Who is better? Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy | WrestleZone Forums

Who is better? Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy

Louie Lips

Occasional Pre-Show
So I decided during my free time I am going to conduct a new series of posts in the form of a "Who is better?" series. I will list accomplishments of wrestlers only from ECW, WCW, WWE, and TNA. For my first matchup I've chosen two of my favorite wrestlers, and two of the most popular and biggest fan favorites of the past decade. Both are high-flying, innovative wrestlers, that have a style all their own.

First we have Rob Van Dam:

Nicknames: Mr. Monday/Tuesday/Thursday Night, The Whole F'n Show, The Van Daminator, RVD, The Whole Dam Show, Mr. Pay-Per-View, Mr. Money in the Bank
Finisher: Five-Star Frog-Splash, Vandaminator
Signature Moves: Split-Legged Moonsault, Rolling Thunder, Vanterminator
Wrestling Experience: 19 Years

Career Accomplishments:
1x WWE Champion
1x ECW World Heavyweight Champion
6x Intercontinental Champion
2x ECW World Television Champion
2x World Tag Team Champion (once with Kane and once with Booker T)
1x WWE Tag Team Champion (with Rey Mysterio)
1x European Champion
4x Hardcore Champion
2006 Mr. Money in the Bank
Only wrestler to hold both the WWE and ECW title simultaneously.
7th Grand Slam Champion
15th Triple Crown Champion
PWI Comeback of the Year (2001)
2x PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2001, 2002)
PWI #1 ranked singles wrestler (2002)

and second we have Jeff Hardy:

Nicknames: The Charismatic Enigma, The Extreme Enigma, The Legend Thriller, The Rainbow-Haired Warrior
Finishing Moves: Swanton Bomb, Twist of Fate
Signature Moves: Whisper in the Wind, Leapfrog Leg Drop
Wrestling Experience: 16 Years

Career Accomplishments:
1x WWE Champion
1x World Heavyweight Champion
4x Intercontinental Champion
1x European Champion
1x Light Heavyweight Champion
3x Hardcore Champion
6x World Tag Team Champion (with Matt Hardy)
1x WCW Tag Team Champion (with Matt Hardy)
9th Grand Slam Champion
18th Triple Crown Champion
Slammy Award Winner for Extreme Moment of the Year (2008)
PWI Tag Team of the Year (2000)
2x PWI Match of the Year (2001, 2002)
PWI Comeback of the Year (2007)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2008)

This is a very, very tough choice. Personally, I would have to give it to Rob Van Dam, partially because he is my favorite, but also because he is more accomplished as a singles wrestler, has been at it longer, and is one of the innovators of the extreme wrestling style. However, I would like to hear your arguements. So tell me... Who is better? Rob Van Dam or Jeff Hardy?
 
RVD, because he is more of a wrestler. Hardy is known for his risk taking of just jumping off something and landing on them. I feel RVD had the moves and the attitude, and ability to beat most anyone.

I hope he returns soon
 
This is incredibly tough since both are two of my all time favourite wrestlers. Jeff might be the guy who does the most insane spots, but hes also a talented athelete, RVD, also known for taking high risks, and once again a talented athelete, but both are natural born faces, the crowd love them, they never grow stale. No doubt I'd love to see both dudes return to a WWE ring at some point (reason saying this, well, everyone knows about Jeff) I think I'll have to go with Jeff on this one, but its incredibly close.
 
This is very tough as both of them have their strengths and weaknesses ... plus both are designed to appeal to two different audiences.

Hardy has more mainstream appeal, however Van Dam appeals to the Hardcore fans.

I do feel that Hardy is probably capable of working the better match, though ... where as Van Dam seems mostly limited to his high spots.
 
Jeff Hardy because of how relavant he is to todays wrestling product but i fear i might be speaking too late due to his drug distributing charges. yet RVD knows those ropes but he would bounce a little faster than Jeff could ever to hope to as of now.
 
I would say Rob Van Dam. Jeff Hardy always seemed to hit a bunch of big spots in his match, but perhaps that how WWE wanted him to wrestle. Rob Van Dam seems to be the better worker to me, as there's a bunch of more matches I like from him. I mean I remember the RVD vs. Sabu stretcher match, his TV title match with Bam Bam Bigalow, his matches with Jerry Lynn. Jeff Hardy was involved in a lot of TLC matches, but I think all his normal matches I can think of were the same thing, but perhaps that's the way WWE books them.
 
Jeff HArdy was moe over, never mailed in any of his performances, and as capabl of working his style around anybody else in the WWE. So yeah, it's Hardy.
 
RVD by a country mile. RVD can do it all he is a great in the air (actually he's way better than Hardy ever was) and RVD can actually wrestle, for god sakes hes invented more moves than Hardy even knows. At their peak, RVD was more popular (don't believe me watch '02 episodes of RAW or better yet watch old ECW tapes and tell me who the crowd loved more). Not a knock against Hardy (personally I like hardy and I've always said how someone lives outside the ring is their own business) but RVD was better in every conceivable way in my opinion.
 
