Rob Van Dam

[9.0] "Rob Van Dam was one of my favorite wrestlers to watch while growing up. Everything he did was so entreating and I loved his matches. His work in ECW was top tier and I recommend watching highlights of it."

[8.0] "One of my favorite wrestlers as a kid in the post-2001 era of WWE. I went back and watched a bunch of old ECW and was stunned to discover that he actually had character and great promos beyond his boring stoner "yeah, dude, whatever" promos and had a fun cocky heel persona. This was backed up by the fact that he was utterly spectacular in the ring with very innovative stuff you just never saw before the guy. Hell, most people still don't even do the things Van Dam does. He could be pretty botchy at times even in his athletic prime though, so some points off for that. It's kind of amazing that he still wrestles today despite all the injuries he's had in his career, and while he's obviously slowed down he's still mostly capable of doing what he used to do and can still kind of go. You really can't say the same for many wrestlers from that era, even ones that didn't do nearly as much wild stuff. Not higher than an eight for me but I'm still fond of him to this day."

[10.0] "One of my favorites of all time. Seeing him win the WWF championship felt like I won it. The ECW match between RVD and Cena still ranks as one of my favorites of all time. RVD was one of the best workers in the history of wrestling, period. And he had a great character that was underused in WWF somehow even though he won plenty of titles. Love this man."

[10.0] "One of the best high flyers in wrestling history. RVD had a great run in ECW, becoming the longest running ECW World Television Champion for almost 2 full years. He is a former WWE champ and the first WWEECW Champ. He had a great look and an innovative moveset with the best frog splash in the business."

[9.0] "Almost every wrestler who's ever innovated anything gets accused of plagiarism. You know, Joshi Jabroni did it in Japan or he's seen that from Maricon Mask in Mexico. Not RVD. He really is unique. In fact Shane stole his Van Terminator, swapping the chair for a bin, making it virtually redundant. The nepo numbnut. Could have had an even greater career but for pivotal moments. Injuring HHH off the Elimination Chamber at SS 2002 certainly didn't help, him and his great mate Sabu being caught with a bag of weed just after winning ECW ONS 06 another. Impossible to exaggerate just how over he was early 2000s and one of a kind."

[9.0] "Rvd is one of the best and would be the best...if he could do different things, almost every match is WAY too similar"

[10.0] "NOBODY compares to RVD...he deserves a ten rating for many reasons, his moves, his energy, overall he is an icon. As an old man who grew up watching Jean Claude Van Damme, RVD split is just as good as JCVD in the movies."

[10.0] "One of the coolest wrestlers of all time. Could of been regarded much higher as a wrestler if it wasnt for some problems he dealt with but nonetheless, despite all that he rocked"

[10.0] "in my mind, RVD is the best high flier of all time. versatile as all hell to the point that he can kind of defy the frequent spotfest label that high flying guys are often stuck with, basically breathed life into ECW in a way no one else could really do long-term to the point that his injury toward's the end of ECW's life is often directly associated with its demise, effortlessly charismatic, and doesn't get quite enough credit for his talking ability which isn't anything too crazy but it was something he could absolutely turn on when it was necessary (although the character he had in WWE never really got to shine on that front). as everyone says the only thing that really tarnishes him is is out-of-the-ring stuff that derailed his main event opportunities in the WWE, but it's nothing so severe that i think it justifies dropping him in any severe way. also - the longevity on RVD is crazy. he obviously isn't quite putting on classics anymore but i can't think of almost any mid-50s guys who can still sort of go like he can."

[8.0] "4/20 comment for the 4/20 leg-drop. Talk about natural charisma and truly standing out at a pivotal time in the industry, way before his time but still perfect for the time he became a legend."

