Is Rob Van Dam Truly A "Certified" Main Eventer?

[CM Steel]

The whole fuck'in show Rob Van Dam has been in TNA/Impact wrestling for a good while now. Rob Van Dam is one of the few wrestlers who has been in all four major wrestling brands. ECW, WCW (as Robbie V), WWF/E, and now TNA. But RVD didn't get main event status until he won the WWE championship along with the WWECW title at the WWE One Night Stand pay per view in 2006. Until RVD fucked up by catching a case (with Sabu) over some drugs on the road!

Since Rob Van Dam left the WWE TNA wrestling had been in heavy pursuit to sign RVD even back then.

But of early 2010 Rob Van Dam is now apart of TNA/Impact wrestling as a main event star & former TNA world champion. But like other former WWE stars in TNA RVD is looked upon as a big fish in a small pond in Impact. So his reign as a TNA world heavyweight champion wouldn't really count to some who have followed RVD's career from his early days.

So with that being said. Is Rob Van Dam truly a certified main eventer?

 

[Rayne]

He never was, isn't now, and never will be. He's a popular wrestler, yes. But people simply don't buy tickets to see just Rob Van Dam. John Cena is a genuine main eventer. HHH was a genuine main eventer. Kurt Angle was a genuine main eventer. RVD isn't even in the top five of the depth chart in TNA/IW.

 

[Swarles Barkley]

He never was, isn't now, and never will be. He's a popular wrestler, yes. But people simply don't buy tickets to see just Rob Van Dam. John Cena is a genuine main eventer. HHH was a genuine main eventer. Kurt Angle was a genuine main eventer. RVD isn't even in the top five of the depth chart in TNA/IW.

Maybe not now, but people bought tickets to see RVD when he was in ECW and early on during his WWF run. When Van Dam first showed up during the Invasion angle, there was no WWF wrestler more over than RVD. People paid money to watch him do his thing, but they especially did so in ECW. So I would say that Van Dam is a certified main eventer.

 

[Alex]

RVD has always been like a latter day Shawn Michaels to me.

What t I mean by that is he's never a bonafide main eventer, but you can throw him into the main event and he wouldn't look out of place. Even in the days of the originial ECW RVD wasn't a main eventer, however he was always the guy people would talk about. (Heck he's arguably the best wrestler out of the original ECW)

 

[ABMorales787]

Of course he's a certified main event wrestler. Haven't you seen the man's main event license? Look:

Spoiler

If it can give the champion trouble and get the crowd to care, it's good enough to challenge. If it can kick ass and get the crowd to pop, it's good enough to be champ. It's an era where Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler have held World titles. 2 vanilla midgets from ROH won their belts in about one year. You really gonna tell me RVD is under these guys? The 3 time World champion? The vet who's been wrestling for over 15 years? In every major American promotion out there? If he isn't certified, I suppose neither is Chris Jericho.

 

[Alex]

Of course he's a certified main event wrestler. Haven't you seen the man's main event license? Look:

Spoiler

If it can give the champion trouble and get the crowd to care, it's good enough to challenge. If it can kick ass and get the crowd to pop, it's good enough to be champ. It's an era where Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler have held World titles. 2 vanilla midgets from ROH won their belts in about one year. You really gonna tell me RVD is under these guys? The 3 time World champion? The vet who's been wrestling for over 15 years? In every major American promotion out there? If he isn't certified, I suppose neither is Chris Jericho.

It's not about how great he is (which he is) its about how he's built up and i every company he's worked for he's never really built to be 'The guy' or 'one of THE guys'. Of course RVD is better than Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger, but aside from his push when ECW came back in 2006 or his push when he first came to TNA in 2010 he hasn''t really been pushed that hard. Of course they could easily do it and he could be seen as 'The guy' but they just haven't.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

rvd is still a main event player for sure. yes he has slowed up a bit know but he is still able to put on a great match. the problem is that tna have got some great young talent at the moment like aries,roode,aj and storm on top of which they also have kurt angle and sting that i think he just gets lost in the shuffle.

 

[ABMorales787]

It's not about how great he is (which he is) its about how he's built up and i every company he's worked for he's never really built to be 'The guy' or 'one of THE guys'. Of course RVD is better than Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger, but aside from his push when ECW came back in 2006 or his push when he first came to TNA in 2010 he hasn''t really been pushed that hard. Of course they could easily do it and he could be seen as 'The guy' but they just haven't.

Does it really matter how he's built up? If he's pitted against a World Champion and feels like someone who stands a chance to win, he's good enough to fill a main event role. Not to mention that he can always get the crowd rolling. RVD's certainly a main event level star.

 

[Alex]

Does it really matter how he's built up? If he's pitted against a World Champion and feels like someone who stands a chance to win, he's good enough to fill a main event role. Not to mention that he can always get the crowd rolling. RVD's certainly a main event level star.

Being built is is kind of the point of whether you can feel if someone stands a chance of winning. Oh sure RVD can put on a great match with pretty much anyone, but whether you actually feel he'd win is a different matter. Case in point did you honestly feel he was going to beat Bobby Roode when he came back earlier this year?? Sure they had a good match, but they didn't really build him up that much that you felt he had a chance of winning.