Rob Van Dam for a bunch of reasons.

1. Far more technically skilled in the ring. He's far less apt to be sloppy and rarely if ever messes up spots. I'd say 95% of the times when his spots are messed up its because the other wrestler messed up.

2. Ability to work a match with anyone. He can work with big guys; he can work with little guys. He can make even the weakest wrestlers look really good. This guy can make Little Guido look like a killing machine; then the next week work as good of a match with Mike Awesome or Rhino or Big Sally Graziano. He's not limited to working with only other ring generals. Guy worked a bunch of awesome matches with the Undertaker in WWE.

3. His high flying is just as impressive as Hardy's. Hardy because he's on WWE TV probably has more famous leaps than Van Dam; but I'll never forget RVD vs. Bam Bam Bigelow for the ECW TV Belt where he was on the turnbuckle and did a flip off the turnbuckle into the crowd and kicked BBB in the face.

4. RVD in his prime (ECW, pre-WWE) rarely hurt anyone including himself. Hardy makes me cringe even when he does whisper in the wind because I'm afraid he just broke himself. RVD never seems to get hurt ... except when he did the baseball slide and broke his leg. Ouch!

5. Far more impressive title run. RVD had the ECW TV Title for how long??? He beat basically every person in the ECW roster to either get or retain that belt. He never even lost it; he had to give it up because he broke his leg. C'mon, almost nobody has a title run like that. Certainly Hardy doesn't.

Things speaking for Jeff:

1. Better on the mic. Jeff's not great on the mic, don't get me wrong, but RVD's one only true honest weakness is he sucks on the mic. Then again, I don't tune in to see him talk; I wanna watch that guy wrestle.

2. He certainly sells more merchandise.

3. He's f'ing insane where RVD does stuff because he knows he can do it. Thus we're more likely to get completely insane stuff from Jeff.

All in all, RVD is respectably better than Jeff though I really like Jeff too.
 
Hmmm this is quite a difficult decision both know for risk takes and high flying, both had quite good credentials both being world champions.

I think it depends on the variant of match if it was a more ladder type match or tlc id give the edge for Jeff but in a normal match RVD i believe would have the upper hand, but gotta factor in the Two Ladder Matches that they've had which RVD won both times, so i gotta vote Rob Van Dam


Winner = RVD
 
Damn. This is a tough one. Hardy's got universal appeal for the most part, has a pretty unique repetoire (sp?) of in-ring maneuvers, and has a unique look. But here's why I'd go with Rob Van Dam: the man is simply put one of the most entertaining sons of bitches I have ever seen in a wrestling match. Van Dam can do things in the ring that even Rey Mysterio would have a hard time doing. He has better mic skills, better in-ring skills, and his character is more unique. How many fans can repeat a Jeff Hardy catchphrase? However when anybody flexes their elbows, the fans know you are talking about the "Whole F'n Show!" It's too bad these two couldn't have a match during Jeff's 2006-09 run. It would have been a good one.

While this is a tough one, I'm voting for Mr. Monday Night, Rob Van Dam.
 
RVD, hands down. Jeff is really entertaining, and great at spot wrestler, but RVD was beyond that. Where Jeff was just good at spots, RVD was innovative in that field, where Jeff didn't so much innovate anything, except as a tag wrestler, he just made the moves he used his own. Nothing against Jeff, but RVD was just plain better.
 
Personally, Id go with RVD, he's more versatile in the ring, can work well with just about anyone and doesn't always have to resort to jumping of ladders and through tables to make a match good, don't get me wrong, Jeff is good in the ring but he always seems to prefer doing the same high spots, I like them a lot but to me they seem to always look the same.
 
Easily RVD. Why? Jeff is nothing but high spots. So is RVD you say, but EVD was capable of putting on wrestling classics. Don't believe me? Watch his matches with Sabu, Jerry Lynn, hell does anyone remember his match with Goldust in 2003, very very great match. Jeff Hardy, as cool as his matches look, they're never clinics, they're just him getting the tar kicked out of him, then he jumps off a 45 foot something for the win. Don't get me wrong, he puts it all on the line and it's entertaining, but that doesn't make a good match, just great endings. So easily RVD
 
RVD, Not only because he is better than Jeff ouside the ring, bu because during his prime, he was better than Jeff Hardy. RVD won the WWE championship during Cena's year and a half long reign during the Cena/Edge feud. He was pretty much the face of ECW when it returned and without him during the rebirth of ECW, there wouldnt be an ECW today. That is whi RVD is better then Jeff.
 
wow, if anyone says these two are close, never say an RVD match. Let alone, watch a RVD Vs Jerry Lynn match. Van Dam Waaaay better than Hardy. I can't remember the last good match Hardy had. Oh wait, Wrestle Mania 17. Yeah the guy hasn't done anything since Hardys Vs E&C Vs Dudleys. Say what you want.. RVD much better. He truly is THE WHOLE F'N Show!
 
