Real Name: Rob Szatkowski Nickname: RVD (Rob Van Dam) Birthdate: 12/18/70 Height: 6' 0" Weight: 230 lbs Signature Moves: Five-Star Frog Splash
Biography:
Van Dam’s wrestling style is without a doubt unique. There are very few other words to describe it; there has never been anyone who wrestles like him before, and probably never will be. His inimitable high-flying style makes him entertaining in every match. He shows no fear performing any maneuver from any object at any height.
RVD had been participating in kickboxing and weight lifting for some time before beginning his wrestling training with the Sheik. RVD’s future ECW tag partner Sabu also played a role in his training, especially in the early 90s during RVD’s opening times with USWA. As he progressed, Van Dam began wrestling with SAPW and other such Indy circuits (where he won various titles) but his key move forward was winning the IWF television championship. In 1992 he moved on WCW where he thought would be his big break, where he’d make a name for himself. He generally was referred to with the nickname “Robbie V” although he at first had rising popularity with WCW staff, and more importantly the crowd, the company had banned top rope moves and obviously this restricted him to very little, especially as he could not do his finishing manoeuvre or other signature moves such as the split-legged moonsault. Feeling so constrained by this he decided to head to wrestle with All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1993. Although he was again a crowd favourite, he never really could get anywhere as he found himself in a federation and end of on era dominated by heavyweight powerhouses. However he got the opportunity to wrestle with Bobby Duncum Jr. and Johnny Smith before moving on with NWC in 1995 where his tag team “Aerial Assault” captured the tag titles. His acting career also was lifted off as he played the role of The Mercenary in the movie “Superfights.”
January 5th 1996 saw what we would be (at last) the grounds where RVD found his feet and really began to make a name for himself on a worldwide stage. His fearless and unique style would mean he would fit in perfectly. On this day on January 5th, he faced Axl Rotten and defeated him using his trademark move, the split-legged moonsault. Later on that year he had a memorable feud with his ex-trainer Sabu, which ended in August after a brutal stretcher match, as they had no luck settling their disputes in previous matches. After teaming up with many stars such as Jerry Lawler, Jeff Jarret and even ex-rival Sabu, RVD captured the ECW TV title in April 1998 after defeating Bam Bam Bigelow. He held this title for an amazing 23 months; and during this reign even managed to capture the tag titles too, with Sabu in June of that year. Among RVD’s many title defences was one of the most memorable matches of all time for ECW and possibly any wrestling federation when he defeated Jerry Lynn at “Living Dangerously” in 1999. On March 4th 2000, it was in another remarkable match with Jerry Lynn that RVD’s title reign came to an end after receiving two cradle pile-drivers (the second of which on a steel chair). However his final involvement with ECW was the 2001 PPV “Guilty as Charged” before going on to the WWE on July 9th 2001 to join the invasion and claim his first ever title, beating Jeff Hardy for the Hardcore belt. Van Dam’s style was just as impressive to WWE fans as it was in ECW, he was a huge hit with the fans straight away having some of his most memorable feuds with perhaps the only person that comes close to matching his style, Jeff Hardy. Superplexes and Five-star frog splashes soon became all the more exciting seeing RVD perform them off ladders with Jeff. After playing a most important role in the invasion, wrestling with such superstars as Stone Cold, Van Dam went on to have an illustrious 2002, taking the intercontinental title for the first time on the 17th March by outwitting William Regal with his agile movements. Despite only holding it for 35 days, he went on to win it twice more that year defeating Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. Competing in the first ever Elimination Chamber match also proved most exciting for RVD himself and everyone who watched Survivor Series 2002, as although not coming out of it the Heavyweight champion as usual found a new way to frog splash, this time off the top of one of the chambers. From this he went on to form one of the most unusual partnerships ever; with the dominating heavyweight introvert Kane. The chokeslam from Kane into RVD frog splash proved most efficient in dealing with each tag team they faced until they eventually won the Raw World Tag belts after defeating Lance Storm and Chief Morley on March 31st 2003. After losing the title 76 days later to La Resistance, this sparked RVD’s hardest feud yet with his ex tag partner Kane where again he showed no fear and put his body on the line against the big red machine. After several maulings by Kane, Van Dam finally caught a break and took hold of the IC title for the fourth time defeating Christian in ladder match on Raw on September 29th. From here RVD is still hailed as possibly the best ever superstar never to win the Heavyweight title, but perhaps the time is still to come for “The Whole F’n Show.”
WWE Title History:
4 time WWE Intercontinental champion
4 time WWE Hardcore champion
WWE World Tag Team champion
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