 

[ABMorales787]

Being built is is kind of the point of whether you can feel if someone stands a chance of winning. Oh sure RVD can put on a great match with pretty much anyone, but whether you actually feel he'd win is a different matter. Case in point did you honestly feel he was going to beat Bobby Roode when he came back earlier this year?? Sure they had a good match, but they didn't really build him up that much that you felt he had a chance of winning.

No, we had the pretense that RVD wouldn't win because James Storm was felt to be the man to end his reign. RVD certainly had and has all the credibility to be seen as a credible challenge to Roode, Storm, Aries or any other previous champion. Simply put, if you feel him winning isn't out of place, then he fits the bill. Had he beat Robert Roode at Sacrifice, would it have looked wrong? Shocking, yes. Slightly out of place given the storylines at the time, to an extent yes. Lacking credibility? Absolutely not.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

Yes and No.

Yes because he is one of the most popular guys in the business and he has the talent and at any time can step up and be a credible challenger to the champ.

No because he never really hangs around the main event full time he has had title runs sure but notice how after he drops the belt its back to the midcard he goes? Its because his mic skills and just go with the flow gimmick dont provide him with a full time main event status.

Bottom line if I had to pick yes or no I would say Yes for the reasons listed above plus the same things could be said about Jeff Hardy but hes considered a full time main eventer.

 

[Rayne]

Being in a main event is not the same as being a "main eventer". (Drop the "certified" stuff, please. I am unaware of any agency or group who certifies what a main eventer is.) If being in a main event means you're a main eventer, Vince Russo and David Arquette are main eventers.

I put the bar a little bit higher then that.

Maybe not now, but people bought tickets to see RVD when he was in ECW and early on during his WWF run. When Van Dam first showed up during the Invasion angle, there was no WWF wrestler more over than RVD. People paid money to watch him do his thing, but they especially did so in ECW. So I would say that Van Dam is a certified main eventer.

OK, so he could main event ECW whenever he wasn't hurt. Then he had a good year when anything "ECW" related was all the rage. Followed by years bouncing around the mid-card, and a TNA/IW title run that was so unsuccessful they pulled the belt off of him in the middle of a story. Followed by being bounced back to the mid-card, and being Bobby Roode's least credible challenger for the TNA/IW title.

If it can give the champion trouble and get the crowd to care, it's good enough to challenge. If it can kick ass and get the crowd to pop, it's good enough to be champ. It's an era where Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler have held World titles. 2 vanilla midgets from ROH won their belts in about one year. You really gonna tell me RVD is under these guys? The 3 time World champion? The vet who's been wrestling for over 15 years? In every major American promotion out there? If he isn't certified, I suppose neither is Chris Jericho.

I don't consider either of those men to be main eventers. The world championship is no longer given to the guy at the top of the business, but is often used to establish credibility for a performer as a credible mid-card guy. Chavo Guerrero's been wrestling for almost two decades, and since we seem to be calling the WWECW belt a world championship, is also a former world champion. Is he a main eventer?

 

[ABMorales787]

I don't consider either of those men to be main eventers. The world championship is no longer given to the guy at the top of the business, but is often used to establish credibility for a performer as a credible mid-card guy. Chavo Guerrero's been wrestling for almost two decades, and since we seem to be calling the WWECW belt a world championship, is also a former world champion. Is he a main eventer?

Don't recall Chavo Guerrero headlining PPV's. RVD has even headlined PPV's as a midcard champion. Though I wouldn't brag much about ECW. As far as I see it, if the man can take on the World Champion and can be seen as a believable winner, that good enough to earn the status.

 

[Rayne]

Don't recall Chavo Guerrero headlining PPV's. RVD has even headlined PPV's as a midcard champion. Though I wouldn't brag much about ECW. As far as I see it, if the man can take on the World Champion and can be seen as a believable winner, that good enough to earn the status.

The last time RVD was a believable winner in a World's Title match was 2010. I guess we just have much different standards on what a main eventer is. I recall RVD headlining a bunch of PPV's that sold very poorly; I don't ever recall him headlining a Bound For Glory or a WrestleMania; hell, even a SummerSlam. He has one headlining performance at Slammiversary, but I wouldn't be bragging about TNA/IW's unpublished sales numbers from that one.

 

[anvilx8]

RVD certainly could be a main eventer in TNA. but I dont think creative knows how to use him. When given proper mic time, and free run in his matches - RVD would absolutley be a main eventer. At his best, I'd rank him in the top 5 in ring performers of all time. And if anyone cares to argue, then first, go watch RVD vs. Jerry Lynn from ECW living dangerously 1999!

 

[THTRobtaylor]

RVD absolutely WAS built up by WWE on his World/ECW run... Beating Cena, holding both belts they were deadly serious about his push but what has stopped RVD from become a long term main eventer is the reason he was canned by WWE. He put his recreational pastime ahead of the business. Sure main eventers have always partaken, many of stronger things... but as Hardy learned and Duggan and Sheik before did, when the police get involved in your partying it doesn't matter who you are or where your were planned to go... you are not going there any more.

