In a recent interview with Ryan Satin of FOX Sports, soon-to-be WWE Hall Of Famer Rob van Dam revealed that he was contacted by WWE’s John Laurinaitis about the news that he will be inducted this year.

“I’ve known him since ’93 because I used to wrestle with him in Japan. From ’93 to ’97, I spent many, many long hours on long bus rides, sitting in cold arenas in the Winter, hot in the Summer and ferry boat rides. We did a lot of traveling around Japan that time, you get to know somebody a little better when you’re stuck with them all the time like that, so I’m proud to call Johnny a friend and it was really cool to get the call from him.

It’s a pretty awesome feeling, just like you probably would imagine. It feels like I’m being acknowledged and appreciated for my body of work, it feels very good, I’m honored. Fans have been calling me a future Hall of Famer for years and I’d always just shrug and say, all right man, as long as you think so, but I’m glad to be among the chosen few this year.”

The interview is available in full at this link.