What would have been of RVD's WWE/ECW title reign?

[Doomsday Device]

We remember when in June 2006 RVD had both the WWE and ECW titles. Shortly after that he was with Sabu and they were both busted with some pot on them.

This led to RVD giving up the titles. Unfortunate. I was happy to finally see RVD hold that WWE title. Before that he was already being called the greatest WWE star to not hold the main title.

But I ask you, what do you think RVD's title reign would have been if he had not been forced to give up the titles? Im a huge RVD fan and I respect his work in the ring. But Mcmahon feels more comfortable having guys like Otron, Triple H, and Cena holding the title for a long time and carrying the ball. I wonder why.

Even if RVD would have stayed straight and clean I think RVD would eventually have dropped the title by Summerslam of that year. To one of the guys that I mentioned.

 

[gameshowfreak]

I dont think either reign would be that much longer, since RVD represented the old ecw Vince would probably be afraid it would bury his company and put over ecw too much, The longest I could see his ecw title reign lasting was until December to Dismember with Vince being so high on Bobby Lashley, he may have gotten a month or so longer with the wwe title. IMO.

 

[Punjabi Nightmare]

I think he may have had the WWE title for maybe another month or so, but I think he would have had a fairly lengthy title reign as the ECW champion. They were reestablishing ECW and they needed the one of the biggest name its history to carry the brand. I would say he would have had a four to six month title reign as ECW champion.

 

[Celtic Tiger]

I think R.V.D is one of the most underated wrestlers,it was huge the ecw champ winning the wwe championship..yes he screwed up but they shouldnt made him drop the belt so fast he done wrong had to be punished not destroyed..
And i agree as horrible and disrespectfull to R.V.D as it sounds he most likely would've dropped the belt before summerslam and prob never get to hold it again..
Its a pity we will never see how great a champion Rob Van Dam could of bein..

 

[MasterShakeIz4Real]

I think he was gonna lose the WWE Title when he did, it seems like they had it in mind for him to lose it in a Triple Threat with Cena and Edge. If not then, maybe at the Saturday Night's Main Event they had not too long after Edge won it. (i cant remember if that was before Summerslam but hopefully you get the jist of what i mean.) As for the ECW Title, I think he was gonna lose that to Lashley at December to Dismember. As ya said, gameshowfreak, Vince was so high on Lashley, it would've been a perfect F-U to the old school ECW fans to have the King of Old ECW to lose to the new face of WWECW. But that's not the point, point is- RVD WWE Title Reign- 1 Month at max. RVD ECW Title Reign- 6 months max

On an interesting note; an this just hit me; If Kurt Angle wouldn't have been released, it's highly likely they would've had Van Dam drop it to him. I mean, what better way to make Angle happier on a smaller brand? Make him the top guy. But that's just a thought.

 

[jstroud14]

im not sure vince was ever THAT big on RVD...IMO he was an awesome superstar with unlimited potential...damn the drug addiction tho...LOL...but he was being pushed, and quite heavily for a couple months. i think, ultimately it would have ended bad tho.

 

[wazaveli]

All that would of happened would of been the New ECW would not have been implemented so fast and there ppv could not have bombed as bad as it did.

 

[classicviolence]

I remember reading the dirtsheets around that time, and WWE had plans for RVD to drop it quickly. It actually read something along the lines of RVD dropping it in a Triple Threat Match on SNME right before the Summerfest ppv.

However, if RVD did not get busted with pot he probably would have stayed longer in WWE. WWE has been desperate to make stars and pushing the same old people, RVD would have had another WWE title run or ECW title run by now as well.

Shame really.

 

[Doomsday Device]

RVD picked the WORST time to mess around with marijuana. The guy was holding 2 freakin world titles for gods sake. This goes without saying: WWE makes you the main man even if its for a short period of time, and you're busted with pot somewhere in New Jersey I think its was? C'mon, RVD screwed himself bigtime on that one. He'd been long enough in the business to know better.

Vince obviously made RVD WWE Champion for the fans who wanted RVD to have that title, its just another chapter in pleasing the fans. McMahon has always leaned more on having charismatic overmuscular guys carrying his main belt, and Im going all the way back to 1984 (Hogan)

Its like thats Vince's priority, to have his charismatic muscular guys main eventing and posing and flexing their muscles, RVD is more skill influenced. But RVD does well in the ring with these types. If you look at the Unforgiven 2002 match between RVD and Triple H, it was pretty damn good.

Ive always wondered why vince has to put all his chips behind the Lesnars, Cena's and Hogans. Oh yeah I forgot, to draw a crowd right? Whatever.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

Transitional champ. Vince was never all that behind RVD in the first place, and that's plainly evident from the manner in which the marijuana situation was handled. The fact is, Vince has pushed guys who have done a hell of a lot worse than RVD if he has been so inclined or motivated to do so. Look at the litany of behavioural and attitude problems that Randy Orton worked through in the past, for example. Furthermore, everyone and their mom knew that RVD was a diehard pothead. Hell, he was on the cover of 'High Times' magazine. Why make a confirmed, well known pothead your champion if you don't want a pothead as a champion?

It seems to me that the WWE gave RVD just enough rope to hang himself with. I don't think the WWE intended anything more than to put the strap on RVD long enough to draw some attention to the ECW brand, and to try and win back some of the 'original' ECW fans.

I don't mean any disrespect to RVD, as the guy was a terrific performer. But I don't think his lifestyle choices and the WWE were ever going to be 100% compatible.

 

[Dagger Dias]

But I ask you, what do you think RVD's title reign would have been if he had not been forced to give up the titles?

I think that reign would have more or less remained the same since they brought back ECW and it made the brand look good for their champion to also be holding the WWE title.... but I think he might have been a transitional champion in that reign whether he had to give up the titles or not. Edge would probably still have defeated RVD for the WWE Championship at some point in the summer so that Edge and Cena could continue their feud. RVD's ECW title reign probably would have lasted longer than RVD's WWE title reign though, I think that if RVD did not have to give up the ECW title then Big Show's reign would have been a lot shorter and not started as soon. I'm pretty sure that WWE had planned for RVD to lose the WWE Championship to Edge and ECW Championship to Big Show eventually, but they had to make it happen faster when RVD was forced to give up the titles. His two titles reigns during this time would still have remained roughly the same just a little longer because I doubt he was going to have been champion for much longer than he was.

 

[itbewilly]

RVD given the opportunity on the mic is capable of being one of the most(if the most) cockiest champions ever.His work in ECW with the whole "Im better then you and i know it" attitude was great.IT made people root for anyone he faced just because his cockiness.Had Vince seen the potential in a heel run with RVD as his more cocky less surfer gimmick he was given i think RVD would have been a great heel champ.

Had he not been busted even its hard to say how long he would have ran with the title.Hes proved in the past with ECW his is capable of holding a title and feuding with literally anyone on the roster for many month's.I think his T.v Title rein ended after he was injured and it lasted i think it was 22 months.RVD has never been questionable as to whether he has the skills and capabilities of carrying a major title for any significant time.I just think the E was poor in their choice of use of RVD and he could have had a much longer and more entertaining run as the heavyweight champ feuding with everyone from the high fliers and technical guys to the power houses alike.

 

[itbewilly]

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Here is the kind of promo's he was capable of cutting.Its one from the original ECW so he does curse a few times but its not as bad as some of the stuff you read on these forums.This RVD is by far the RVD i was hoping i would have seen during most of his WWE run but we was forced to see the stoner/surfer RVD and had it not been for his great unique in ring ability i dont think RVD would have been half as successful even with his cheesy promos in the E as he was.