| Rob Van Dam | |
|---|---|
 Van Dam in 2021 | |
| Birth name | Robert Alexander Szatkowski[1] |
| Born | (1970-12-18)December 18, 1970 (age 54)[2][3] Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.[2][4] |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Website | robvandam |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Robbie V[4] Matt Burn[5] Rob Szatkowski[4] Rob Van Dam[6] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[6] |
| Billed weight | 235 lb (107 kg)[6] |
| Billed from | Battle Creek, Michigan[7] Los Angeles, California[8] |
| Trained by | The Sheik[2] |
| Debut | 1990[2][4] |
YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2023–present |
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Subscribers | 16.6k thousand[9] |
| Total views | 1 million[9] |
| Signature | |
 | |
Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an Americanprofessional wrestler better known by hisring nameRob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated toRVD). Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movements—and flexibility, Van Dam is one of the most popular wrestlers in the world.[10][11] He is signed toWWE under a Legends contract. He is also known for his tenures inExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) andTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
Van Dam gained mainstream popularity in ECW during the latter half of the 1990s. During his time in ECW, he was managed byBill Alfonso and had feuds withJerry Lynn andSabu, also forming atag team with the latter. They won theECW World Tag Team Championship twice. On April 4, 1998, Van Dam defeatedBam Bam Bigelow to win theECW Television Championship, a title he held for 700 days until he vacated the championship due to an injury on March 4, 2000.
When ECW closed in 2001, Van Dam signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and was involved in theInvasion storyline, where several formerWorld Championship Wrestling and ECW wrestlers joined forces against WWF wrestlers. After the Invasion ended, Van Dam wrestled the following years as singles and tag team wrestler, winning theWWE Hardcore Championship,WWE Intercontinental Championship,WWE European Championship,WWE Tag Team Championship andWorld Tag Team Championships. AtWrestleMania 22, Rob Van Dam won theMoney in the Bank ladder match. After this victory, he challengedWWE ChampionJohn Cena to a title match atOne Night Stand, an ECW-themed PPV. At the event, Van Dam defeated Cena and won his firstworld championship. Two days later,Paul Heyman awarded Van Dam with the reactivatedECW World Heavyweight Championship making him the only man to hold both titles at the same time.
After leaving WWE in 2007, Van Dam worked on theindependent circuit until he signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) - in 2010. A few months after his debut, he defeatedAJ Styles to win theTNA World Championship. He would also appear forLucha Libre AAA World Wide and challengedDr. Wagner Jr. for the newly createdAAA Latin American Championship atTriplemania XIX, albeit in a losing effort. He remained under contract with TNA until 2013, leaving the company after a run with theTNA X Division Championship. After departing TNA, he returned to WWE, where he worked for one year. Then, he would stay in the independent circuit, also wrestling from 2019 to 2020 with TNA (at the time known as Impact Wrestling). In2021, he was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame, and the following year he was inducted into theHardcore Hall of Fame. Between ECW, WWE and TNA, Van Dam won 21 total championships, including three world championships, and is only one of two wrestlers in history (alongsideBobby Lashley) to have held the WWE, ECW, and TNA world championships.
In addition, he headlined many pay-per-view events throughout three decades between the 1990s and 2010s, including the1998 edition ofNovember to Remember (ECW's flagship event) and the2011 edition ofTripleMania (AAA's flagship event). In 2002, Van Dam was ranked thenumber one pro wrestler in the world byPro Wrestling Illustrated. He was voted "Most Popular Wrestler" by readers of the magazine in 2001 and again in 2002. WWE named him the greatest star in ECW history in 2014.[12]
Outside of professional wrestling, Van Dam has performed as an actor in a number of TV shows, including an episode ofThe X-Files. He also starred in the 2010 movieWrong Side of Town and the 2015 movie3-Headed Shark Attack.
Szatkowski grew up inBattle Creek, Michigan, and graduated fromPennfield Senior High School. Szatkowski made his first appearance on WWF television in 1987 in a skit with"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. At the time, DiBiase was selectingplants from the audience and offering to pay them to perform degrading acts and offered the 16-year-old Szatkowski $100 to enter the ring and kiss his foot, which he did.[13] This early appearance was later included as a bonus feature on WWE'sBefore They Were Superstars DVD and on WWE'sRob Van Dam: One of a Kind DVD.[14] He was also in attendance atWrestleMania III as stated on The Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology DVD.[citation needed]
Szatkowski began training as a wrestler underThe Sheik in 1989.[15] He made his wrestling debut in 1990, defeating Dango Nguyen.[2] He wrestled in many independent promotions acrossMichigan, including theUnited States Wrestling Association (USWA) andSouth Atlantic Pro Wrestling (SAPW). In SAPW, he won his first wrestlingchampionship, theSAPW Tag Team Championship, in July 1992 with Chaz Rocco.[16] He also wrestled in several independent promotions across America, and inAll Japan Pro Wrestling, where he challenged for theWorld Junior Heavyweight Championship on several occasions.[17] In theWorld Wrestling Federation in 1992 he wrestled as an enhancement talent againstThe Mountie under the ring name Matt Burn.[5]
Szatkowski signed withWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1992, and was dubbed "Robbie V" bybookerRon Slinker upon his arrival sinceBill Watts did not like the name Rob Van Dam.[18] Robbie V made his WCW debut on the January 23, 1993, episode ofWCW Saturday Night as afan favorite, defeatingenhancement talentPat Rose. The following month, Robbie V entered a tournament for the vacantWCW World Television Championship, defeatingShanghai Pierce in the first round but losing toVinnie Vegas in the second round, which aired on the March 20 episode ofWCW WorldWide. His last televised match was on the May 22 episode ofSaturday Night, atag team loss withErik Watts againstShanghai Pierce and Tex Slazenger.[19] In February and March 1993, Szatkowski wrestled in Japan forAll Japan Pro Wrestling; upon his return to WCW,Ole Anderson had replaced Bill Watts as booker. Szatkowski left WCW in May 1993, feeling he was "lost in the shuffle".[20] and being "jobbed out".[15]
From 1993 to 1997, Van Dam made 10 tours of Japan withAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW).[21] While wrestling for AJPW, he was advised by promoterGiant Baba to make himself stand out, which inspired Van Dam to beginairbrushing his singlets.[15] His first tour took place in February and March 1993 as part of the annual Excite Series, where his opponents includedDory Funk Jr. andToshiaki Kawada's Super Generation Army stable. Van Dam returned to AJPW in February and March 1994 as part of that year's Excite Series, facing opponents includingJun Akiyama,Mighty Inoue, and the Super Generation Army.[21]
Van Dam made a third tour with AJPW in February and March 1995, again as part of the Excite Series, facing opponents including theCan-Am Express, theHoly Demon Army, and the Super Generation Army; during this tour, he teamed with Bobby Bradley as "Aerial Assault". Van Dam returned to AJPW in May and June 1995 as part of the Super Power Series, again facing the Can-Am Express and the Super Generation Army in a series of tag team matches. In his final match of the tour, he unsuccessfully challengedWorld Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny Kroffat in theNippon Budokan. He wrestled his fourth tour with AJPW in October 1995 as part of the October Giant Series. Van Dam wrestled his fifth tour of the year with AJPW in November and December 1995 as part of theWorld's Strongest Tag Determination League, where he teamed withJohnny Smith. Van Dam and Smith finished last out of 10 teams, defeatingJun Akiyama andTakao Omori but losing their other eight matches.[21]
Van Dam returned to AJPW for a sixth tour in February and March 1996 as part of the annual Excite series, again facing the Can-Am Express, Holy Demon Army, and Super Generation Army. He returned for a seventh tour in June and July 1996 as part of the Summer Action Series; during this tour, he teamed withMaunakea Mossman to unsuccessfully challenge Jun Akiyama and Takao Omori for theAll Asia Tag Team Championship. In September and October 1996, he made an eighth tour as part of the October Giant Series; during this tour, he unsuccessfully challenged World Junior Heavyweight ChampionTsuyoshi Kikuchi.[21]
