Everybody’s favorite wrestler”¦
PLUS: Rasslin’ Roundtable results from Cyber Sunday.
Rob Szatkowski has been well known in pro wrestling circles for the last several years as the brash, cocksure, one-of-a-kind original, Rob Van Dam. RVD is an amazing performer and innovator who has endured hardship after hardship in his career. From lack of management support to the glass ceiling, and move after move (ECW, The Alliance, and all three “brands” of WWE) he’s overcome it all to remain one of the most consistently over wrestlers of this era.
TODAY’S ISSUE: Rob Van Dam
RVD has always operated just outside the standard, and never forced himself into the mold of a typical pro wrestler. His unique moveset features martial arts, daredevil high-risk attacks, and innovations like the Van Daminator, Van Terminator, Rolling Thunder, and his amazingly adjustable version of the Five-Star Frog Splash.
His non-stereotypical microphone approach and cool, laid back interview style belie the standard “let me tell you something!” tirades most other pro wrestlers have traditionally utilized. This attitude, and his well-known taste for smoking herb, are likely among the reasons fans have continued to support him throughout the years.
There have been several themes to the different phases in RVD’s career. He originally gained international renown when the then-upstart independent federation ECW “invaded” WWF’s Monday Night RAW. When Jerry Lawler returned the favor and visited ECW on behalf of the WWF in retaliation, Van Dam and Sabu actually sided with Lawler and WWF against ECW. This led to RVD becoming known as “Mr. Monday Night”, claiming he was far too talented for ECW and thus was bound for greatness on either RAW or WCW’s Nitro one day.
This was a great time in RVD’s career, as he seemed truly fresh and different, unlike the typical pro wrestler. As a RAW fan who didn’t know much about ECW at the time, RVD made me curious about that product, and there’s certainly nothing more a promotion’s representative can do to help sell tickets than to make outsiders interested in seeing more of the product. Van Dam presented a look, moveset, and approach to his character that were much different from anyone else at the time. He had me convinced he would one day go on to pro wrestling greatness.
Van Dam held ECW’s secondary title for a record 23 months, cementing his status as one of the mainstays and most beloved men on Paul Heyman’s South Philly roster. Unfortunately, before he had the chance to meet the ECW world champion in a title-versus-title bout (which many fans considered the logical fruition of his long TV Title reign), Van Dam suffered a broken ankle. The timing couldn’t have been worse; this match would have most likely been the biggest and most lucrative in ECW’s history. This injury also ended the Original ECW phase of RVD’s career, although he did face former long-time opponent Jerry Lynn in the main event of ECW’s final televised show in 2001.
Not long after Extreme Championship Wrestling closed for good, Vince McMahon resurrected the ECW name. Combined with his newly acquired WCW, Vince commanded ECW form one half of the oh-so cleverly named Alliance. The Alliance would seek to destroy WWF in a head-to-head assault led by Shane and Stephanie McMahon, with none other than Paul Heyman at their side. Well, Heyman was sort of more behind them than at their side, but you get the idea.
Van Dam and fellow ECW alumnus Tommy Dreamer showed up on RAW on July 9, 2001 and reunited with ECW veterans such as The Dudley Boyz, Taz, Raven, Justin Credible, and others to reveal themselves and attack WWF performers. This angle led to the next phase of Van Dam’s career. He became a true “tweener”. While his storyline allegiance suggested a heel, he was so cool and casual outside the ring, and with his unique in-ring style, the fans started to really appreciate his efforts. A tailor-made match was booked at the InVasion ppv, as RVD defeated Jeff Hardy for the Hardcore Title.
The Hardcore Title was basically the WWF’s version of the ECW belt all along anyway, and there was no better way to highlight RVD’s skills to an audience that didn’t know him well than in a Hardcore Title match. There was also no better opponent to hang with Van Dam in such a match than the equally suicidal, risk-taking, high-flying Jeff Hardy. They traded the title over the next two months, with RVD recapturing the gold from Hardy at SummerSlam in none other than a ladder match, a perfect stipulation for these two daredevils.
Later in the InVasion angle, RVD challenged Alliance ruler and WWF champion Stone Cold Steve Austin for his championship in a three-way match including Kurt Angle. At the height of Van Dam’s popularity, Vince McMahon himself (in kayfabe) invited RVD to jump from the Alliance to Team WWF. Van Dam declined, and soon after the Alliance was no more. However RVD kept his spot on the roster since he held a WWF championship. This led to the next phase in his career.