[8.0] "An amazingly gifted athlete, RVD was pretty much the best thing ECW had going by the last few years and I think a big reason why the company folded in 2001 was due to RVD missing out of 2000 due to injury, not saying he could have saved them but maybe the promotion could have held on a few months extra. Once in WWE he very quickly got over and was by far the best wrestler to be picked up by WWE from the deaths of WCW and ECW. Unfortunately politics got in the way and he never reached his full potential. When WWE finally did decide to push him it was well beyond his peak. (was a nice moment tho)"

[10.0] "Rob Van Dam is one of the most innovative and naturally gifted performers the business has ever seen. He became the face of ECW, delivering show-stealing matches that blended martial arts, high-flying, and hardcore wrestling like no one else before him. His matches with Jerry Lynn, Sabu, and Bam Bam Bigelow are still talked about as some of the best. When he arrived in the WWF in 2001, it didn't take long for him to become one of the most popular stars on the roster. His feud with Jeff Hardy, especially their Hardcore Title match at Invasion, was a standout moment of the time and helped solidify him as a future star. Within a year, RVD was arguably the most over guy on the roster outside of The Rock and Stone Cold. His Intercontinental Title reigns only reinforced how good he was--he made that belt feel important every time he held it. His Ladder Match with Eddie Guerrero for the title is still one of the best TV matches in history. Then came his crowning moment--winning the WWE Championship at One Night Stand 2006 in one of the most electric atmospheres ever. That night wasn't just about RVD winning the title; it was about his journey, proving that his unorthodox, high-energy style could take him to the top. His TNA run was solid too, capturing the World Title there and showing he still had plenty left in the tank. RVD's legacy is that of a true original. No one wrestled like him before, and no one has been able to replicate him since. His laid-back attitude combined with his jaw-dropping in-ring style made him one of the coolest wrestlers of all time. Whether it was ECW, WWE, or TNA, RVD was always a fan favorite and an absolute legend in the ring."

"RVD is perfection in a human form. He is like an action movie in life form. This wrestler has a very unique moveset an he sells really well. Over the years he has maybe slowed down a little but he still is an amazing performer for his age. POV his peak was in early 2000's WWE when he unified the European and Hardcore titles."

[10.0] "Van Dam is a one of a kid man youll never get in any generation of wrestling again. The man is a true charismatic enigma and can connect with a crowd with little to no effort. His move-set which is loosely based from his martial arts background, was flashy and exciting. His chemistry with Sabu, Booker T and Rey Mysterio made for some great tag team action and as a singles wrestler, is very decorated, winning both the WWE and ECW championships. Whether hes winning or losing, youll never see a boring RVD match, I looked up Boring RVD matches and my laptop said me neither. And its not just that, theres even the small things like his small feud with the Shield, the length he can get on the frog splash, his iconic vandaminator chair move, his TNA theme song, his WWE theme song. RVD is a near perfect superstar and no one can come even close to him in terms of everything."

[8.0] "Rob Van Dam is a truly great wrestler with some minor flaws but more than that was held back by booking. It's insane how over he was coming into the WWF/E with the invasion era. Even with what felt like an attempt to cool him off a bit, he was a constant upper-midcard presence in the early-mid 2000s usually putting on good matches. I feel his WWE promos and character work was a step down from ECW, and he did adapt his style to the WWE style, paring down some of his moveset and slowing things down a bit and making sure to hit certain spots basically every match, but also he wasn't in his 20s anymore. But he still stayed undeniably over enough to get a win over 2006 John Cena and got positioned to at least short term be the face of the ECW reboot. Unfortunately the out of the ring incident happened and seemed to entirely derail him from ever being a true WWE main eventer again. Post WWE he had that TNA run which wasn't the worst thing ever but doesn't really help his legacy other than adding belts to the record. His return run in WWE was basically nothing good or bad, and most recently seeing him in AEW, he's definitely slowed down with age and trimmed his moveset down even more, but the fact a 52/53 year old RVD was doing the same spots he was 20 years prior just slower still made him fun to watch. Now assuming he hasn't already retired I would like to see him pack it up while he can still do RVD stuff, he hasn't done anything yet to tarnish his legacy really. RVD is an extremely easy 8/10, I think had parts of his first WWE run and/or his TNA run gone different he'd be a 9/10 easy pushing 10/10. But based off his actual career he's had as of October 2024, 8 to 8.5/10 easy."