Van Dam returned to AJPW for a ninth tour in January 1997 as part of the New Year Giant Series, during which he mainly teamed with Sabu; towards the end of the tour, Van Dam and Sabu unsuccessfully challenged Akiyama and Omori for the All Asia Tag Team Championship inKorakuen Hall. In May and June 1997, Van Dam returned to AJPW for a tenth tour as part of the Super Power Series, during which he unsuccessfully challenged World Junior Heavyweight ChampionYoshinari Ogawa.[21]
In early 1996, Van Dam signed with promoterPaul Heyman'sPhiladelphia-based promotionExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), defeatingAxl Rotten in his debut match atHouse Party.[22] Van Dam's mannerisms were those of astoner, and he became aface due to his laid-back attitude and unorthodox style. On March 30, he faced2 Cold Scorpio in a match for theWorld Television Championship. The match ended in a draw with 2 Cold Scorpio retaining the title.[23][24]
Van Dam gained attention following a series of matches with long-time rivalSabu, which began with a match atHostile City Showdown, won by Sabu.[25] After the match, Van Dam declined to show proper respect for his opponent, leading to a rematch atA Matter of Respect, which was won by Van Dam.[24] Per the pre-match stipulation, Sabu then offered Van Dam a handshake, but was again ignored. Instead, Van Dam left the ring andturnedheel under the management ofBill Alfonso.[24][26] AtHardcore Heaven, Van Dam faced his rival Sabu once again, in a match to prove who was the better man, but Sabu won the match.[24][27] The two faced each other yet again in astretcher match atThe Doctor Is In. Van Dam lost the match after missing aPlancha to the outside, hitting the railing and falling onto the stretcher.[28] He was quickly rolled out.[24]
AtNatural Born Killaz, Van Dam defeatedDoug Furnas in a match. Post-match, Van Dam offered Furnas a handshake, but Furnas instead hit Van Dam with a short-armclothesline, starting a rivalry between the two.[24] After his rivalry with Furnas expanded to also includeDan Kroffat, Van Dam wanted atag team partner of his own. After losing to long-time rival Sabu once again atUnlucky Lottery, the two united and formed what was to become one of the most successful tag teams in ECW history.[29] They feuded with Furnas and Kroffat defeating them atWhen Worlds Collide II andHigh Incident.[24][30][31]
Van Dam and Sabu next feuded withThe Eliminators,John Kronus andPerry Saturn. On November 1, the two teams fought to a draw.[32] Van Dam then feuded withTaz, to whom he lost atHoliday Hell via knockout.[33] Sabu and Van Dam continued to feud with The Eliminators for theWorld Tag Team Championship into 1997. AtCrossing the Line Again andCyberslam, the teams faced off for the ECW World Tag Team Championship in a pair of matches, both of which were won by The Eliminators.[34][35][36] At CyberSlam, the two teams faced each other for the title in aTables, Ladders, and Chairs match, in which The Eliminators again retained their title.[37]
At ECW's first pay-per-view eventBarely Legal, Van Dam defeatedLance Storm as a last-minute replacement for the injuredChris Candido.[38] Immediately following the match, Van Dam expressed his distaste for being chosen as a back-up for "some guy who couldn't even lace his boots." Van Dam delivered a speech directed towards Paul Heyman, and not being originally booked on the show was a point of contention between Van Dam and Heyman for a time.[36]
In May 1997, ECW "invaded" theWorld Wrestling Federation's (WWF)Monday Night Raw television show, drawing the ire of color commentatorJerry Lawler. Lawler then promised he would show up at an ECW show in order to gain revenge, and when he did show up, he had ECW mainstays Van Dam (who turned heel) and Sabu with him. Van Dam madespeeches about how he was too good for ECW and deserved to be in one of the "Big Two" (WWF orWCW) on one of their Monday night programs (Monday Night Raw orMonday Nitro). Lawler began to call Van Dam "Mr. Monday Night" on an episode ofMonday Night Raw which became a moniker that would stay with Van Dam, changing to suit the day of the week of whichever program was being broadcast. Despite his arrogance and "betrayal" of ECW, over time Van Dam became applauded by fans recognizing his athleticism and unique maneuvers.[39] On the May 12 episode ofMonday Night Raw, Van Dam defeatedJeff Hardy. On June 6, Van Dam defeatedFlash Funk onMonday Night Raw and teamed with Lawler to defeatthe Headbangers onShotgun Saturday Night. On the June 16 episode ofMonday Night Raw , Van Dam and Lawler lost to the Headbangers in a tournament for the vacantWWF World Tag Team Championship.
Van Dam continued to team up with Sabu upon his return to ECW on June 13.[40]Taz's manager Bill Alfonso betrayed Taz and joined Sabu and Van Dam. Van Dam started a new rivalry withTommy Dreamer, who wanted to gain revenge on Van Dam for his betrayal of ECW.[39][41] On June 21, Van Dam and Sabu earned a victory over Dreamer andThe Sandman.[42] Van Dam and Sabu emerged victorious against Dreamer and Sandman again atOrgy of Violence.[43] AtHeat Wave, Van Dam, Sabu, and WWF's Jerry "The King" Lawler fought Dreamer, Sandman, andRick Rude to a no contest.[44] Van Dam and Dreamer faced each other in a hardcore match atBorn to Be Wired, won by Van Dam after he performed aleg drop on Dreamer with a trashcan.[41][45] Van Dam and Sabu became partners while Dreamer teamed up with Taz.[41] At Fright Fight, Van Dam lost to Dreamer in aflag match.[46] AtUltimate Jeopardy, Van Dam and Sabu faced Dreamer and Taz, a match won by Taz and Dreamer after Dreamer pinned Van Dam. AtNovember to Remember, Van Dam faced Dreamer in another flag match which went to a no contest.[47] AtBetter Than Ever, Van Dam and Sabu faced Dreamer and Taz in a rematch. This time, Van Dam pinned Dreamer to give the victory to his team and to settle their rivalry.[48] Van Dam's final encounter with Dreamer came on January 5, when Dreamer teamed up with Taz,Al Snow, and Sandman to take on Van Dam, Sabu, Doug Furnas, and Phil Lafon. Van Dam's team lost the match.[49]
In 1998, Van Dam turnedface and started a feud withThe Triple Threat (Shane Douglas,Bam Bam Bigelow, andChris Candido).[50] AtHouse Party, Van Dam defeated Bam Bam Bigelow.[51] AtHostile City Showdown, Van Dam and Sabu defeated Axl Rotten andBalls Mahoney by disqualification.[52] The two went on to win afatal four-way elimination tag team match later that night.[52] AtCyberSlam, Van Dam and Sabu lost toWorld Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas and Bam Bam Bigelow.[53]
Van Dam's popularity increased when he got his first taste of ECW gold, on April 4 when he defeated Bam Bam Bigelow to win the World Television Championship.[54][55] Van Dam retained the belt in his first title defense on April 10 against Doug Furnas.[56] Sabu also expressed interest in Van Dam's championship, leading to a title match between the two atWrestlepalooza. Van Dam retained the title as the match ended in a time limit draw.[50][57]
AtA Matter of Respect, Van Dam and Sabu were forced to face each other in a tag team match as they both teamed up with World Tag Team Champions. Van Dam teamed with the one half of the champions, Lance Storm, while Sabu teamed with the other half, Chris Candido. Van Dam and Sabu reconciled and instead took out Storm and Candido making it a no contest.[50][58] Van Dam and Sabu started a feud with Storm and Candido in the next month for the tag team title.[50] On June 29, Van Dam and Sabu beat Storm and Candido to win the World Tag Team Championship,[59] which made Van Dam a double champion.[50] On October 24, Sabu and Van Dam lost the title to theDudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray andD-Von) after interference from Triple Threat.[50][60] Van Dam sought revenge and atNovember to Remember, Van Dam and Sabu teamed with Taz to defeat Triple Threat.[50][61] On December 13, Van Dam and Sabu won the World Tag Team Championship for a second time by beating the Dudley Boyz inJapan at aFrontier Martial-Arts WrestlingECW/FMW Supershow.[50][59]
Van Dam remained the World Television Champion for the rest of 1998, and he started 1999 by making successful title defenses against the likes ofSpike Dudley,[62] Lance Storm atGuilty as Charged,[63]Jerry Lynn atCrossing the Line '99, Balls Mahoney atAnarchy Rulz,[64] and 2 Cold Scorpio atCyberSlam.[65][66]
Van Dam and Sabu were scheduled to make a title defense on April 17, but Sabu was suspended by ECW before the match occurred.[66] Instead, Van Dam faced D-Von Dudley in a singles match and as a result of losing the match, Van Dam also lost the ECW World Tag Team Championship to the Dudleyz.[67] After losing the tag team titles, Van Dam focused on defending the Television title.[66] He entered into a rivalry with Jerry Lynn against whom he defended the Television title atHardcore Heaven in a "no time limit" match.[68] Van Dam retained the title, and the match was deemed so good thatPaul Heyman aired it onECW's debut onTNN in place of ashoot promo about TNN that he was planning, but was not allowed to air.[68] Van Dam continued to defend the ECW World Television Championship for the remainder of the year.
