What is so great about Rob Van Dam?

[eightseven]

First, let me say I dont hate RVD. He was a great wrestler back in the day from what I saw, but right now he just SEEMS to be another old guy with no personality.

Can someone explain the hype around this guy and why a 39 year old who points at himself will better TNA?

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

It won't. He'll come in, doing it for the paycheck and the easy schedule, and he'll have the same match with each guy he faces.

[Natalya's Ass Fanboy]

He's one of the most spectacular workers of all-time with one of wrestling's most awe-inspiring and unique offensive repertoires.

[Dave at the Movies]

Did you watch WWE from 2001 to 2006? The guy was mega popular without even trying. they gave him no promo time and he still got over huge.

He coudl have easily been the top guy in WWE if they hadn't held him down.

[Handsome Halfbreed]

If RVD really wants to make a splash in TNA he needs to incorporate a few new moves to his wrestling arsenal.

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

Mar 8, 2010 12:52:16 GMT -5 Natalya's Ass Fanboy said:

He's one of the most spectacular workers of all-time with one of wrestling's most awe-inspiring and unique offensive repertoires.

Kicks, sloppy forearms, that "Rolling Thunder" thing, tossing a chair at a guy and kicking it, and a frogsplash are unique and awe-inspiring? Because that's pretty much all Van Dam's done since the Jerry Lynn matches that built his reputation.

[Blindkarevik]

Seriously.. Spanky & Stryker vs. RVD & Kevin Nash

Book it.

[Dave at the Movies]

Mar 8, 2010 12:59:45 GMT -5 Spankymac is sick of the swiss said:

Mar 8, 2010 12:52:16 GMT -5 Natalya's Ass Fanboy said:

He's one of the most spectacular workers of all-time with one of wrestling's most awe-inspiring and unique offensive repertoires.

Kicks, sloppy forearms, that "Rolling Thunder" thing, tossing a chair at a guy and kicking it, and a frogsplash are unique and awe-inspiring? Because that's pretty much all Van Dam's done since the Jerry Lynn matches that built his reputation.

What? Do you want him to be a chain wrestler like Desmond Wolfe? That isn't his style. His style is big spots with a huge martial arts background. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean he is sloppy and mediocre.

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

Mar 8, 2010 13:02:46 GMT -5 Dave at the Movies said:

Mar 8, 2010 12:59:45 GMT -5 Spankymac is sick of the swiss said:

Kicks, sloppy forearms, that "Rolling Thunder" thing, tossing a chair at a guy and kicking it, and a frogsplash are unique and awe-inspiring? Because that's pretty much all Van Dam's done since the Jerry Lynn matches that built his reputation.

What? Do you want him to be a chain wrestler like Desmond Wolfe? That isn't his style. His style is big spots with a huge martial arts background. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean he is sloppy and mediocre.

I'm fine with him having his own style. Everyone does. What I'd like is for him to not have the same match over and over and over again, regardless of who his opponent is and how important the match is.

[icansleep]

I concur.

I fail to see how a near-40 year old Rob Van Dam is supposed to be as big as an acquistion as the TNArmy as making him out to be. Maybe if this was the Rob Van Dam of 10 years ago, I could understand the excitement, but as Spankymac has stated, the guy has lived off his reputation for years now and certainly worked rather uninspired towards the end of his WWE run.

[Michael Coello]

Wait. 39 is old? What is this, Logan's Run?

[Dave at the Movies]

Mar 8, 2010 13:07:18 GMT -5 Spankymac is sick of the swiss said:

Mar 8, 2010 13:02:46 GMT -5 Dave at the Movies said:

What? Do you want him to be a chain wrestler like Desmond Wolfe? That isn't his style. His style is big spots with a huge martial arts background. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean he is sloppy and mediocre.

I'm fine with him having his own style. Everyone does. What I'd like is for him to not have the same match over and over and over again, regardless of who his opponent is and how important the match is.

Well you have to look at why he had the same match over and over and over. It was the same reason that just about any WWE guy at the time had the same match over and over and over again.

It wasn't until about two years ago when WWE started hiring smaller guys like Punk that they have actually allowed their guys to really "wrestle" again and not in the so called WWE style.

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

Mar 8, 2010 13:10:32 GMT -5 Dave at the Movies said:

Mar 8, 2010 13:07:18 GMT -5 Spankymac is sick of the swiss said:

I'm fine with him having his own style. Everyone does. What I'd like is for him to not have the same match over and over and over again, regardless of who his opponent is and how important the match is.

Well you have to look at why he had the same match over and over and over. It was the same reason that just about any WWE guy at the time had the same match over and over and over again.

It wasn't until about two years ago when WWE started hiring smaller guys like Punk that they have actually allowed their guys to really "wrestle" again and not in the so called WWE style.

