WWE Hall of Fame 2021 Inductee: Rob Van Dam
He’s Mr. Monday Night, Mr. Money in the Bank, Mr. Pay-Per-View and the Whole F’N Show. Rob Van Dam started his professional wrestling career in 1990 and quickly made his way to Television in 1992 when he wrestled as Robbie V in WCW. He was a regular on WCW Worldwide and Saturday Night. Even though he wasn’t well known, that would all change just a few short years later. In 1996, he arrived in Extreme Championship Wrestling and his debut match was against 2 Cold Scorpio. Shortly after that, he would begin a feud with his real-life friend Sabu. These two feuded for months and then eventually they became a tag team where they won the ECW Tag Team Championships on two occasions.
RVD’s first WWE exposure was while he was under contract with ECW. Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman went into business together and gave ECW to promote and showcase their talent. Eventually, RVD captured the ECW Television Championship, which he held for 700 days. He feuded with Jerry Lynn, Rhino, and his debut opponent 2 Cold Scorpio. He had to vacate the Television Championship due to injury, but when he returned continue his feuds with Rhino and Lynn. He also feuded with Scotty Riggs, who is one of RVD’s best friends. Van Dam appeared at ECW’s final pay-per-view Guilty as Charged and soon after his career would once again change in a big way.
During the WCW Invasion of 2001, Paul Heyman eventually got involved on the ECW side of things. RVD showed and become a big part of WWE versus the Alliance. He would feud with Jeff Hardy and win the WWE Hardcore Championship. When the Invasion angle was over, he would go on to win Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania X8, win multiple Tag Team Championships with partners Kane, Booker T, and Rey Mysterio. He feuded with likes of Christian, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Triple. He was also a part of the first Elimination Chamber Match at Survivor Series in 2002.
RVD was sidelined for the majority of 2005 with a knee injury, but he was a key component in WWE putting on the ECW One Night Stand show on pay-per-view. The show was a huge success and it would lead to WWE reboot of ECW in 2006. It was also in 2006 that RVD shined the brightest. He won Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 22 and at one point held the briefcase and the Intercontinental Championship at the same time. At ECW One Night Stand in 2006, he would go on to defeat John Cena for the WWE Championship and crown himself as the ECW Champion, and held both championships at the same time. RVD would end his tenure in WWE in May 2007, but that would not be the last we heard from him.
In 2010, he had his first run in Impact/TNA Wrestling. From the start, he was facing the likes of Sting, AJ Styles, and Abyss. He won the TNA Heavyweight Championship fairly quickly during his time in TNA. While there, he also traveled New Japan Pro Wrestling and AAA in Mexico. He also won the TNA X-Division Champion and would feud with Kenny King and Zema Ion for the championship until his departure in 2013. RVD would return to Impact in 2019 and be a key part in helping Impact showcasing new and upcoming talent. He also had one final full-time run with WWE in 2013 that lasted about a year and he faced newer opponents he had not faced in the past.
Along the way, RVD made appearances on the independent scene and won various championships in those promotions. In his career, he’s had over thirty championship reigns with all the places that he’s traveled. Rob Van Dam has had a wild and crazy career full of creative, innovative and unique moments. He always shined bright and flew sky high whenever he stepped into the ring. Congratulations to Rob Van Dam on entertaining the WWE Hall of Fame.