Van Dam began a feud withRhino in the beginning of 2000. Van Dam successfully defended the ECW World Television Championship against Rhino on January 7.[69] Van Dam got a victory during a title defense against Sabu atGuilty as Charged which was Sabu's last match in the promotion.[70][71] Van Dam was scheduled to perform in a "champion vs. champion" pay-per-view main event against the ECW World Heavyweight ChampionMike Awesome. This match potentially could have been ECW's most lucrative pay-per-view main event, and Heyman was depending on it to bring an influx of badly needed finances, but the match never occurred because Van Dam suffered a broken ankle during a successful title defense against Rhino on January 29.[70][72] The injury also forced Van Dam to vacate the ECW World Television Championship.
Van Dam returned to ECW atHardcore Heaven on May 14 and faced long-time rival Jerry Lynn. Van Dam was supported by hisreal-life friendScotty Anton who eventuallyturned on him when Van Dam was going to perform aFive-Star Frog Splash on Lynn. Anton pushed him from the top rope, which helped Lynn win the match.[70][73] Van Dam feuded with Anton and took his revenge atHeat Wave on July 16 by defeating Anton after debuting his new finisher called the "Van Terminator".[70][74] Van Dam then attempted to exact revenge on Rhino for forcing his injury. He received many opportunities to win the ECW World Television Championship back from Rhino, but Rhino's allies usually attacked Van Dam, causing disqualifications and allowing Rhino to retain the title.[70] AtAnarchy Rulz on October 1, Van Dam faced Rhino for the ECW World Television Championship but wasscrewed when a heel referee made a fast count during a pinfall attempt made by Rhino.[70][75]
Van Dam was not advertised and did not show for a large number of ECW events due to the large sum of money owed to him.[70] He appeared at ECW's final pay-per-view eventGuilty as Charged on January 7, 2001, where he defeated Jerry Lynn.[76][77] This was Van Dam's last appearance in ECW, as ECW only held two more shows after the pay-per-view.
In February and March 2001, Van Dam returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling for an eleventh tour as part of its "Excite Series". During the tour, Van Dam primarily wrestled in tag team matches, teaming with partners includingDanny Kroffat andGran Naniwa. His opponents during the tour included Giant Kimala and Sabu.[21]
Several months after the closure of ECW, Van Dam was signed to a short-term contract by theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF). Along with fellow ECW alumnus Tommy Dreamer, Van Dam returned to WWF television on the July 9, 2001, episode ofRaw is War inAtlanta, Georgia as aheel, and attacking WWF wrestlersKane andChris Jericho.[78][79] Later that night, five wrestlers from WWF and five wrestlers from WCW took on ten ECW wrestlers, including Van Dam. The match never took place as instead the WCW wrestlers aligned themselves with the ECW wrestlers.[78][79]
Despite being presented as a heel, Van Dam was popular with the WWF fans, who were aware of his reputation in ECW. After defeatingJeff Hardy for theWWF Hardcore Championship atWWF Invasion on July 22,[78][80][81][82] Van Dam lost the Hardcore Championship to Hardy on the August 13 episode ofRaw is War,[83] but regained it atSummerSlam on August 19 in a ladder match. During this time Van Dam had defeated wrestlers such as Kane,The Undertaker,Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho,The Rock and even Alliance leaderStone Cold Steve Austin in singles and tag team matches.[81][84] Van Dam became one of the most popular members ofthe Alliance who faced The Rock for theWCW Championship on multiple occasions, and even challenged Alliance leader Stone Cold Steve Austin for theWWF Championship including atriple threat match atNo Mercy on October 21 also involvingKurt Angle, but did not win. AtSurvivor Series on November 18, Van Dam and four other Alliance members faced five WWF wrestlers in aWinner Take All match. Team WWF won, and the members of the Alliance were fired; however, as he held theHardcore Championship, Van Dam was able to retain his job.[78][85]
Van Dam became a face, but lost the Hardcore Championship to The Undertaker atVengeance on December 9.[86][87] He then entered into a rivalry withWilliam Regal over Regal'sWWF Intercontinental Championship.[88] On the February 25, 2002 episode ofRaw, Van Dam defeated Lance Storm andBig Show in a triple threat match to become the #1 contender to the Intercontinental Championship.[88][89] AtWrestleMania X8 on March 17, Van Dam faced Regal for the Intercontinental Championship and won the match after he hit Regal with a Five-Star Frog Splash.[88][90][91]
When the WWF was divided into two "brands",Raw andSmackDown! in 2002, Van Dam wasdrafted to the Raw brand as the fourth pick, thus bringing the Intercontinental Championship toRaw.[92][93] On the April 1 episode ofRaw, after Van Dam defended his title successfully againstBooker T,Eddie Guerrero returned to the WWF and attacked Van Dam.[92][94] He started a feud with Guerrero over the Intercontinental Championship. AtBacklash on April 21, Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Guerrero.[92][95] AtInsurrextion on May 4, Van Dam and Guerrero had a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship. Guerrero was disqualified after hitting the referee with the Intercontinental Championship; as a result, Van Dam won the match but not the title because a title cannot change hands by disqualification.[92][96] AtJudgment Day on May 19, Van Dam failed to win the Intercontinental title from Guerrero in another rematch.[92][97] The following night he defeated The Undertaker for theWWE Undisputed Championship but Raw ownerRic Flair restarted the match (due to The Undertaker's foot being on the bottom rope), which Van Dam then lost negating the title win.[92][98] On the May 27 episode ofRaw, Van Dam defeated Guerrero in aladder match for his second Intercontinental Championship.[92][99][100]
After facing each other in the final round of the2002King of the Ring tournament (which he lost), Van Dam andBrock Lesnar began feuding with each other. Van Dam defended his Intercontinental Championship against Lesnar twice and retained his title both times by disqualification on the June 24 episode ofRaw and atVengeance on July 21.[92][101][102] On the July 22 episode ofRaw, Van Dam won theWWE European Championship for the first and only time[note 1] after he defeated then-European Champion Jeff Hardy in achampionship unificationladder match. As a result, the European Championship was deactivated upon being unified with the Intercontinental Championship. On the July 29 episode ofRaw, Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship toChris Benoit.[92][103]
AtSummerSlam on August 25, Van Dam won his third Intercontinental Championship by defeating Benoit in a rematch for the title.[92][104][105] As Benoit brought the title toSmackDown! when he switched brands shortly after winning it, Van Dam brought the title back toRaw.[92] On the August 26 episode ofRaw, Van Dam won the Hardcore Championship for the fourth and final time after he defeated then-Hardcore Champion Tommy Dreamer in a championship unificationhardcore match. As a result, the Hardcore Championship was deactivated upon being unified with the Intercontinental Championship.[81][92][106] On the September 9 episode ofRaw, Van Dam became the number one contender to theWorld Heavyweight Championship by defeating Chris Jericho,Jeff Hardy, andBig Show in afatal four-way elimination match.[92][107]
Van Dam started feuding with the World Heavyweight ChampionTriple H. On the September 16 episode ofRaw, Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Chris Jericho after interference by Triple H.[92][108] AtUnforgiven on September 22, Van Dam faced Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. Due toRic Flair's interference, Van Dam lost the match.[92][109] AtNo Mercy on October 20, Van Dam got his revenge on Flair by defeating him.[92][110] AtSurvivor Series on November 17, Van Dam participated in the first-everElimination Chamber match for Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship, but it was won byShawn Michaels. During the match, Van Dam performed a Five-Star Frog Splash off of one of the pods/chambers onto Triple H, and accidentally landed his knee onto Triple H's throat.[92][111]
Van Dam appeared on the World Heavyweight Championship scene and also formed a tag team with Kane in October.[92] Van Dam defeated Jericho and Booker T in aTriple Threat match to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.[92][112] On the November 25 episode ofRaw, Van Dam faced Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship. Michaels was disqualified after Triple H hit Van Dam with aPedigree.[92][113] On the December 2 episode ofRaw, Van Dam lost to Triple H in a #1 contender's match with World Heavyweight Champion Shawn Michaels acting as thespecial guest referee.[92][114]
