Weight: 237 lbs.
Finishing Move: The Five Star Frog Splash
Titles Held: 1x WWE Champ, 5x WWE Intercontinental Champ, 1x ECW Television Champ, 2x World Tag Team Champ, 1x WWE Tag Team Champ, 1x WWE European Champ, 4x WWE Hardcore Champ
Nicknames: Mr. Monday Night, The Whole F'N Show, Mr. PPV, RVD, Mr. Thursday Night
Real Name: Robert Szatkowski
Van Dam made a brief WWF appearance in 1997, beating Jeff Hardy on Raw. However, he was released for his attitude problems. He went on to become a big name in ECW over the next four years. When WCW invaded the WWF in June 2001, RVD and Tommy Dreamer ran into the ring wearing ECW shirts and helped former ECW colleagues Lance Storm and Mike Awesome beat down WWF stars. Paul Heyman got in the ring and announced the reformation of ECW. However, the same night, ECW merged with WCW against the WWF. At Invasion, RVD finished his feud with Hardy by pinning him for the Hardcore Title. He beat him again in a ladder match at SummerSlam, and beat Chris Jericho at Unforgiven. RVD's popularity among fans and Alliance members made Steve Austin jealous, and he wanted to put RVD in his place. However, RVD got a shot at Austin's title in a Triple Threat Match against him and Kurt Angle at No Mercy. He failed, but impressed Vince McMahon so much that he offered RVD a place in the WWF. RVD declined, and the Alliance lost the winner-take-all match at Survivor Series, with RVD being the HC champ the only thing that saved his job. He lost the Hardcore title to The Undertaker at Vengeance.
RVD participated in the Royal Rumble, but didn't win. He became the target of the returning Goldust and beat him at No Way Out. He received an IC title shot against William Regal at WrestleMania and won the belt. When the roster split occurred, he was drafted to Ric Flair's Raw brand along with the IC Title. He was attacked by a returning Eddie Guerrero and lost the title to him at Backlash. He failed to win it in a rematch at Judgment Day, but a couple of weeks later on Raw, won it back from Eddie in a ladder match. He entered the King of the Ring tournament by defeating Eddie in a qualifying match. He beat X-pac in the next round, and then Chris Jericho. However, he lost in the finals to Brock Lesnar, who won with a little help from his agent Paul Heyman. RVD crashed the coronation the next night, giving Paul the Van Terminator. He beat Lesnar by DQ at Vengeance, but then lost the Intercontinental Title to Chris Benoit. He won the title back in a return match at SummerSlam, and got a shot at the World Title at Unforgiven. His opponent, Triple H cost him the IC title in a match against Jericho. RVD lost the World Title match at Unforgiven, after his friend Ric Flair turned on him and joined Triple H. RVD beat Flair at No Mercy, and was then put in the first ever Elimination Chamber match for the World Title at Survivor Series. He went up against Triple H, Booker T, Kane, Jericho and Shawn Michaels. He was the first eliminated, and after Survivor Series, teamed up with Kane to take on the Three Minute Warning.
He made it far in the Royal Rumble, but didn't win. He and Kane got a tag title shot against Lance Storm and William Regal at No Way Out, but came up short. After Regal went on the DL, Chief Morely named himself and Storm the new champions. RVD and Kane lost to them on the Heat before WrestleMania XIX, thanks to Morely's henchmen, the Dudley Boyz. They beat Morely and Storm for the titles in a rematch at Backlash, this time thanks to help from the Dudleys, who were fed up with Morely. They both competed in a battle royal to name a new Intercontinental Champion at Judgment Day, but neither man won.
One of a kind!
One of a kind!
One of a kind!
One of a kind!
I've got that feeling deep inside
Well, what it is I don't know
My vengeance starts to change
My mind gets filled with rage
I reach my fist up to the sky
What do you say?
The fear I see when I look in your eyes
makes you believe I'm one of a kind (one of a kind)
The fear I leave in the back of your mind
Makes you believe I'm...
One of a kind!
Hey, hey, hey, hey
One of a kind!
Hey, hey, hey, hey
One of a kind!
And now I feel like I'm alive
Just don't know how I got so low
These voices in my mind
Tell me it's killing time
and it's a thrill I can't describe