[9.0] "Revolutionary, unique wrestler. One of the best in-ring workers in North America between 1995-2006. His career is one of massive ups (that ECW TV title reign) and downs (TNA World title reign wasn't good). RVD has an amazing match catalogue but maybe not the accomplishments to match."

[9.0] "One of the most influential wrestlers ever, and I feel that isnt talked enough. A lot of the work he did in 90s ECW really set him apart, and to get over while being labeled a misfit in peak monopoly Vince years during the early 2000s is admirable as well. His moveset is amongst the best of all time, and there wasnt anyone he couldnt work a good match with. I wont go out on a limb and say hes underrated, as that would be ludicrous considering he is properly rated, but his impact on modern professional wrestling, in terms of style as well as substance goes under appreciated. Really wish he didnt kill his push in 2006, as it wouldve been intriguing to see what work he couldve done with the WWE Championship. Nonetheless, an all-timer both in gimmick, and in ring."

[10.0] "The wrestler that made me go from watching wrestling to buying fan-made tapes on eBay in the late 90s, Rob Van Dam wasn't lying when he claimed to be the [points to self with both thumbs] whole f'n show. Bret Hart once used three metrics to evaluate his own wrestling career, so I'll be doing to the same for RVD. They are look, promo, and in-ring ability. Starting with look, RVD was among the coolest late 90s/early 2000s wrestlers. His custom painted ring gear complimented with bright colors and ying-yangs was as unique as his move set. I always liked his shin guards as well, as it seems all the best wrestlers of his era wore them after earning the right to do so after stints in Japan. Van Dam was always in amazing shape as well - heck, he still is. Moving on to promo, this was RVD's most criticized area. However, he's always been a funny guy and articulate as well. My only knock is that I don't recall any RVD promos truly sticking out for me. Perhaps the first one that comes to mind is when he spoke about the Van Terminator before his match against Scotty Anton. On a side note, I am still bitter that Shane McMahon shamelessly ripped off the Van Terminator, which meant RVD reverted back to the Five Star Frog Splash upon joining WWE. Lastly, in-ring ability is where RVD was truly... one of a kind. I first watched RVD at Guilty as Charged 1999, where he faced off against Lance Storm. I was hooked from the moment I heard the crowd singing along to "Walk". RVD's moveset was like nothing I had ever seen in professional wrestler. Rolling Thunder. Split-legged Moonsault. Van Daminator. Five Star Frog Splash. I recall not only loving the first RVD match I watch, but also being hit with a ping of anxiety: "I need to watch all of this guy's matches! ". And so, I went to eBay and bought every RVD tape that I could. I watched him face off from everyone from Hayabusa to Bam Bam Bigelow to the point where I had memorized all his moves and spots. RVD was an artist in that he never settled. He would always one-up his last performance. Maybe one night, he would throw a chair at an opponent, only for them to catch it and be hit with a Van Daminator. The next night, the opponent would catch the chair and anticipate RVD's kick, so they would counter by trying to strike RVD with the chair, only for RVD to dodge it and hit the Van Daminator. The night after, Bill Alfonso might get involved and throw the chair towards the opponent to start the sequence of counters. And so on. All in all, RVD is one of my favorite wrestlers because he could carry on matches that mixed in a bit of mat wrestling, high flying wrestling, and hardcore wrestling. Some wrestlers possess the athletic ability of RVD, but their moves don't have as much meaning as Rob's. Van Dam had a well defined character and moveset that elevated my love of wrestling to a whole new level."