Van Dam continued to team up with Kane. Van Dam participated in theRoyal Rumble on January 19, 2003, and was one of the final five participants before being tricked and eliminated by Kane. The two faced Lance Storm and William Regal atNo Way Out on February 23 for theWorld Tag Team Championship but failed to win the titles when Kane mistakenlychokeslammed Van Dam.[115] On the March 31 episode ofRaw, Van Dam and Kane defeated World Tag Team Champions Lance Storm andChief Morley and The Dudley Boyz in a3-way elimination tag team match to win the World Tag Team Championship.[116][117] AtBacklash on April 27, Van Dam and Kane retained the titles against The Dudley Boyz with Morley as the special guest referee.[118] AtInsurrextion on June 7, Van Dam and Kane defended the World Tag Team Championship successfully against La Résistance,[119][120] before losing the titles to La Résistance atBad Blood on June 15.[119][121]
After Kane was forced to take his mask off when he lost a World Heavyweight Championship match to Triple H on the June 23 episode ofRaw, heturned heel by chokeslamming Van Dam, and the team dissolved. The two then started feuding with each other.[119] On the August 18 episode ofRaw, Van Dam facedChristian for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, but Kane interfered in the match and knocked Van Dam out after hitting him with a chair. Kane then took Van Dam to the backstage area and was about to set him on fire. Kane changed his mind at the last minute, however, and said that he was not going to do what "they" wanted.[122] Their rivalry led to aNo Holds Barred match atSummerSlam on August 24, which Kane won.[119][123] On the September 8 episode ofRaw, the rivalry ended when Kane defeated Van Dam in asteel cage match. Kane threw Van Dam through the steel cage by mistake (causing Van Dam to win), butEric Bischoff came out and restarted the match, saying Van Dam did not escape through the door or climb out of the cage and ordered the referees to put Van Dam back inside the cage where Kane eventually hit a chokeslam from the side of the cage to pick up the victory.[119][124]
In September, Van Dam started feuding with both Christian and Chris Jericho over Christian's Intercontinental Championship. On the September 15 episode ofRaw, Van Dam faced Jericho in a number one contender's match for the title. The match ended in a double disqualification when Intercontinental Champion Christian interfered and hit both men with the title belt.[119][125] AtUnforgiven on September 21 in a triple threat match between Jericho, Christian, and Van Dam, Christian retained his title.[119][126][127] Van Dam, however, defeated Christian in a ladder match on the September 29 episode ofRaw to win the Intercontinental Championship for a fourth time.[128] Van Dam entered into a rivalry with Chris Jericho in October, and the two faced each other in several tag team matches.[126] On the October 27 episode ofRaw, Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Jericho. Van Dam reached the ropes when the challenger had him in theWalls of Jericho, but Raw Co-General Manager Eric Bischoff distracted the referee while Jericho dragged Van Dam back into the middle of the ring. Van Dam submitted and Jericho became the new champion.[119][126][129] Raw Co-General Manager Stone Cold Steve Austin came out and immediately ordered Jericho to face Van Dam in a rematch inside the Steel Cage for the title. Van Dam won the rematch and his fifth Intercontinental Championship.[126][129][130]
AtSurvivor Series on November 16, Van Dam was pinned byRandy Orton during the traditional elimination match between Team Austin and Team Bischoff that Van Dam's team would lose.[119][131] As a result, Orton and Van Dam started feuding with each other over Van Dam's Intercontinental title.[119] Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Orton atArmageddon on December 14 after interference from Ric Flair.[119][126][132] Van Dam went on to feud with both Orton and Evolution. On the January 12, 2004, episode ofRaw, Van Dam faced Orton in a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship but lost the match.[133][134]
Van Dam formed a tag team withBooker T. The two teamed for the first time on the January 19 episode ofRaw when they defeated Christian andMatt Hardy to qualify for a battle royal where the winner of the Battle Royal would get the #30 spot in the2004 Royal Rumble match on January 25.[133][135] On the February 16 episode ofRaw, Booker T and Van Dam defeatedEvolution members Ric Flair andBatista to win the World Tag Team Championship.[133][136] AtWrestleMania XX on March 14, Booker T and Van Dam defended the World Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way elimination tag team match against the Dudley Boyz, La Résistance, and the team ofMark Jindrak andGarrison Cade.[133][137] On the March 22 episode ofRaw, Booker T and Van Dam lost the World Tag Team Championship back toEvolution.[133][138]
On March 22, Van Dam wasdrafted to the SmackDown! brand.[139] He made hisSmackDown! debut on March 25 defeatingCharlie Haas. Van Dam andRey Mysterio began a feud with the Dudley Boyz, defeating them atJudgment Day on May 16.[139][140] In June, Van Dam left the tag team division and began a pursuit for theUnited States Championship. AtThe Great American Bash on June 27,John Cena defended the title against Van Dam, Booker T, andRené Duprée in a Fatal Four-Way match and retained his championship.[139][141] On the July 1 episode ofSmackDown!, Van Dam and Duprée lost to Booker T in a number one contender's Triple Threat match.[139][142] Four weeks later, Van Dam participated in an8-way elimination match for the vacant United States Championship, and was the last man to be eliminated by eventual winner Booker T.[139][143]
Van Dam began teaming up with Mysterio again in the summer and feuded with René Duprée andKenzo Suzuki. AtNo Mercy on October 3, Van Dam and Mysterio failed to win theWWE Tag Team Championship from Dupree and Suzuki.[139][144] On the December 9 episode ofSmackDown!, Van Dam and Mysterio defeated Duprée and Suzuki to win the WWE Tag Team Championship,[145] and retained the title in a rematch atArmageddon on December 12.[139][146] In January 2005, Van Dam suffered a knee injury. To explain his absence, theBasham Brothers (Doug andDanny) defeated Mysterio and Van Dam for the WWE Tag Team Championship, in a Fatal Four-Way elimination tag team match on the January 13 episode ofSmackDown!, "injuring" Van Dam in the process.[147][148] On January 27, Van Dam underwent reconstructive knee surgery under Dr. James Andrews to repair a tornanterior cruciate ligament andmeniscus.[126][147]
While recuperating, Van Dam made an appearance at the ECW reunion pay-per-viewECW One Night Stand on June 12. Accompanied by his former manager Bill Alfonso and sporting a knee brace, Van Dam delivered aworked shootpromo, standing up for ECW and criticizing the way he had beenbooked in WWE, until he was attacked byRhyno. He was saved by Sabu, who defeated Rhyno in an impromptu match. Despite his injury, Van Dam got physically involved in the match, hitting Rhyno with a chairshot and giving him aChair Surf.[149] On the June 27 episode ofRaw, Van Dam, while still healing, was drafted to the Raw brand in the2005 draft lottery. He was introduced toRaw byCarlito, who insulted Van Dam before attacking him and assaulting his knee. Van Dam made his return to the ring over seven months later at theRoyal Rumble on January 29, 2006. He gained revenge on Carlito by eliminating him, but was in turn inadvertently eliminated by Rey Mysterio in the final moments. On the February 6 episode ofRaw, Van Dam defeated Carlito in the first round of the Road to WrestleMania Tournament to determine the number one contender to the WWE Championship, but lost in the final round to Triple H, in a triple threat match, which also featured Big Show. Later, Van Dam defeatedTrevor Murdoch to qualify for theMoney in the Bank ladder match atWrestleMania 22 on April 2. Van Dam went on to win the match, thus earning himself a guaranteed shot at either the WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship at any time within the subsequent year.[150]
Following the ladder match,Shelton Benjamin challenged Van Dam to put his Money in the Bank opportunity on the line in a match. Van Dam countered by requesting a match for Benjamin's Intercontinental Championship. One week later, both Van Dam and Benjamin picked mystery opponents for one another, with the loser placing their respective prize on the line in a bout atBacklash on April 30. Benjamin lost to the returningCharlie Haas, while Van Dam was defeated by all five members of theSpirit Squad. As a result, both the Intercontinental Championship and the Money in the Bank title shot were contested at Backlash. Van Dam went on to win the former, before dropping the Intercontinental Championship back to Benjamin on the May 15 episode ofRaw.