 

[LeviCook]

Rob Van Dam is a certified main eventer in my opinion. He is over with the fans. That's what matters the most. He has accomplished enough in his career that he is a certified main eventer. Now i'm not saying he's one of those guys who is always going to be in the spotlight but he's one of those guys you can put in the main event and it will always work.

 

[xavyer]

This is a good question, an it's a great debate, you can't exactly go wrong with an answer, but in my opinion i have to say that even that he main evented some PPVs, that does not exactly makes him a bonified main eventer, hell, even Hardcore Holly main evented one PPV against Brock Lesnar, but is he a main eventer?? At this moment i can consider RVD as someone like Daniel Bryan, he has held the title, but he's not a maineventer yet, and by that i mean that he's loved by the fans, he's phenomenal in the ring, he get's the crowd going, but he's not one of the main guys, for one of them to be relevant, they would have to hold the World Title, but even so, they may not main event a PPV now a days, if he would still work for the WWE, and if he was the WWE or WHC, he wouldn't necesearly main event the show, that would be someone like Cena, Triple H, the Undertaker, i hate to say this name, but , The Rock, or Brock Lesnar, now, those guys are bonified main eventers, the only way he would be the main event is if he was to have match agains one of those guys, like i said, he's great in the ring, and he's loved by the crowd, but unfortunatly, outside the ring, he's not that marketable, and also no company see him as someone who can make them a lot of money, because during thes times, the main guy is the one who makes the company tons of money........

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

No he's not. To be a main-eventer, you have to be able to headline PPV's, draw money for those events, and be the 'center' of your promotion. RVD's done not one of those things. The fact is, RVD's a mid-carder who's been given every chance to main event, and has never been able to keep ahold of the ball for longer than a week or two.

In TNA, he's not the main event. That alone should tell you where RVD ranks as a 'certified' main eventer.

People might get butt hurt or whatever, but you all know this to be true.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The logical way to define it would be someone who you would put in your biggest match (or in todays WWE one of your title matches) in at least 3 of the 12 biggest shows over the course of one year... that might be a PPV or RAW but if you are in say 3 PPV title matches in 12 months, even if they are not in successive months, that makes you a main eventer to me. So someone like Jericho absolutely would be along with Bryan, where as Ziggler would not quite be yet as he has had 2 so far, but assuming he cashes in before The Rumble then he would be...

RVD is not in that category for TNA, though he was when he left WWE...

 

[cstatus94]

RVD is the Whole F'in Show. He has proved he can main event on a regular basis in both WWE and TNA, He is one of the major reason I watch TNA. HE won his match yesterday with a great display of his suberb in-ring skills. TNA originals like Storm sort of have a seniority in TNA and he hasn't really been pushed as much for the TNA Heavy Weight Championship as he should. Crap I would even take X-Division

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I see RVD really as a "main event gatekeeper" bordering on main event but I don't think he'll win a world title anytime soon. So he can be inserted into midcard matches and sometimes main events. I obviously knew Roode would beat him, but I saw RVD on an equal playing field to Roode in terms of "kayfabe wise" if that makes any sense. I think RVD is more credible than say Anderson.

I do buy RVD as a main eventer. I just don't buy PPV's for him, ho ho. I believe after the series is wrapped up him and Anderson need to get on the TV title scene!

 

[midgensa]

Anybody who says that Rob Van Dam is not a certified main eventer is smoking something much worse than whatever RVD is smoking.

The Whole F'n Show is CLEARLY a legit main eventer. It seems to me many people here are confusing main event with being the guy who carries the company. OBVIOUSLY he is not the guy to carry a company (though he definitely carried ECW back in its hey day). But he is a legit main event guy.

RVD has credibility at any time to be a threat to the World Championship of ANY promotion he is in because he has held them and competed with the top guys in every promotion.

He simply draws and ALWAYS has. Kids love him, smarks love him, the crowd eats him up. He is a top tier draw and always a legitimate threat.

If you asked, "Would I place him in the roles of John Cena, CM Punk, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, etc." as guys who at a moments notice you can let your company completely ride with them ... then the answer would be no ... he is not that guy.

But legitimate main eventer? That is not really even a topic of discussion honestly. He clearly is.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think Rob Van Dam is similar to Chris Jericho in the sense that he is always a credible threat to the champion, never looks out of place in the main event, but has never and will never be THE GUY that the company looks to as a long term World Champion and builds the company around.

He perhaps could have been, when he was incredibly over back in the early 2000s in WWE after arriving from ECW (I was a HUGE RVD fan back then) but by the time they eventually gave him the belt the opportunity had gone.

In TNA Van Dam is older and slower than he was. He doesn't come up with the creative stuff he used to, same as Jericho, although both can still perform to a very high standard when they want to (Y2J more so). Van Dam is always a welcome sight in the main event but he hasn't got the mic skills to sell a feud or rivalry. That's what held him back.

I'd say he is a credible main eventer, but his perfect spot is just below the top of the card, like Jericho's with both men capable of moving up to the main event, carrying the top belt and moving back down to upper-mid card level to feud with someone there.