The legendary career of Rob Van Dam made him one of the most beloved wrestlers in the history of the industry. Van Dam made his name in ECW as a major breakout star. Most fans would look back and admit that RVD was easily the hottest name on the ECW roster towards the end of the '90s. The decision to join WWE after ECW ended just made Van Dam an even bigger name as he got over instantly.
Fans connected with the persona and wrestling style that made RVD one of a kind. The incredible run of Van Dam in WWE proved that he could be a superstar. One WWE Championship confirmed that he could reach the top of the mountain even if it never happened again. The in-ring work of RVD was his calling card. Find out which performances stood out as the best with the top ten matches of Rob Van Dam’s career.
10 Rob Van Dam vs John Cena (One Night Stand 2006)
The biggest win of Rob Van Dam’s career certainly deserves a spot on the list for its importance. Van Dam won his first and only WWE Championship at the start of the ECW relaunch under WWE’s leadership. The win would start ECW off hot with RVD becoming the WWE Champion and ECW Champion.
John Cena was deemed public enemy number one by the ECW crowd, leading to one of the most unique crowd environments in wrestling history. Van Dam's home crowd reacted with joy to every one of his moves and hatred for all of Cena’s offense. This was a solid match to cement his name among the elite in the WWE Title’s linage.
9 Rob Van Dam vs Eddie Guerrero (Raw - May 27, 2002)
The ladder match between Rob Van Dam and Eddie Guerrero showcased a dazzling bout between the two masters of the Frog Splash. Guerrero was in his element as an outstanding heel while Van Dam played his general character of the likable face.
Both men left it all in the ring with incredible moves off the ladder. The match got sloppy with the violence overtaking the grace. A fan jumped in the ring at one point with Guerrero taking him out. RVD pulled off the win in a must-see match for fans of both wrestlers.
8 Rob Van Dam vs Lance Storm (ECW Guilty As Charged 1999)
The ECW portion of Rob Van Dam’s career saw him mix it up with wrestlers of all different styles. Lance Storm was arguably the best technical wrestler in ECW when facing off against Van Dam at Guilty as Charged 1999.
Fans at the venue ate it up with the match receiving the best ovation of the night. Storm was at his peak, while RVD was in his hot run as the most beloved star on the roster. Both men clicked to deliver an outstanding match, with Van Dam leaving as the winner.
7 Rob Van Dam vs Kurt Angle vs Steve Austin (No Mercy 2001)
Rob Van Dam’s instant success in WWE started during the Invasion storyline. Not many people would have expected to see Van Dam become the hottest wrestler in a WWE vs WCW feud. However, the fans invested in him the most when ECW teamed with WCW in The Alliance.
RVD became a face due to the fan support and it didn’t make Steve Austin happy, as he was meant to be The Alliance's leader. The issue would see a triple threat match between Austin, Van Dam, and Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship at No Mercy 2001. All three men delivered a great match; even though Austin won, RVD had a successful outing in his first WWE PPV main event.
6 Rob Van Dam vs Chris Jericho (Unforgiven 2001)
Rob Van Dam became a favorite of Stephanie McMahon during The Alliance storyline since she was the new owner of ECW. This led to Van Dam representing Stephanie McMahon in her feud with Chris Jericho. Van Dam and Jericho had a highly anticipated match at 2001's Unforgiven PPV.
Both men were at the top of their game and showed some superb chemistry. Jericho was already an upper card act, so RVD benefitted from having such a strong outing against him. Stephanie’s interference helped Van Dam score a huge win early in his WWE run.
5 Rob Vam & Jeff Hardy vs Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley vs Christian & Chris Jericho vs Kane (Raw - October 7, 2002)
This TLC match came during a segment of Raw Roulette, with prior TLC wrestlers getting to choose a new partner. Jeff Hardy chose Rob Van Dam, Christian selected Chris Jericho, and Bubba Ray went with Spike Dudley, as all three teams challenged Kane and The Hurricane for the WWE Tag Team Championship.
An injury to Hurricane forced Kane to go at it alone and overcome the odds to win the match. Van Dam fit in well, pulling off quite a few memorable yet dangerous moves. This was among the greatest overall matches in Raw history, with RVD contributing to its greatness.
4 Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs Hayabusa & Jinsei Shinzaki (Heatwave 1998)
Rob Van Dam and Sabu had a superb tag team run in ECW. Both guys were primarily singles wrestlers, but their shared manager Bill Alfonso brought them together. The ECW fans adored both men, making them a highly popular duo.
Japanese superstars Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki made their way to ECW for a Heatwave 1998 match. This was considered one of the all-time great ECW shows with this match stealing the show. RVD and Sabu had their best performance as a duo in this popular hardcore bout.
3 Rob Van Dam vs Christian (Raw- September 29, 2003)
The singles heel run of Christian in the early 2000s saw him become one of the most detested mid-carders on the roster. Rob Van Dam was the perfect foe for Christian, with both men being frequently involved in the Intercontinental Championship picture.
The title was on the line during this episode of Raw where Van Dam and Christian scored a rare main event appearance in a ladder match. Both men were known for doing great things in such a stipulation and it led to an instant classic, with RVD pulling out the win.
2 Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn (Living Dangerously 1999)
The rivalry between Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn carried ECW from 1999 into the new millennium. Fans of RVD were in awe when he found his perfect opponent. Lynn was among the most underrated wrestlers that never got a fair chance in WCW or WWE.
These matches against Van Dam put Lynn on the map as an outstanding in-ring worker. Living Dangerously 1999 featured the most memorable match between the two. Van Dam and Lynn went move for move with the audience eating every second up. This rivalry would continue for over a decade.
1 Rob Van Dam vs Jeff Hardy (Invasion)
WWF Invasion was the first PPV of the WWE vs WCW & ECW war; unsurprisingly, everyone wanted to stand out. Rob Van Dam outshined them all when facing off against Jeff Hardy for the Hardcore Championship. Both men had a reputation for insane moves, and each showed it off on this night.
All anyone wanted to talk about at the end of the show is how incredible RVD performed. The Hardcore Championship win was secondary to the fans greeting him like a hero. WWE was forced to make Van Dam a face and push him after this spectacular match essentially made him a superstar.