Rob Van Dam recently opened up about the memorial services being planned for his longtime friend and ECW icon, Sabu, while also taking a moment to address some of the critical responses to the GoFundMe campaign launched to help with Sabu’s final expenses.

Speaking on his 1 of a Kind podcast, RVD confirmed, “Sabu is going to have services in Lansing, Michigan, open to family, friends and fans… June 21 is that day that you want to know.” He also revealed there will be an additional memorial service in Las Vegas, although details are still pending due to delays in confirming the official cause of death and body recovery. Van Dam stated he intends to attend both gatherings.

He then responded to an online comment questioning why a fundraiser was needed: “…someone was like, how come Sabu family not have 10k for a funeral, or whatever it was… it came across real negative… And I just respond like, that’s not the case. You know, like a lot of people, feel honored to be able to, to contribute.”

RVD drew a comparison between fans chipping in and people offering to buy him a drink out of respect. He acknowledged that Sabu was initially hesitant about crowdfunding, even for medical expenses: “He didn’t want to do it. It’s embarrassing. But finally, you know, he decided to go ahead and do it, and he was really broke and needed the money this time.”