind, body and spirit. I'm aware and in touch with all three categories.

If somebody is willing to take some advice, then I have some, and that's just life in general. A lot of people don't want to hear anything.

A lot of celebrities are afraid of being out of sight, out of mind. I'm the complete opposite.

I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.

I don't think all the other wrestlers hear the same love from the fans that I do - they are extreme about it.

Some guys are on the road and can't wait to get home; others are at home and can't wait to get on the road. I'm definitely the one who wants to be home.

The 18-year-old me wouldn't understand the 43-year-old me because then I wanted to travel and see the world. But I love being home.

In ECW, the fans would warm me up. I'd walk around the ring and slap hands with everyone and get ready for the match. I'd feed off that energy, I would use that to create positive energy. In WWE, it's different. It's a timed show; everything is timed. We know - when we get to the ring, we know when there's a commercial.

The energy from the fans in Boston is always something we can count on for support.

Acting is fun. I especially like the action sequences. That's what I do best.

The more exciting, flying wrestlers are not going to be your 300-pound wrestlers.

I stretch for a full hour before a fight because I know I'm going to take a lot of punishment in the ring. That's my secret.

Professional wrestling was almost like a secret society when I started, like a Mafia, and it would destroy the Sheik to see how much that has changed.

I stand behind what I say and what I do.

For me, the fans missing me and wanting to see me on TV is very important, but the business end of it also has to be right.

I have an open door with WWE as far as wrestling goes.

I've been so willing to stay strong and stick to my guns for so long when it comes to my beliefs.

I was told my style was supposed to give me a short career.

Anyone in the entertainment business, respectively, is a show-off.

If you're not in the WWE and bouncing around in the Indy shows, you're not with the best.

When I started out, there were many different companies... you could leave and go to a different territory, and there were so many different styles. What we have now is WWE has survived the test of time, and all the other companies have fallen off the face of the earth.

Obviously, I have a lot of respect for Curt Hennig, and I say 'obviously' because I just assumed that anybody would know that 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig was a legend, and someone of that stature is someone that everybody looks up to.