On May 29, Van Dam was selected by Paul Heyman to bedrafted to WWE's newECW brand. AtECW One Night Stand on June 11, Van Dam cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship. After two referees were knocked out,Edge appeared from underneath the ring to attack Cena,spearing him through a table. Van Dam then hit aFive Star Frog Splash and the pinfall was counted by Paul Heyman, who suddenly ran down the aisle. On the following episode ofRaw,Vince McMahon confirmed that the title change was official due to the match being held under "extreme rules". For the past few weeks, Heyman had hinted that the WWE Championship would be "rechristened" the ECW World Heavyweight Championship when Van Dam won. On the debut ofECW, Van Dam was awarded the reinstatedECW World Heavyweight Championship by Heyman and decided to defend the WWE Championship separately and simultaneously, joking that "this one spins", becoming the first wrestler in history to hold both the WWE Championship and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship as well as the only one to hold them at the same time, making him a double world champion. He would become the 15th WWETriple Crown Champion as a result of his WWE Championship win.
AtVengeance on June 25, Van Dam defeated Edge to retain the WWE Championship. Two nights later onECW, Van Dam defeated Kurt Angle to retain the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.[151] On the July 3 episode ofRaw, Van Dam lost the WWE Championship to Edge in a triple threat match that also featured John Cena. The next night on the July 4 episode ofECW, he lost the ECW World Heavyweight Championship to Big Show after Heymanturned on him. Later on WWE.com, Heyman suspended Van Dam for 30 days without giving a reason (in reality, WWE suspended Van Dam for 30 days as a result ofhis recent drug possession arrest).[152]
He returned to television on the August 8 episode ofECW, attacking both Sabu andKurt Angle during a match. His return to the ring came a week later, in a losing effort to Sabu in aladder match for number one contendership to the now renamed ECW World Championship. Van Dam slowly worked his way back into the championship picture. In October, Van Dam defeated Big Show in a non-title match to regain the number one contendership. Having the option to pick a date for the title, Van Dam announced the title match would occur atDecember to Dismember on December 3. However, Heyman had the option of picking the match type and announced that the main event would be a six-manExtreme Elimination Chamber match. At December to Dismember, Van Dam was the third participant eliminated. Later in December, Van Dam once again earned the number one contendership to the ECW World Championship, but this time by a fan poll. Van Dam got three matches against ECW World ChampionBobby Lashley, coming up short each time.
Rob Van Dam later joined theECW Originals along with Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, andThe Sandman. The ECW Originals began a feud with theNew Breed (Elijah Burke,Kevin Thorn,Marcus Cor Von, andMatt Striker). The two teams faced off atWrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007 in a match which the ECW Originals won. After Vince McMahon won the ECW World Championship atBacklash on April 29, Van Dam and the other ECW Originals made statements on WWE.com about McMahon killing ECW. On the May 1 episode ofECW, the ECW Originals all competed in a fatal four-way match to decide who would take on McMahon the next week in a title match, which Van Dam won after a five-star frog splash on Sandman. Van Dam, however, had to face McMahon,Shane McMahon, andUmaga in a 3-on-1 handicap match, which Van Dam was unable to win.
Van Dam received a concussion during a match withRandy Orton on the May 28 episode ofRaw.[153] Orton further attacked Van Dam after the match due to the comments Van Dam made on WWE.com about the lack of respect Orton displayed towardsShawn Michaels, who also suffered a concussion at the hands of Orton. Van Dam once again faced Orton atOne Night Stand on June 3, this time in aStretcher match. Although it looked as if Orton was going to win again, Van Dam gave him aroundhouse kick to the head and was able to push the stretcher across the line for the win. Despite winning the match, Orton continued to attack Van Dam, ending with anelevated DDT off the barricade and onto the concrete floor, in which Van Dam was carried out on a stretcher. After the match, Van Dam left WWE due to being burnt out and needing time away.
The day after Van Dam's WWE contract expired, he was in the United Kingdom on a promotional tour and to record scenes for the wrestling documentary,Bloodstained Memoirs. He also took part in interviews for theBBC.[154]
Van Dam defeatedBooker T at Pro Wrestling Alliance Christmas Chaos on December 28, 2007, in Pasadena, Texas.[155]
In an interview with theBaltimore Sun, Van Dam stated that while WWE would be the first choice and that he would definitely talk to them, he would definitely considerTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) if he returned full-time to pro wrestling.[156] While not under contract, Van Dam made an unannounced return on WWE's15th Anniversary Raw in December 2007,squashingSantino Marella with a Five-Star Frog Splash.[157] He made a similarly unannounced appearance as a participant in the2009 Royal Rumble, which he failed to win as he was eliminated byChris Jericho.[158]
He returned to theindependent circuit by competing for Associação Portuguesa de Wrestling (APW) in February 2008. He then also appeared for Nu-Wrestling Evolution (NWE) throughout countries such asSpain. On August 14, 2008, he won a triple threat match at theInoki Genome Federation (IGF) inJapan after defeatingKendo Kashin andNecro Butcher.[159]
On March 9, 2009, it was announced that Van Dam would be competing in American Wrestling Rampage (AWR) on their European Tour, during which he won the promotion's No Limits Wrestling (NLW) Championship in a three way bout versus Sabu and former champion Shawn Maxer.[160] He lost the title toRené Duprée after three successful defenses. In November he regained the title, renamed the AWR World Heavyweight Championship at this point, from Duprée on November 29 winning two decisions in a Two Out of Three Falls match. On September 11, 2009, in the World Stars of Wrestling (WSW) European Championship events inPortimão, Portugal, Van Dam won the WSW World Championship, by defeatingJoe E. Legend. On the following night he defended his newly won title againstLance Cade.
