I never realized how popular RVD was

[Messiah]

I got bored and started watching a lot of stuff from 2001, mainly Austin's work. What caught my attention during some of these segments were Van Dam's reactions. They were insane. I think he was getting the biggest pops of the night or certainly close to it. I watched a match he had with The Rock where the reaction was split.

I always knew he was well-liked by the crowd but never paid attention much to the reactions he was getting until now. I'm not the biggest RVD fan (not that I dislike him or anything, he was very talented but I'm indifferent) but his popularity was crazy.

Is it fair to say he was probably only behind Rock in terms of popularity at that time (excluding Austin who drew tremendous heat)? I guess you could argue Angle. Fans loved him as a babyface.

[Everlong]

Yeah at the height of RVD's popularity he was one of the biggest faces there was. I had a good friend who LOVED RVD around that same time period.

It was really because he filled a specific niche. You had all kinds of guys who could talk and could kick some ass. RVD came out, did some high-energy, high-flying moves, and had a generally likable persona.

There was a reason he eventually became known as the "best to never win the title" according to JR during his commentary (until he actually won it).

[Str8Shooter]

Yeah Invasion RVD maybe was the most over he's ever been. He was so over they added him into a main event on one PPV, wasn't it No Mercy or something like that, in a Triple Threat against Angle and Austin if my memory is correct?

I remember one moment on a Raw where Austin and someone else were both down and he went to the top rope, and the crowd went nuts waiting to see who he would hit and he Five Starred Austin and the roof came off. I think this actually happened anyway

[PorkChop]

RVD's popularity always baffled me. I can't stand him. He's boring on the mic and his ring work always felt very contrived, and he was always a few paces slower than other renowned high-flyers, even in his prime.

The ponytail and singlet have never endeared him to me either.

[Circled Square]

I always mark for RVD. Does midget shit but still looked like he could be a top guy. Never found him boring on the mic - he's a laid back stoner type lmao I don't think his disinterested tone is because he's such a boring guy. Wish he didn't fuck that title reign up man...what could have been.

[Hanley!]

Yeah, I remember all the crazy pops he used to get, and I never really understood them back then. I watched WWE and WCW at various times growing up, but I never saw any ECW until years later, so I didn't know anything of RVD's history. And based on his performances he never seemed to be anything all that special.

He's a weird wrestler in a lot of ways. He's large for a high flying guy, but not so large that it's any great novelty that he's doing these moves. He's known for his high flying moves, but he always looked slower and heavier doing them than anyone else. Most of the time it looked like he was wrestling underwater. He was just heavy.

His promos were never great either. Though the fun chant might have helped him. To be honest, I think he's one of those lightning in a bottle cases where he happened to just be in the exact right place and right time to get over. If he appeared on the scene for the first time in 2016, he'd be just another guy.

There was a reason he eventually became known as the "best to never win the title" according to JR during his commentary (until he actually won it).

It can't have been a particularly good reason. I was almost relieved when he won the title, so I could stop hearing people say that about him. It was never anything less than completely ridiculous.

He was supposed to be better than Jake Roberts, Ted Dibiase, Owen Hart, Roddy Piper, Rick Rude, Davey Boy Smith, Scott Hall, Curt Hennig and Ricky Fucking Steamboat?

JR can fuck right off.

[Everlong]

Relax man, it was just a way to help get him over. I'm sure JR didn't actually believe that himself

It's not hard to see why RVD was popular. He became an avatar of ECW, one of the few ECW originals who managed to stay over and achieve at least upper midcard status in WWE. That resonated with fans in particular. His style set him apart from his contemporaries, especially guys who were booked at the upper midcard level. While he wasn't the most talented guy, the fact that he was different enough from everyone else who was around really helped him to stand out. And while he wasn't good at promos, he had a real easygoing, relatable persona that really helped him get over as a face. For most of his career, he wasn't really booked in a whole ton of promos anyway.

I'd agree that he wouldn't get over today if he was just coming on to the scene. But he was perfect for his time, and became hugely popular because of it. Given the incredible amount of support he had from the fans, it was more than reasonable to book him as being "the best to never win," even if it wasn't remotely true. With the amount of fan support he had, that sort of character psychology only added to it and gave people more reason to want him to win it all. It was smart booking, not some sort of egregious disrespect to other legends.

