WWE legend and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam has a long history of stealing the show wherever he performed. In ECW, he made a name for himself as "The Whole F'n Show" with his multitude of show-stealing matches.
When WWE bought ECW in 2001, it was no surprise that RVD would become a huge star. RVD is one of WWE's most popular superstars due to his laid back attitude, cool persona and awe-inspiring actions in the ring. He shocked audiences, won multiple championships, and stole the show every time he stepped through the ropes. In this article, we will look at 5 Times Rob Van Dam stole the show in WWE.
#5 Mr Monday Night in WWE and ECW
In 1997, ECW invaded WWE Monday Night RAW several times, and Rob Van Dam's moniker Mr. Monday Night was born.
The hardcore promotion's biggest stars, Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman, Sabu and Taz, led by Paul Heyman, crashed the February 24th edition of RAW. Their presence caused mayhem, and the WWE talent legitimately wanted to fight the ECW crew.
Jerry The King Lawler called the company Extremely Crappy Wrestling while insulting the wrestlers' look and style. This led to Rob Van Dam's introduction, but instead of siding with his ECW teammates, he joined Lawler. The heat that RVD got from his relationship with The King was immense, and he became public enemy number one to the ECW faithful.
Van Dam basked in the fury and goaded the ECW fans stating that he was too good for the independent promotion and gave himself the moniker Mr. Monday Night.
Despite ECW's most significant names being a part of the angle, Rob Van Dam was the name remembered by WWE fans, and reports emerged that he was to leave ECW and join WWE.
Rob Van Dam would not join WWE for another four years. but when he did, he brought his show-stealing action to the bigtime.
#4 Stole the show at WWE Money in the Bank
At WrestleMania 22, Rob Van Dam lived up to his moniker "The Whole F'n Show" when he won the second-ever WWE Money in the Bank match.
Van Dam battled Bobby Lashley, Fit Finlay, Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, and Shelton Benjamin in a thrilling encounter that overflowed with unique and exciting action which had the crowd at fever-pitch. The crowd witnessed breath-taking antics that allowed RVD to showcase his extreme talents under the new rules and format of the fight.
RVD was the perfect person to win the briefcase after the success of the first match the previous year. He was on a tremendous run, having picked up momentum and matches with top-level WWE Superstars such as Flair and Triple H.
RVD used the opportunity to showcase his extraordinary and extreme talents, and the win showed that WWE was finally ready to push him to the next level.
#3 Awed the WWE Universe with the Van-Terminator
The moves Rob Van Dam came up with in WWE left audiences shell shocked and amazed.
Moves like Rolling Thunder, the split-legged moonsault and the Van-Daminator were way ahead of their time. But Rob Van Dam would take things to the extreme when he unveiled the Van-Terminator, a move that had to be seen to be believed.
Although Shane McMahon did it first at WrestleMania 17, RVD reclaimed the move when he signed with the company.
In 2002 on Monday Night RAW Paul Heyman attacked Tommy Dreamer during a match with Brock Lesnar. Dreamer would attempt to powerbomb his former boss onto a steel chair but Lesnar made the save and mayhem ensuded.
RVD turned up the shock level when he delivered the Van-Terminator to Heyman. The crowd went ballistic as it was the first time RVD had performed the move on the WWE stage.
It was an incredible moment and another show-stealing performance by The Whole F'n Show.
#2 Wins the WWE Hardcore Championship
Rob Van Dam made his WWE debut in 2001 as part of the now-infamous Invasion that saw WCW and ECW invade the New York promotion. WWE fans were excited to see RVD in the company and cheered him despite him being a part of the heels.
WCW and ECW members, known as The Alliance, would clash with WWE at the Invasion pay-per-view. The event is remembered for several first-time matches, but RVD vs Jeff Hardy stole the show. The two daredevils met in a dream match, and they did not disappoint in the hardcore setting that allowed them to go all out. The match was a brilliant spectacle involving ladders, chairs, and all the inventive violence.
The frantic action came to an end when RVD hit the Five Star Frogsplash for the win and the first of many WWE Championships. The match was easily the best of the night and a perfect pay-per-view debut for the Whole F'n Show.
#1 Defeats John Cena for the WWE Championship
Rob Van Dam cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase to challenge John Cena for the WWE Heavyweight Championship at ECW's One Night Only pay-per-view in 2006.
WWE had resurrected the extreme brand the year following its huge success, and the event was the perfect place and time to give RVD professional wrestling's top prize from one of WWE's biggest superstars ever.
The event took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in front of a ravenous ECW crowd who were ready to riot if the result did not go the way they wanted. The crowd played an integral part in the match and created an intense and memorable atmosphere.
The crowd changed the dynamic of the match by placing RVD firmly in the role of the babyface and Cena the heel. Cena played the part flawlessly and dominated large portions of the match, which made Van Dam's heroic victory all the more special.