[9.0] "The Whole F'n Show, RVD. Was a trendsetter in wrestling, could have a fantastic match with just about anybody, charisma off the charts, aura off the charts, RVD was a damn star. His ECW stuff was great because he was a lot more risqué with the things he did, plus he was free to do and say whatever he wanted. WWF/E run was great, obviously underutilized and should've been given a WHC run in 03. RVD is one of those wrestlers who, no matter how badly he was booked, he would still be over. People just loved him because he was cool and fantastic to watch. I enjoyed some of his TNA stuff, wouldn't say it's up there with ECW/WWE but there's a few matches worth watching. His return back to WWE in the mid 2010s was alright, felt as if they didn't really trust him enough to do anything cool. But yeah, impossible to hate the guy. So damn cool, so damn good in-ring, fantastic wrestler."

[10.0] "Rob Van Dam is a wrestler that I have always loved, since I was a kid I was fascinated by his wrestling style because it was very characteristic and since I only watched WWE back then it really caught my attention. For me he was always one of the best and he is one of my favorites, so here I must give him a great valuation."

[10.0] "They called him The Whole Fuckin Show for a reason. Rob Van Dam is one of the best to ever do it. He's probably the coolest wrestler ever, with amazing gear and unmatchable charisma. His promos are alright, but he's so cool that he could probably read the weather and I'd be entertained. And in-ring, he's an absolute killer. Innovative aerial moves, stiff kicks, and the best damn frog splash in the industry. The ace of ECW, he should've held the WWE title far before 2006."

[8.0] "RVD was always a talented wrestler. In ECW he was a star and WWE was ready to make him a star for them as well. Personal demons kept him in the midcard for them. His TNA run was good but he at times didn't seem like his old self. That showed more with his second WWE and second TNA runs. His mic skills were fine, and he had amazing charisma."

[8.0] "An essential part of 90's and 2000's mainstream wrestling. RVD's connection with audiences was unbelievable for a guy whose promos were extremely formulaic. His feud with Jerry Lynn was incredible in ECW. Much like Jeff Hardy, he is an incredible performer whose style evolved very little, didn't cut many compelling promos, and had very few signature rivalries throughout his career. His influence will be felt for a long time, regardless. Nothing but respect."

[9.0] "Mr. PPV, The Whole FN Show, Mr. Monday Night, by any nickname, Rob Van Dam is definitely One Of A Kind. His airbrushed singlets were some of the coolest attires of all time and made him stand out from everyone else in the business, combine that with his highly unique move set and you have one of the best all-around wrestlers of all time. RVD didn't just make the ECW Television Title, he basically IS the ECW Television Title Rob took a mid-card championship and made it the true main event not unlike Gunther today who gets main event spots on TV gifted to him because he's on a three-hour trash show that has no star power at all, RVD was the biggest star in ECW and he made that TV championship relevant. That said, I won't give him a 10 because I've never seen a good Promo from him so he stays at 9."

[9.0] "Someone who has managed to be surprisingly great for quite a few decades now. Arguably the best frog splash ever while also having one of the most engaging and dynamic movesets ever. Lot of great matches in ECW, WWE and TNA. Someone who has definitely been an inspiration for a lot of talents. Had really good promos in ECW which I feel did not come with him to WWE. Feels like they just wanted him to say "cool" and "whatever" most of the time. Overall though an amazing talent."

[10.0] "Rob Van Dam, known as "RVD, " was a dynamic force in the world of professional wrestling. With an arsenal of jaw-dropping maneuvers like the Five Star Frog Splash and Van Terminator, RVD's athleticism is unparalleled. His high-flying style and innovative maneuvers made him a standout performer. RVD's ability to seamlessly blend athleticism with technical prowess was impressive. I highly recommend his matches with Jerry Lynn as a great steppingstone into his career."

"As a kid, RVD was the coolest guy on the WWE roster to me, he was my favorite while everyone else was into Cena or Triple H. It sucks that he never got the long term mainstream career he deserved."