I don't buy that at all. There were a ton of guys in the time period where RVD was doing the same boring match every week, where they were going out and having different, entertaining matches every week. Guys like Guerrero, Lesnar, Angle, Benoit, The WGTT, Edge, et al..., were all kicking ass while RVD was spinning his wheels cutting lame promos(and no, WWE didn't kill his personality. Go back to the ECW tapes, he never had much to begin with) and having the same old same old match. Unless a ladder was involved, and then a frogsplash would come from the top of THAT. Which was a nice change....I guess.

[GaTechGrad]

Educated Feet.

[Metalheadbanger Man]

If he gets arrested for smoking pot, TNA will probably push him for it.

Nah, I'm kidding. I guess he could have entertaining matches with the likes of AJ and Daniels.

[Dave the Dave]

Well, Sabu does a lot of the same stuff too, but it doesn't make him any less innovative.

I think RVd is great, and having the same match happens a lot and is done by many people, at least RVD does some cool stuff while repeating matches. I want to talk about Ric Flair having the same match for 15 years, but I am not arguing who is better. Just, go with what works and made you famous.

[lostinacrowd]

I think RVD cares about the industry more than some people give him credit for. He works his butt off in most matches I've seen. I think he'll come in and be hugely over and work some great matches. I think he has the potential to do some great things for TNA.

We'll see....

[AriadosMan]

RVD is far from the worst acquisition TNA has ever made, but acting like he's a big deal at this point is being really generous. If TNA would stick to having one "legend" at a time (why do we needs the Sting/Hogan/Flair feud AGAIN?!?!) he could be made to mean something , but the way its been announced comes across as "oh hey look, it's RVD." instead of "OMFG RVD!!!".
TNA has had so many established talents show up that their individual appearances are coming to mean very little.
That, and the fact that rather than being the place where talent gets boosted from their experience their, TNA actually seems to have a negative effect on most of the guys' careers. Remember Booker's TNA run? I could easily see RVD half-assing his run just like Booker's.

[Lance Uppercut]

Mar 8, 2010 13:13:55 GMT -5 Spankymac is sick of the swiss said:

Mar 8, 2010 13:10:32 GMT -5 Dave at the Movies said:

Well you have to look at why he had the same match over and over and over. It was the same reason that just about any WWE guy at the time had the same match over and over and over again.

It wasn't until about two years ago when WWE started hiring smaller guys like Punk that they have actually allowed their guys to really "wrestle" again and not in the so called WWE style.

I don't buy that at all. There were a ton of guys in the time period where RVD was doing the same boring match every week, where they were going out and having different, entertaining matches every week. Guys like Guerrero, Lesnar, Angle, Benoit, The WGTT, Edge, et al..., were all kicking ass while RVD was spinning his wheels cutting lame promos(and no, WWE didn't kill his personality. Go back to the ECW tapes, he never had much to begin with) and having the same old same old match. Unless a ladder was involved, and then a frogsplash would come from the top of THAT. Which was a nice change....I guess.

I was saying for years, that WWE is not totally to blame for his lack of success. Considering his best matches in ECW invovled him fighting outside for extended periods of time (ignoring countouts), innovative uses of foreign objects, and doing crazy spots into the crowd (which inspire an insane amount of lawsuits in WWE), he could rarely get a basic, by the rules, traditional match on a consistent basis. Unless he was with a better psychological wrestler like Lynn or HBK.

[AriadosMan]

Mar 8, 2010 15:24:47 GMT -5 Lance Uppercut said:

Mar 8, 2010 13:13:55 GMT -5 Spankymac is sick of the swiss said:

I don't buy that at all. There were a ton of guys in the time period where RVD was doing the same boring match every week, where they were going out and having different, entertaining matches every week. Guys like Guerrero, Lesnar, Angle, Benoit, The WGTT, Edge, et al..., were all kicking ass while RVD was spinning his wheels cutting lame promos(and no, WWE didn't kill his personality. Go back to the ECW tapes, he never had much to begin with) and having the same old same old match. Unless a ladder was involved, and then a frogsplash would come from the top of THAT. Which was a nice change....I guess.

I was saying for years, that WWE is not totally to blame for his lack of success. Considering his best matches in ECW invovled him fighting outside for extended periods of time (ignoring countouts), innovative uses of foreign objects, and doing crazy spots into the crowd (which inspire an insane amount of lawsuits in WWE), he could rarely get a basic, by the rules, traditional match on a consistent basis. Unless he was with a better psychological wrestler like Lynn or HBK.

To be fair, ECW didn't push guys based on their workrate either. Sandman and New Jack are pretty conclusive proof of that. They tended to push people who had a marketable, distinct style of match/gimmick, which RVD did.