[Circled Square]

RVD wouldn't be another guy today lmao if anything he'd be more likely to succeed because nobody cares about promos and flippy shit is all the fans care about. Plus his slower style was safe as hell. He only got inured like once in his career.

[Circled Square]

And the crowd is dying to chant something retarded the RVD chant would be over as fuck

[Everlong]

RVD wouldn't be another guy today lmao if anything he'd be more likely to succeed because nobody cares about promos and flippy shit is all the fans care about.

Even if this were true, wouldn't that make him less likely to get over? There are plenty of other people now who can do what he did better. It set him apart at the time because there weren't a whole lot of guys in the main event scene who made a moveset like his.

The closest comparison in the upper midcard and main event was probably Chris Jericho, but lionsault and other occasional moves aside, even he tended to keep a ground-based style by the time he was in WWE.

[Hanley!]

Relax man, it was just a way to help get him over. I'm sure JR didn't actually believe that himself

People on WWE-Club used to say it too. It was an argument that came up more than once back then. Now it's possible that JR or some other commentator was the one to put the idea in people's heads, but somehow there were people out there who actually believed it, and even preached it.

RVD wouldn't be another guy today lmao if anything he'd be more likely to succeed because nobody cares about promos and flippy shit is all the fans care about. Plus his slower style was safe as hell. He only got inured like once in his career.

But there are thousands of wrestlers out there who destroy RVD when it comes to "flippy shit". And a sizeable percentage of them could work a match better than RVD. Most of them could cut a better promo. And none of them have RVD's unique ability to squish his opponents repeatedly, or execute finishers that look like they're killing themselves and barely harming their opponents.

Without being the poster boy of the ECW counter culture movement, there's nothing all that special about RVD.

[Circled Square]

I kinda liked the way he sold the splash it stood out especially when Eddie was doing it too.

RVD has the size that Vince would like and the flippy shit that Triple H likes. If they will put the belt on Finn Balor they'll put it on a young RVD.

[Circled Square]

Plus RVD has a unique offense, nobody wrestles like him. You can see flashes in other wrestlers but RVD is unique in the ring, has his own fingerprint. These CWC and some NXT guys wrestle like they picked preset move set #5 in a create a wrestler mode. Not all of them ofc...just saying RVD would still stand out significantly.

RVD was safe too...don't get the squishing his opponents comment. Maybe in his young ECW days but as a WWE guy he never was dangerous. If he's a dangerous worker, so is Rollins.

[Str8Shooter]

because nobody cares about promos and flippy shit is all the fans care about.

Right, that's why The New Day and Enzo and Cass are two of the most over acts in the company over the past two years. Must be all their flippy shit.

[Circled Square]

because nobody cares about promos and flippy shit is all the fans care about.

Right, that's why The New Day and Enzo and Cass are two of the most over acts in the company over the past two years.

And in the mid card withering and dying.

[Str8Shooter]

because nobody cares about promos and flippy shit is all the fans care about.

Right, that's why The New Day and Enzo and Cass are two of the most over acts in the company over the past two years.

And in the mid card withering and dying.

I think we have very different ideas of what "withering and dying" is. Sin Cara is withering and dying.

[Circled Square]

If you don't think the New Day is treading water you're delusional. And just wait until smarks turn on Enzo & Big Meme when they do the same thing for the next two years. .

[Circled Square]

New Day had potential crossover appeal if they put them in the main event and didn't treat then like their African dancing act. Dancing around with dildos strapped to their head, only one memorable match (TLC), nah man. Fuck that

[Str8Shooter]

New Day had potential crossover appeal if they put them in the main event and didn't treat then like their African dancing act. Dancing around with dildos strapped to their head, only one memorable match (TLC), nah man. Fuck that

They had one of the best Raw matches of the year against AJ Styles and Jericho, the match where Jericho turned heel after. They've had good ones with Kidd & Cesaro and the Usos last year too. Not their fault the tag division has been mostly shit.

[Circled Square]

Forgot the Jericho match that was pretty good. You know, you're not going to get good matches out of Enzo and Cass, which to me is fine as long as they have interesting characters and actually change and develop, and I feel like I haven't seen that. That m'lady shit with Sasha was cringe worthy as fuck but I can appreciate how spontaneous it was, and I liked Cass in the main event, but other than that...haven't seen much progress. In an ideal world they win the tag belts and Big E challenges for a world title.