Top 5 title victories for Rob Van Dam in WWE
The title "once-in-a-generation" isn't used that often, but for former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam, it is a mere understatement. A legendary trendsetter for the wrestling industry, Van Dam was extraordinarily gifted. Both his influential and charismatic personality was a huge draw for all the promotions he worked for.
Mr. Monday Night's career was analogous with his unique in-ring skills and the special hardcore touch that made him marketable throughout his run. During the long course of this journey, he has been ornated with numerous accolades by his name.
These include conquering every major championship wherever he went and also his recent induction into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Here are Rob Van Dam's top five title victories of his WWE career.
#5 RVD wins his initial WWE Hardcore Championship
Several defunct ECW wrestlers invaded WWE on the July 9, 2001, episode of RAW. The following weeks saw the upsurge of an Alliance between WCW and ECW superstars. RVD was a heel during the Invasion yet was a recognized fan favorite, so the crowd kept rooting for him.
At the Invasion pay-per-view, RVD faced Jeff Hardy for the WWE Hardcore Championship and became the new champion. He would then lose the title to Hardy on RAW and regain it again at Summerslam. This victory would mark an important part of Rob's career as it would eventually save him from getting fired.
Van Dam would also earn several victories against prominent WWE Superstars like Kane, The Undertaker, The Rock, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. These victories made Van Dam's persona resonate much more with the fans.
During that year's Survivor Series, Van Dam would tag along with four other Alliance members against five WWE wrestlers in a "Winner Takes All" match. The night witnessed some historical performances from The Rock and Stone Cold.
Finally, due to a few double-crosses, team WWE won the contest, ending the Alliance that night. After they disbanded, many of the wrestlers got fired, but Van Dam would retain his job as he was the Hardcore Champion.