On January 30, 2010, Van Dam made his debut forPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) as part ofWrestleReunion 4, defeatingChris Hero andRoderick Strong in a "Sky High" three-way match.[161]
On March 8, 2010, Van Dam made his debut forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) at the promotion'sMonday night episode ofImpact!, defeatingSting. Then just seconds after his debut victory Sting attacked him and laterHulk Hogan with his signature baseball bat.[162] Van Dam got his revenge on Sting the following week by attacking him during his entrance.[163] Van Dam teamed withJeff Hardy in a tag team match, where they defeatedBeer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode andJames Storm) on the March 22 episode ofImpact!.[164] The following week the two of them teamed withEric Young and defeatedThe Band (Kevin Nash,Scott Hall andSyxx-Pac) in a six-man tag team steel cage match.[165] AtLockdown on April 18, both Van Dam and Hardy became members of Team Hogan (joiningAbyss andJeff Jarrett) for the annualLethal Lockdown match, where they defeated Team Flair (Sting,Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode and James Storm).[166]
The night after Lockdown he first defeated Jeff Hardy in a number one contender's match and then, in the main event of the evening,A.J. Styles to become the newTNA World Heavyweight Champion.[167] After succeeding in his first televised title defense against Desmond Wolfe, Styles attacked Van Dam, announcing the invocation of the rematch clause forSacrifice on May 16.[168] At Sacrifice Van Dam defeated Styles in a rematch.[169] The following month atSlammiversary VIII on June 13 Van Dam retained his title against Sting in a rematch of his TNA debut.[170] Van Dam defeated Abyss, Jeff Hardy andMr. Anderson in a four-way match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship atVictory Road on July 11.[171] On the following episode ofImpact! Van Dam aligned himself with fellow ECW alumni Tommy Dreamer,Raven,Stevie Richards,Rhino,Brother Devon,Pat Kenney,Al Snow andMick Foley, who saved him from a beating at the hands of Abyss.[172][173][174]
The following week, TNA presidentDixie Carter agreed to give the ECW alumni their own reunion pay–per–view event,Hardcore Justice on August 8.[175] At Hardcore Justice, Van Dam defeated former tag team partner and rival Sabu in a non-title Hardcore Rules match, after his originally planned match with Jerry Lynn was scrapped due to Lynn suffering a back injury.[176] After successfully defending the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Abyss in aStairway to Janice match on the following special edition ofImpact!, namedThe Whole F'n Show, Van Dam and the other former ECW wrestlers were assaulted by Abyss andFourtune.[177][178] In the attack Van Dam suffered multiple seriousstoryline injuries at the hands of Abyss including the need for stitches, spinal trauma and possible acute brain damage, which would force him to vacate the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on August 10 at the taping of the August 19 episode ofImpact!.[179][180][181] In reality, Van Dam was running out of dates per year on his contract and was therefore taken off television.[182]
Van Dam returned via telephone interview on the September 16 episode ofImpact! and announced that he would return to the Impact! Zone the following week, against his doctor's orders.[183] Van Dam returned the following week, confronting Abyss and demanding a match against him atBound for Glory on October 10, which Eric Bischoff agreed to give him.[184] At Bound for Glory Van Dam defeated Abyss in aMonster's Ball match. At the end of Bound for Glory it was revealed thatHulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff had sent Abyss after Van Dam in order to get the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on their own representative, Jeff Hardy. Van Dam confronted the group, later namedImmortal, after Hardy had won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, only to get hit with the title belt.[185] On the October 21 episode ofImpact! Bischoff claimed that someone from EV 2.0 had been calling him, trying to get to be a part of Immortal, which led to Van Dam getting paranoid about his stablemates, first accusing Raven of being the traitor. Later, he and Sabu were defeated in a tag team match by Beer Money, Inc., after Sabu accidentally hit him with a chair. After the match Van Dam and Sabu began shoving each other and had to be separated from each other by the rest of EV 2.0.[186] After two more weeks of dissension between Van Dam and the rest of EV 2.0, Tommy Dreamer challenged him to a match atTurning Point on November 7.[187][188] At Turning Point Van Dam defeated Dreamer and afterwards made peace with him.[189] On the following episode ofImpact! Rhino turned heel by attacking Van Dam and Dreamer, revealing himself as the traitor Van Dam had been looking for.[190] AtFinal Resolution on December 5 Van Dam defeated Rhino in aFirst Blood match.[191]
On January 4, 2011, Van Dam traveled to Japan with other TNA wrestlers to take partNew Japan Pro-Wrestling's (NJPW) fifth annualWrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome, where he defeatedToru Yano in a hardcore match.[192][193] AtGenesis on January 9, Van Dam was defeated by Immortal's surprise opponent, the debuting Matt Hardy, when refereeJackson James missed Van Dam's foot under the ropes, thus failing to earn a shot at his brother Jeff's TNA World Heavyweight Championship. During the main event Van Dam prevented Matt from interfering in Jeff's match with Mr. Anderson, which led to Jeff losing the title.[194] The following month atAgainst All Odds on February 13, Van Dam defeated Matt Hardy in a rematch.[195] On the following episode ofImpact!, Van Dam finally received his shot at Jeff Hardy and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but was unable to regain the title.[196] On March 13 atVictory Road, Van Dam wrestled Mr. Anderson to a double countout in a TNA World Heavyweight Championship number one contender's match.[197] On April 17 atLockdown, Van Dam failed in his attempt to regain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Sting in a three–way steel cage match, which also included Anderson.[198] The following month atSacrifice on May 15, Van Dam again failed to regain the title, this time in a singles match with Sting.[199]
Van Dam represented TNA at Mexican promotionAAA'sTriplemanía XIX pay-per-view on June 18, 2011. In the main event of the show, Van Dam was defeated byDr. Wagner, Jr. in a match to determine the first everAAA Latin American Champion.[200] AtDestination X on July 10, Van Dam defeated longtime rival Jerry Lynn in a singles match.[201] On August 7 atHardcore Justice, Van Dam, at the time ranked number two in theBound for Glory Series, facedCrimson, ranked number one, in a tournament match. Van Dam lost the match via disqualification, when Jerry Lynn entered the ring, costing him not only the match, but also several places in the tournament's standings.[202] Lynn cost Van Dam another Bound for Glory Series match against A.J. Styles in similar fashion on the August 18Impact Wrestling.[203] Lynn turned on Van Dam on the September 1Impact Wrestling, costing him his match withGunner and, in the process, eliminating him from the finals of the Bound for Glory Series.[204] The following week Lynn explained his turn by claiming that he was tired of being in Van Dam's shadow.[205] Van Dam defeated Lynn in aFull Metal Mayhem match atBound for Glory on October 16.[206]
On the October 27 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Van Dam defeatedChristopher Daniels by disqualification after Daniels hit him with a toolbox.[207] Two weeks later, Van Dam prevented Daniels from using a screwdriver to illegally defeat A.J. Styles in a singles match which would cost Daniels the match.[208] AtTurning Point on November 13, Van Dam defeated Daniels in a No Disqualification match.[209] In retaliation, Daniels cost him his match for theTNA Television Championship againstRobbie E on the December 1 episode ofImpact Wrestling.[210] Van Dam defeated Daniels atFinal Resolution on December 11 again to end their feud.[211]
After wrestling to a double countout on the January 5, 2012, edition ofImpact Wrestling, Gunner made a failed attempt to piledrive Van Dam into the concrete floor after Van Dam back body dropped him onto it.[212] On January 8 atGenesis, Van Dam was defeated by Gunner and was afterwards stretchered backstage, after taking a DDT onto the concrete floor.[213] After a near three-month absence Van Dam resumed working live events in late March.[214][215] Van Dam returned toImpact Wrestling on April 12, being revealed as the fifth member ofGarett Bischoff's team atLockdown on April 15.[216] At Lockdown, Team Garett defeated a team led by Eric Bischoff.[217] On the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson in a three-way match to become the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[218] Van Dam received his title opportunity in a ladder match on May 13 atSacrifice, but was defeated by the defending champion, Bobby Roode.[219] AtSlammiversary on June 10, Van Dam was defeated by Mr. Anderson in a three-way number one contender's match, also involving Jeff Hardy.[220] Later that week onImpact Wrestling, Van Dam entered the2012 Bound for Glory Series.[221] AtHardcore Justice on August 12, Van Dam defeatedMagnus andMr. Anderson in a Falls Count Anywhere match. He wrestled his final match in the tournament on the September 6Impact Wrestling, losing toBully Ray, thus finishing fifth and narrowly missing the semifinals of the tournament.[222] On the October 4 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Van Dam unsuccessfully challengedSamoa Joe for the TNA Television Championship.[223]