[9.0] "The best to do the Five Star Frog Splash. His style is so UNIQUE, a heavyweight who ranges between 230 to 250 pounds can do moonsaults, backflips, 450 splashes, senton bombs. Holy shit no only that, but also as some of the most deadly-looking kicks as well. His singlets were pretty good, and always put on some really classic matches with Cena, HBK, Dreamer, Raven, Undertaker, Kane so many more..."

[7.0] "Great personality, great look, a unique move set, pretty much what you wanted in a upper mid card guy. Only thing I would subtract is his mic skills were kinda weak and his work was rather sloppy. Also, he noticeably slowed down post 2007 and it was kinda hard sometimes to buy into the mystique that his opponents had to stand there while he slowly went through his flippy floppy moves. Not sure if he was really cut out to run with the big belt, but he was one of the best IC title contenders ever! The main reason I checked into Raw each week in 2002. Also, he had a rep for being sloppy and potatoing a few guys with those kicks."

[6.0] "I think he is overrated. His hast TNA run was awful with Katie Forbes. I never liked his promo work and his mic skills."

[10.0] "I mean Rob is everyones favorite deep down I think. He had all the aspects to make him a star and was so ahead of his time. Chill, athletic, charismatic, RVD fucking rocks. His matches with Jerry Lynn, the One Night Stand match, and so on and so forth. RVD was the face of ECW and when he was in WWE he was the guy everyone was rooting for. Never quite got his big break under Vince, and even when he did get the title he got stripped cuz he smoked some weed, which is horse shit. If it wasn't for guys like HHH holding down the title with an iron fist, RVD would've been world champ multiple times before 2006. But it's whatever, dude is chilling 24/7 these days and Im happy for him."

""Rob Van Dam will always be a legend to me, he always delivers wherever he went titles and great matches always followed him. In ECW he was one of the biggest stars they produced, his matches with Jerry Lynn are some of my favorites. In WWE he was one of the most dependable players they had and won almost every title available. Even in TNA he was a star and delivered with AJ Styles.""

[9.0] "I love this wrestler he has so many great moves and a badass theme song, i liked his WWE run in the begining of the 2000s and his couple of matches in NOAH in 2022 were very great. One of m'y favorites wrestler of all time."

[6.0] "Rob was an above average performer who got way over in the larger companies thanks to a dedicated fan base from his independent wrestling history. I never really got the allure. He wasn't a great in-ring storyteller by any means and for him to have an exciting match, it had to be with an opponent who knew how to pace the match for him. Otherwise what you got was RVD performing his moveset in progression, as if his offense was all a match required. His gimmick, if it even counts as such, never developed past day one, just a good guy showing up to wrestle. Not much to do with that. He plateaued much higher and for longer than his total package as a performer deserved."

[9.0] "In his prime, RVD was one of the most exciting wrestlers I? ve had the pleasure of seeing perform. He? s obviously lost a lot of his mobility with age, but still remains a favorite of mine. He was legitimately awesome, though unfortunately his actions outside the ring obviously tarnished what should have been a much more impressive legacy. It? s a real shame his tendency to blaze up whilst driving derailed his career right when it really got going lol"

[8.0] "He was a revolutionary force in his prime runs in ECW and 2000s WWE, but after that I feel he stopped trying in matches, just doing the same moves over and over every match. Seriously, I can't count how many times I've seen the legdrop barricade spot. He also just seemed to do moves during his first TNA run, not caring about match psychology at all. But when he was good, he was a force of nature. Nothing but pure athleticism, seemingly inventing a new move every match. I still think he's an awesome wrestler overall, but I can't get the bitter taste of his later career out of my mouth."

[10.0] "An amazing talent between the ropes, with an entertaining mix of kicks and high-flying maneuvers, as well as being extremely charismatic, especially in ECW where he wasn't held back and could speak as he wished. RVD really could have done more in wrestling, and that's saying a lot considering what he already did."