The brand split came about, and Ric Flair drafted RVD to RAW as a very respectable fourth round selection. Van Dam made no small footprint on RAW. He won the Intercontinental Championship on five occasions, challenged legends the Undertaker and HHH for the WWE Undisputed Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship respectively, and earned tag team gold with two separate partners, Kane and Booker T. He was also responsible for a significant evolutionary step in the character development of Kane, leading to Kane unmasking for the first time, a state Kane remains in to this day.
During this time, not only did he put on a classic war with fellow frog-splasher, the late Eddie Guerrero (including a MOTY contender), RVD also unified all the minor titles, namely the Intercontinental, European, and Hardcore championships, into a new super belt which was supposed to become elevated as a RAW world title specifically made for Van Dam. The idea was that the RAW brand would be built around him. HHH would not have any of this, of course, and RAW soon became Hunter Hearst McMahon’s own personal playground. Some would say that getting nailed in the head by the glass ceiling was the final blow to Van Dam’s main event credibility.
Another new phase began after RVD was traded to SmackDown!, where he once again tasted tag team gold, this time with partner Rey Mysterio. He wasn’t utilized anywhere near the top of the card, and seemingly lost a lot of his fire and passion. However, that didn’t last too long since a knee injury knocked him out of action less than a year after moving to the Blue Team.
While still on the injured reserve, RVD reasserted his hardcore roots by getting physically involved against Rhyno at ECW’s first One Night Stand ppv, costing Rhyno the match against long-time RVD associate Sabu. RVD also cut a powerful shoot promo at this show about how management had treaded him as of late, and showed some intensity many fans thought was never to be seen again.
Van Dam was drafted back to RAW in June of 2005, even before he was completely healed from the knee injury. He finally returned to active competition at the Royal Rumble, but really made a splash when he won the Money In The Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 22. Using this golden ticket, he challenged WWE Champion John Cena to meet him at ECW’s second Once Night Stand event to win his first world championship. RVD was drafted to the new WWECW only weeks before this title victory.
On the inaugural ECW on Sci Fi broadcast just two nights after RVD captured Cena’s bling belt, the ECW World Title was reinstated and awarded to Van Dam, making him a dual champion. This began what should have been the greatest, most well deserved phase of his career. RVD was the WWE Champion and the ECW World Champion at the same time, but sadly, he would not be for very long. About three weeks after the greatest moment in RVD’s career, he lost everything on back-to-back nights.
On the July 3rd edition of RAW, Van Dam lost the WWE title to Edge in a triple threat match including John Cena. The next night on ECW on Sci Fi, he dropped the ECW title to the Big Show after Paul Heyman turned on him in the storyline.
The reason for Van Dam losing both titles so quickly was that he was arrested on a drug possession violation after being pulled over for speeding, and was legitimately suspended for 30 days. The small amount of marijuana found on his person only cost him $140.00 in fines, but may have ended any chance of him ever seeing world championship gold again, at least in WWE. He did have a legitimate prescription for the Vicodin he was carrying, by the way.
I’ve been hating ECW on Sci Fi lately, but watching RVD battle the Big Show in several matches since his return, including the ladder match to earn his title shot, reminded me of how good Van Dam has been and still can be, and allowed me to enjoy a segment of WWECW for the first time in quite a while. I hope the flexible, elastic man bounces back one more time.
Although the current storyline on Tuesday nights leans toward Van Dam once again becoming ECW World Champion, Vince McMahon has publicly announced that RVD is the absolute last person he wants to see as a world champion in his company ever again. So the guy whose character is all about being mellow and sparking up has fallen out of favor for carrying 18 grams of pot. I hope this doesn’t kick off the next phase in his career; the has-been phase. If anyone can endure this setback and rise to the top of the mountain again, it’s everybody’s favorite wrestler: ROB-VAN-DAM.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled reality.
But wait! Before you go, take a look at the Rasslin’ Roundtable for WWE’s Cyber Sunday (formerly known as Taboo Tuesday), and compare our picks to the live coverage. Then look below to see who predicted the outcomes better than the rest in this [ahem] “interactive” event!
IP Staff Rasslin’ Roundtable Results
PK Roundtable Champion!
WWE Cyber Sunday (5 Nov 06): 11-3
Total: 18-10
Iain Burnside
WWE Cyber Sunday (5 Nov 06): 10-4
Total: 23-22
Vinny Truncellito
WWE Cyber Sunday (5 Nov 06): 10-4
Total: 33-18
Eric Szulczewski
WWE Cyber Sunday (5 Nov 06): 8-6
Total: 24-27
Tom Pandich
WWE Cyber Sunday (5 Nov 06): 7-7
Total: 7-7
OK, we NOW return you to your regularly scheduled reality.
p.s. — Parents aren’t interested in justice. They only want quiet. – Bill Cosby