The following week, Van Dam was allowed to pick his opponent forBound for Glory on October 14 and opted to challengeZema Ion for theTNA X Division Championship.[224] Van Dam defeated Ion to win the X Division Championship for the first time at Bound for Glory.[225] On the October 25Impact Wrestling, Van Dam made his first successful title defense, defeating Ion in a rematch. Following the win, he would be attacked byMatt Morgan andJoey Ryan.[226] The following week, Van Dam was defeated by Ryan in a non-title match after an interference from Matt Morgan. Afterwards, he would again be attacked by Morgan.[227] On November 11 atTurning Point, Van Dam defeated Ryan to retain the X Division Championship, after which, he would be attacked by Matt Morgan for the third consecutive time.[228] Four days later onImpact Wrestling, he successfully defended the title againstKid Kash.[229] Van Dam retained the X Division Championship againstAustin Aries on November 29 after losing to him via disqualification, following interference from Bully Ray.[230]
Van Dam made another successful title defense on December 9 atFinal Resolution, defeatingKenny King.[231] On the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, Van Dam lost a non-title match to King, when King pinned him with his feet on the ropes.[232] On January 13, 2013, atGenesis, Van Dam defeatedChristian York to retain the X Division Championship.[233] On the February 7 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Van Dam successfully defended the X Division Championship against Kenny King and Zema Ion in a three-way match.[234] Two weeks later, Van Dam defeated King again to retain his title.[235] Van Dam lost the X Division Championship to King on the February 28Impact Wrestling, ending Van Dam's reign at 137 days.[236] In March 2013, Van Dam's TNA contract expired and he did an interview about his future with TNA, stating that he would return to television in WWE or TNA, saying that he was negotiating with both companies.[237] According to Van Dam, he lost his passion for professional wrestling during his work in TNA due to the attitude of his coworkers.[238]
On June 16, 2013, atPayback, it was announced that Van Dam would be returning atMoney in the Bank as one of the participants in theWWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match along with Christian,CM Punk,Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, andSheamus,[239][240] however, the match was ultimately won by Orton on July 14.[241] In his first singles match for the company since 2007, Van Dam defeatedChris Jericho the following night onRaw. He would then go on a short winning streak defeating the likes ofDarren Young,Fandango andWade Barrett which would lead to a United States Championship opportunity againstDean Ambrose atSummerSlam which Van Dam would win via disqualification which meant Ambrose retained the title. Van Dam was then put in a feud with the then-World Heavyweight ChampionAlberto Del Rio, including Del Rio's personal announcer Ricardo Rodriguez becoming Van Dam's announcer, facing Del Rio atNight of Champions (winning via disqualification) andBattleground, but he could not win the title.[242][243][244] After this match, Van Dam took a sabbatical from television.
Van Dam returned to WWE on the April 7, 2014, episode ofRaw, defeatingDamien Sandow and would later defeat him once more in a rematch on the followingSmackDown.[245] Shortly after, he entered into anWWE Intercontinental Championship tournament, defeatingAlberto Del Rio in the first round andCesaro in the semifinals but lost in the final round toBad News Barrett.[246] Following this he entered into a feud with Cesaro and Jack Swagger, having gained pinfall victories over both men in the lead up toExtreme Rules, Van Dam would go on to lose to Cesaro andJack Swagger in aTriple Threat Elimination match, which was won by Cesaro after pinning Van Dam last, who had pinned Swagger first. Following Extreme Rules, Van Dam would once more go on to defeat Cesaro and Jack Swagger on separate occasions in rematches on bothRaw andSmackDown. On the May 19 edition ofRaw, Van Dam won aBeat the Clock challenge match by defeating Alberto Del Rio in the fastest time, to become the top contender for the Intercontinental Championship atPayback,[247] although he lost to Barrett at Payback. On the June 16 episode ofRaw, Van Dam competed in a Battle Royal with the winner gaining a WWE World Heavyweight Championship opportunity, the match was won byRoman Reigns.[248] AtMoney in the Bank, Van Dam took part in the Money in the Bank Ladder match for the briefcase, but was won by Seth Rollins.[249] AtSummerSlam, Van Dam defeated Cesaro during the pre-show.[250] Following SummerSlam, Van Dam would go on to team with Roman Reigns and Sheamus in a six-man tag team match in a winning effort againstRandy Orton,Ryback andCurtis Axel on the August 18 episode ofRaw. After defeating Seth Rollins by countout on the August 26 edition ofMain Event, Van Dam's final match with WWE was on the August 29 episode ofSmackDown, where he faced Rollins in a losing effort.[251][252] He made an appearance at the2014 Slammy Awards to present the Slammy Award for Extreme Moment of the Year.[253]
In 2015, Van Dam appeared at many circuit shows including one night appearances atHouse of Hardcore. On June 7, 2015, Van Dam performed atCiti Field for the Legends of Wrestling and defeatedScott Steiner by pinfall. During a post match attacked by Steiner andDoc Gallows,Goldberg would come to his aid and spear Steiner.[254] Van Dam facedJohn Morrison at Pro Wrestling Syndicate in Rahway, New Jersey, on October 24, 2015, in a losing effort. After the match, Morrison shook hands with Van Dam and led the crowd in an "RVD" chant.[255][256] Van Dam would compete forPro Wrestling Pride (PWP) in June 2016, defeating thenPWP Catch Division Champion Scotty Essex inTaunton,England. Van Dam facedPentagón Jr. for PCW Heavyweight Championship atPCW Ultra in Torrance, California, on November 11, 2016, in a winning effort, it was his first championship after he left WWE in 2014. Van Dam was scheduled to compete in a 128-man tournament starting from June 10, 2017, hosted by5 Star Wrestling, which was later postponed to February 2018. On July 30, Van Dam was announced to compete atInsane Championship Wrestling (ICW) Fear & Loathing X againstLionheart.
On February 8, 2019, it was revealed that Van Dam would return to TNA, now namedImpact Wrestling at theirWrestleMania 35-weekend show,United We Stand. At United We Stand on April 4, 2019, he teamed with Sabu and facedLucha Bros (Pentagón Jr. andFénix) in a hardcore match.[257] After indicating in interviews that he would be working with the company more, on April 3, Van Dam announced that he had signed a short-term deal with Impact and would be appearing on their programming following United We Stand.[258] His contract initially ran throughBound for Glory in October.[259] His return to Impact television occurred in late-April, where he defeatedEthan Page.[260] Van Dam then formed an alliance with ECW alumniTommy Dreamer andSabu to feud with Page,Josh Alexander andMoose.[261] The trio would defeat Moose, Page and Alexander in a six-man tag.[262] AtBash at the Brewery in July, Van Dam defeatedSami Callihan in an Extreme Rules match.[263] A few days later, the storyline between Moose and Van Dam came to a close, as Moose defeated Van Dam atSlammiversary XVII.[264]On October 20, 2019, onBound for Glory, Van Dam teamed withRhino where they challenged for theImpact World Tag Team Championship. At the climax of the match, Van Dam turned heel for the first time in his Impact Wrestling career, as well as his first heel turn since being a member of the Alliance during his WWF/E career, by attacking Rhino,Willie Mack, andRich Swann, losing the match in the process.[265] During early 2020, Van Dam was part of a censorious heel stable called "Cancel Culture" along withJoey Ryan andJake Crist. However, this story abruptly ended when Ryan's contract was terminated amid over a dozen allegations of sexual assault. His last storyline with Impact Wrestling was with Sami Callihan, whom Van Dam defeated in his final match for the promotion which aired on September 22, 2020, edition ofImpact![266] before leaving the promotion in September 2020.[267]
Despite his association with Impact Wrestling, Van Dam made a one-night return to WWE for the specialRaw Reunion episode ofRaw on July 22, 2019.[268]
Following heavy speculation, it was announced by WWE andFox Sports on March 29 that Van Dam would be an inductee into the2021WWE Hall of Fame class.[269] He later made an appearance at the 2022 Hall of Fame ceremony.