[8.0] "an all time in ring talent whose promos were either meh or just good. top tier ring gear tho, probably the coolest singlets in wrestling history"

[10.0] "Ahead of his time with power, innovative move set, and freakish flexibility. He transitioned from martial artist in early days to patriot in the Deep South to hardcore wrestler in ECW, showing he had a head for the business. Was super popular everywhere he went. Great at selling! He made everyone look better. He would take a piledriver and bounce a foot into the air. Great look. Maybe can be docked for promo ability, but he also never got many opportunities in his prime. Judging by his facials and the few promos he had untethered (One Night Stand 2005 for instance), he was clearly present and believable."

[6.0] "Never liked him. thought that his in-ring skills were a 8 and never liked his promo work. Feel his contribution to the wrestling history has been satisfactory."

[10.0] "The guy that got me into wrestling. Whenever I bring up his name, I always try to think about what he'd be doing now in his prime, 20 years after his style of hi-flying martial artistry got him over in the 90's and 00's into the early 2010's. He put on classic after classic, and should've gotten a bigger push in the WWE in my opinion. Regardless, one of the best in my eyes."

"Just breath taking in the ring and also good with promos (wasn't the best, but he deserves more credit). Van Dam had the skills and the natural charisma."

[10.0] "An amazing in-ring performer who thrived where-ever he went. You can't forget ROB! VAN! DAM! 's legendary matches against Cena, Christian, Benoit, Sabu, Lynn, Jericho... and the list goes on for a while, because of how damn good he was. It's unfortunate that his WWE title run went to waste, but the moment where he beat Cena will never be forgotten. So I have to give him 5 Stars, for all he's done in his great career."

[10.0] "On paper what he does, shouldn't and usually doesn't work for me. But it's Rob! Van! Dam! and you can't help but love to watch the guy. Very far from what's closest to my heart (1980's era & style) but I'll be damned if I don't find myself staring deeply into every nuance of his and every match he's ever been in. Booking bulls#it be damned, EVERYTHING is soo verrrry re-re-re-re-rewatchable! Bonus points for being so darn attractive and down with the green haha."

"One of the first wrestlers who I wanted to emulate. His style was very innovative and unique for the time. Watching his matches and having the crowd pop knowing a devastating move was coming was intense. No one, and I say this with all respect to the great Eddie, no one got higher or hit a more devastating frog splash. 5 - Star Frog Splash that is ;-)"

[9.0] "As a kid, this guy ... I mean this dude was it! No one could pull off Van Dam's stuff, and no one can deny Van Dam's popularity and charisma in his very unique way. Now that I'm older, I realize Van Dam's in-ring psychology was not the greatest, but he's still damn impressive and puts on a show like few people ever could before, and ever will in the future. Simply put, there will never be another RVD. It's way more than a lyric or a catchphrase, he is one of a kind in a lot of ways, and he's an artist!"

"I think RVD could have easily main evented Wrestlemania but Vince seemed to have grudge for ECW (so that's why we got WWECW...). Rob was deffinetly the most talented wrestler in ECW. Excellent in ring ability and just never saw a dull moment in the ring. Very happy that he made it to hall of fame."

[10.0] "Simply the best in this business. I started watching wrestling following a match of him, and never got tired since then,"

[9.0] "Rob Van Dam has always been entertaining in the ring thanks to his martial arts style moves, as well as the fact he could take it to the extreme. RVD is great on the mic as well with his cool persona, there has not been one RVD promo that I can consider bad. The dude has always kept his character fresh wherever it be in ECW, WWE or TNA. The only fault I have is he can sometimes be a bit too stiff in the ring. But with that said he was one of the saving graces of Monday Night Raw during the Reign of Terror, he truly is One of a Kind."

[7.0] "Extremely charismatic, even though he couldn't cut a promo. RVD had a fantastic connection with the crowd. His work in the ring was definitely respectable, but I dunno, it doesn't pop for me. Maybe I didn't see him in his prime, or maybe I missed his best work. It seemed like a lot of promotions didn't know what to do with him, and by the time he got his push, he had started to lose a step. Still, very athletic and very charismatic."