The easy answer for me would be Rob Van Dam. He's a better "wrestler" than Jeff Hardy. RVD can do actual moves to his opponents and uses his high-flying and high risks as a bonus, whereas I feel that Jeff Hardy depends too much on high risks and whatnot in order to get a reaction.

Sure, Jeff Hardy is more popular than Rob Van Dam. But RVD is clearly the better wrestler, performer, and entertainer.
 
Rob Van Dam, of course. ;) I like Jeff Hardy. I think he gets alot of undue criticism on this particular forum. He is entertaining and wildly popular. With that being said, he's not as entertaining or talented as RVD. And let's not foget that RVD got enormous pops from the crowd in his hayday as well. When it comes down the wrestling, RVD has Jeff beat by a mile. Jeff may be up for crazier spots, but RVD executes more successfully and is more well rounded. RVD incorporates more variety of moves and had better psychology in his matches.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lee
Well, both Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam have their high points and their low points. I would have to side with both of them I guess. I mean they are two wrestlers with a hell of a lot of talent who have gone toe to toe in some incredible matches. Jeff Hardy is the high flying risk taker who has put on a hell of a lot of "holy shit" moments in his career. He was ECW material through and through but he never wrestled for them(when i mean ECW i don't mean the watered down brand that the WWE has, I am talking about Paul Heyman's ECW the real deal!!!)
Rob Van Dam had some incredible matches too. He was like the stronger version of Jeff Hardy with extreme flexibility and great wrestling talent. WWE made a big mistake by letting him go.
Well all in all i can't pick between them. They are basically at a stale mate with me.
 
RVD wins this one for me, I think in the ring he was far more original and offered something I couldn't see with anyone else. Loved his pairing with Rey, it was freaking awesome.

Come back to the E RVD!
 
Jeff Hardy. Why? He knew how to fucking wrestle, that's why. He could get the crowd to care, and if he was heel I'm sure he could get them to boo. RVD got people to cheer, but when he was a heel against Cena he kept playing to the crowd to get cheers. Douchebaggery, that is.

Also, as another mark of a good pro-wrestler, Jeff Hardy was a larger draw and sold more merchandise than RVD could ever dream of.

What else? You wanna argue mic skills? That's like arguing who can jump higher, Benjamin or Kofi. They both do the same thing, about as well as the other.

Jeff Hardy.
 
[QUOTE="Cool Guy" Jensen;1386030]The easy answer for me would be Rob Van Dam. He's a better "wrestler" than Jeff Hardy. RVD can do actual moves to his opponents and uses his high-flying and high risks as a bonus, whereas I feel that Jeff Hardy depends too much on high risks and whatnot in order to get a reaction.

Sure, Jeff Hardy is more popular than Rob Van Dam. But RVD is clearly the better wrestler, performer, and entertainer.[/QUOTE]

Well, that doesn't make much sense. Jeff Hardy is more popular with the WWE fans yet he isn't a better wrestler, performer or entertainer??!!

If he is more popular then it is usually because he entertains the fans more.

Jeff Hardy is better and has been more successfull. It's tough because I love both of these guys but I'm gonna go with Jeff. He has been in more historic match's than RVD and the past year and half was Hardy's time and he really stepped up into the main event role.

Jeff has been successful in both tag and singles action and is a 3 time world champion. Jeff Hardy FTW here but that takes nothing away from RVD who was also a great talent and popular superstar. Jeff is just better IMO.
 
I'm not sure how the argument could even be made for Hardy here. He's grown on me, but his work doesn't even come close to RVD's. There's a reason why Hardy's best single match for years were his encounters with RVD in 2001. RVD is simply one of the most uniquely gifted athletes to ever wrestle. Much more so than Hardy. When you compare the quality of matches with each other...well that too goes directly to RVD, and it's not even really close. RVD's encounters with Jerry Lynn are better than anything Jeff has ever done in his entire career.

RVD is easily the better of the two. Literally the only reason he isn't currently on the top of the WWE is because he wanted to rest and didn't want to quit smoking pot. Shit, RVD's one WWE title reign is more impressive than all of Jeff's.

Without a doubt RVD here. Not even close in my opinion.
 
Jeff and RVD are quite comparable: both have similar in-ring styles, drug problems, and attitudes (both have that laid back, cool agenda).

There's, however, a criterion that Hardy's barely superior in, and that's drawing power. He toted smackdown at a time when the main event scene was awfully void of top tier guys. The ratings were doing fine with Jeff as the main draw. RVD, on the other hand, has not been proven to be as big of a draw as Jeff. Thus, jeff is objectively more entertaining.
 
I think it is a very objective thing, but I think the only reason RVD didn't have a chance to prove his worth as the title holder was his firmly held belief in his right to recreational marijuana.

He was over with the crowd and better in ring than Jeff IMO.

Just My Opinion
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
174,846
Messages
3,300,837
Members
21,727
Latest member
alvarosamaniego
Back
Top