On April 28, 2023, Van Dam appeared on Friday Night SmackDown to announce second round WWE draft picks for RAW. He would appear the next week on RAW, May 1, to announce the fourth round draft picks for Friday Night SmackDown.
On September 13, 2024, Van Dam was shown in attendance for SmackDown's return to theUSA Network.[270]
Van Dam appeared on the October 29, 2024 episode ofNXT to say that he would be appearing atNXT 2300.[271]
On April 30, 2022, it was announced that Van Dam would make his in-ring debut inCyberFight'sPro Wrestling Noah on June 12, at theCyberFight Festival 2022.[272] He was scheduled to team with theStinger duo ofHayata andYoshinari Ogawa to faceKaito Kiyomiya,Daisuke Harada andYo-Hey.
On August 2, 2023, Van Dam made his debut inAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), appearing onAEW Dynamite to challengeFTW ChampionJack Perry on behalf of longtime rivalJerry Lynn. On the following week'sDynamite, Van Dam unsuccessfully challenged Perry for his championship title in anFTW Rules match. Van Dam then made several further appearances teaming withHook.[273]
On the January 31, 2024, episode ofDynamite, Van Dam returned to AEW in a losing effort againstSwerve Strickland in ahardcore match. Van Dam would later slate fans who had questioned whether or not he could "still go" at his age against Strickland.[274] On the February 21 episode ofDynamite, Van Dam teamed with Hook and"Hangman" Adam Page in a losing effort againstAEW World ChampionSamoa Joe andMogul Embassy (Strickland andBrian Cage). On the April 20 episode ofAEW Rampage, Van Dam picked up his first singles victory in AEW, defeatingIsiah Kassidy,Komander, andLee Johnson in a "High Flying4/20"four-way elimination match.
The name "Rob Van Dam" was given to him in 1992 byRon Slinker, a promoter inFlorida, possibly because of hismartial arts experience and his resemblance to actorJean-Claude Van Damme.[275] During the early years of his career, he used asplit-legged moonsault as finisher, until he adopted theFrog Splash (named Five Star Frog Splash) as finisher.[276] DuringWWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2021, WWE's chairman Vince McMahon and Triple H said that he changed the style of wrestling.[277]
Van Dam has appeared on numerous television shows and in films. In 1995, he was inSuperfights as "The Mercenary", and in 1997 he appeared inBloodmoon as "Dutch Scholtz". On October 23, 1999, he appeared inCity Guys, in the episode "El-Trainmania IV" as himself. In 2000 he appeared in18 Wheels of Justice, on August 2 as "Robert Laramie", and inThe X-Files on May 7 as "Burt's opponent" in the episode "Fight Club". He also appeared onV.I.P. in the episode "Survi-Val" as "Major Ving Talbot" that year. On July 26, 2001, he appeared as himself onSpy TV, and again later that year he appeared as himself inUltimate Revenge on December 2. In 2002, he was featured in the music video forBreaking Point's "One of a Kind" along with starring in two films,Black Mask 2: City of Masks as "Claw", and a cameo appearance inThe Backyard as himself. In 2005, theRob Van Dam: One of a Kind DVD was released. He also appeared onHulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling in 2008 teaching finishing moves to the celebrities. In 2011 he worked alongside WWE wrestlersDave Bautista andNelson Frazier Jr. in a movie titledWrong Side of Town which was released the following year.[citation needed]
Van Dam started up RVD Radio on October 8, 2008, with the help of Brett Cohen, a producer forBlogTalkRadio. The episodes have changed between an hour and two-hour-long, initially held weekly but now sporadically held at www.blogtalkradio.com/rvdradio.[citation needed]
In November 2010 he was a contestant on an all TNA week ofFamily Feud, teaming withJay Lethal,Matt Morgan,Mick Foley andMr. Anderson in a winning effort againstAngelina Love,Christy Hemme,Lacey Von Erich,Tara andVelvet Sky.[278]
He also provides the voice for the character "Bobby", who served as a commentator for the Professor Genki side-quests, in the video gamesSaints Row: The Third andSaints Row IV.[citation needed]
Van Dam has appeared in multiple video games, includingECW Hardcore Revolution in 2000, with his most recent being inWWE 2K24.[citation needed]
Szatkowski is ofBelgian andPolish ancestry. Szatkowski married Sonia Delbeck on September 6, 1998, the couple separated in December 2015. In July 2016, Delbeck filed for divorce from Szatkowski.[279] The divorce was finalized in May 2018.[280] In 2016, Szatkowski began dating fellow professional wrestler Katie Forbes. In 2021, Forbes and Szatkowski had gotten married.[281][280]
Szatkowski is an advocate for thelegalization of cannabis.[282] He has discussed the topic in various media, including onMSNBC where he debated former U.S. "drug czar"Barry McCaffrey.[283] Szatkowski is also a consumer of cannabis, believing it to be an athletic enhancer.[284] His personal affinity for cannabis has been reflected in his wrestling persona,[284] including his use of the phrase "RVD420 means I just smoked your ass."[285]
In 2020, Szatkowski established and licensed his name to RVDCBD, acannabinoids company specializing inCBD and cannabis paraphernalia.[286][287] In 2021, he was named chairman of United American Petroleum Corp (UAPC), a shell company that acquired RVDCBD and seeks to acquire other cannabis properties.[288]
On July 3, 2006,The Ironton Tribune reported that Szatkowski andTerry Brunk (known as Sabu) had been arrested on the previous evening onU.S. Route 52 inHanging Rock, Ohio. Szatkowski had been stopped for speeding by anOhio State Highway Patrol trooper, who discovered that he was in possession of 18 grams of marijuana and fiveVicodin pills, while Brunk was in possession ofdrug paraphernalia and nine tablets oftestolactone.[289] Both Szatkowski and Brunk were released after postingbail, and were scheduled to appear inIronton Municipal Court on July 6.[290] On July 6,The Ironton Tribune reported that the court date for Szatkowski and Brunk were in limbo, as their attorneys had asked for and were granted continuances.[291] On August 31, Szatkowski pleaded guilty to speeding and possession of marijuana but the charge of Vicodin possession was dropped when he produced a prescription. He was fined $140 and additional court costs.[292]
According to theWWE's wellness policy, a drug-related arrest can lead to that talent's immediate dismissal from the company. Then-WWE Vice President of Talent RelationsJohn Laurinaitis released a statement on WWE.com reporting that Szatkowski and Brunk were still eligible to compete on theRaw andECW tapings in the following days while an investigation conducted by WWE was being undertaken. This resulted in Szatkowski dropping the WWE Championship at the liveRaw one night and the ECW Championship the next night at theECW taping. Van Dam was subsequently suspended without pay for 30 days, and an on-air segment onECW was scripted to relay this suspension to the fans. The arrest footage itself and a recounting from Szatkowski is seen in the filmNine Legends.[289][293]
Szatkowski is a trainedkickboxer andmartial artist. Growing up inBattle Creek, Michigan, Szatkowski studied martial arts at two local dojos. He received instruction inKarate,Taekwondo,Aikido,Kickboxing andKajukenbo.[294] In 1990, he placed second in the Kalamazoo Heavyweight Toughman Contest. Szatkowski is also an outspoken advocate ofvitamins andbodybuilding supplements and attributes this to his mother's influence.[295]
He is the inventor of theVan Dam Lift, aweightlifting technique that involves performing a split (which he took up in his early teens) between two benches and lifting adumbbell from the floor to the waist.[citation needed] The lift was approved by IAWA, the International All-Around Weightlifting Association, in 1998. It was also entered in the rulebooks of USAWA, the United States All-Round Weightlifting Association.[296]
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