Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

[CaptainZombie]

Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter

Don't be surprised if you see Rob Van Dam cashing in his Monday in the Bank contract against John Bradshaw Layfield for the World Heavyweight Championship at the upcoming June ECW pay per view.

In order for this scenario to happen, Mysterio would have to lose the title to JBL before that event took place. RVD has yet to announce who he will face for their title and would not do so until after the title change. Challenging JBL for his title would require RVD to jump to SmackDown.

Reports have also indicated that RVD would be facing the winner of this Sunday's Backlash main event. However, there are a few issues with RVD facing each of the possible winners. Triple H is on the verge of turning face and getting such major negative heat on him conflicts with that. John Cena also doesn't need that negativity while he's already fighting on a weekly basis for the fans approval. Edge has little history with RVD and minimal history with ECW. Edge's only history with ECW was appearing at last year's One Night Stand PPV as part of the anti-ECW crusaders. The leader of that pack was John Bradshaw Layfield. He was the most outspoken about ECW last year and it is expected that his tirade will pick up once again very shortly, making him the perfect target for RVD.

[bravosfan]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

I like this scenario better than the rumored one with HHH/Cena... I'm not a big RVD fan, but if he's gonna get the title this is probably the best way to do it.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

pretty sure it'll be a heel Cena... that will get him massive heat. Or just keep him face... It might even get him more heat.

[JiggidyJames]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

Oh God, please let it be Edge.

The only reason I could think of myself was him being a "crusader" last year. Throw in a promo about how he's done hardcore matches on the grandest stage of them all...and BAM...you have yourself a build. But Bill Alfonso MUST be apart of any angle. Mr. Next World Champion needs a mouthpiece against the big dogs.

As far as the JBL rumors go...

NO F'N WAY!!!!!!!!!!

I saw Bradshaw get drunk at last year's One Night Stand, I do not wish to see him at this year's. He is one of the last people that I wanna see "invade" "ECW" and go against RVD. There would be so many more match-ups that I would pay my money to go see than RVD/JBL. Whoops, too late!

You know, if RVD did beat one of the top guys on Raw, maybe the new ECW would, I don't know, get the rub?

[BGarrett7]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

If somehow, someway RVD wins the strap, may God have mercy on our souls.

[goh]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

Edge is the best choice because it would be the best match. RVD better win,it'll make whatever show he wins the title on watchable every week again.

[Beantown]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

But then again....would the WWE rather have RVD the champ of their big show, or the smaller one?

[goh]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

He'll end up being the ECW champ then whatever title he has will be vacated and they'll have a gauntlet or battle royal or 4 way elimination match or something like that.

[JiggidyJames]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

He'll end up being the ECW champ then whatever title he has will be vacated and they'll have a gauntlet or battle royal or 4 way elimination match or something like that.

Or hand it Triple H.

Just playing.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

If somehow, someway RVD wins the strap, may God have mercy on our souls.

It's still my opinion that RVD is one of the most overrated performers in history.

[BGarrett7]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

It's still my opinion that RVD is one of the most overrated performers in history.

One of? He's probably the single most overrated performer ever.

[Dondadda]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

One of? He's probably the single most overrated performer ever.

Again, you demonstrate your cluelessness about wrestling. This is one of the very best athletes to ever step into the ring, that you are talking about. Have you ever even seen his best work from 96-98 in ECW, plus his matchups with Lynn. This guy is the perfect combination of athleticism, toughness, and creativity. Sure, the "pompous" gimmick wears thin, but he is definitely one of the best ever.

[Dondadda]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

I know that many of the hardcore ECW fans can see this from a mile away, but when RVD wins the belt at ONS, it won't surprise me in the least bit if he threw the belt in the trash or down on the ground ala Shane Douglas, and proclaimed the rebirth of the "new ECW" right then and there. A bit canned and predictable, but many of us old-timers would mark out like maniacs for that scene.

[JiggidyJames]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

Alright, let's stop the RVD trash fest for now and get back on topic..."Possible Scenarios" for RVD's One Night Stand opponent.

The plan supposedly being thrown around is for JBL to fight him at ONS. It's no secret, but I'm not excited to see that one. So, what would I do?

Edge wins the title tonight. Tomorrow on Raw he cuts a promo about how he's the champ again and would defend the title against anyone in any type of match, because he's done them all. Throw in some references to being a "hardcore god" or some nonsense like that and have him give an open challenge. Cue Sabu and Bill Alfonso. They brawl for a bit, then Edge gets the upper hand. This starts the build to RVD/Edge. Now, at ONS RVD wins, throws the belt away and we get "ECW".

But now the Raw belt is tarnished. How do you build it back to respectibility? By booking a Triple H/Edge feud! Trips isn't happy with Edge for letting RVD trash the title, since he's all about tradition and thinks the belt is his. Edge has to prove himself to the wrestling business again. It continues their "shades of gray" thing they got going. Simple, easy booking that will lead to months of more angles.

[BGarrett7]

Re: Possible Scenarios For Rob Van Dam's ECW PPV Opponent

Again, you demonstrate your cluelessness about wrestling. This is one of the very best athletes to ever step into the ring, that you are talking about.

Being a good athlete and being a great wrestler are not synonymous. Do they play a big part in one another? Absolutely. But just because someone is a superb athlete does not make them a superb wrestler. Rob is, in fact, a remarkable physical specimen, there is no denying that, but it takes a little more than that to be one of the greats. Like, I don't know, wrestling the exact same match for over a decade. It's funny, the likes of Hogan, Nash, etc are all blasted out of the building for wrestling the same match since the late nineties, but RVD gets a free pass just because he adds in unnecessary flashy crap like rolling around and doing flips.

Have you ever even seen his best work from 96-98 in ECW, plus his matchups with Lynn. This guy is the perfect combination of athleticism, toughness, and creativity. Sure, the "pompous" gimmick wears thin, but he is definitely one of the best ever.

I lived and died with ECW, so don't dare question whether or not I know of the RVD/Lynn matches. Believe it or not, while I may appear to be nothing more than a casual wrestling fan now, there was a time where I was huge into stuff like workrate and the ability to work a crowd by precise use of spots and flow. And RVD was a huge reason why I became such big ECW fan back in the day. The things he was doing in the ring at that point were unparalleled, and being in ECW and having Fonzie, he wasn't required to build up heat for a match on his own. The fact that he was simply in the match was all the heat that was needed. Factor in his teaming with Sabu and the epic battles with Lynn, and there wasn't any reason at all for him to get anywhere near a mic. But things have changed greatly since that time. ECW is dead. RVD's style of match has become quite mainstream and he is no longer a unique wrestler. What he was doing in ECW ten years ago, tons of people are now capable of doing. Hell, even Shane McMahon can hit the Van Terminator now. What RVD should have been doing since ECW died and he went to WWE is work on his style, make it once again so that he was an original and had something special to bring to the table, other than athleticism. He hasn't adapted or altered his match style one bit since ECW died. It is exactly the same, although at this point, it is alongside inferior talent. So, not only have the matches gotten reptitive, they have also gotten stale since he doesn't have anyone to help him along and carry him through a different match type. You really can only see him perform rolling thunder and his other ten or so "flashy" moves so many times before you just get bored with it. And after watching Rob since he first started in ECW, taking a couple years off from the sport as a hardcore fan and just trying to enjoy it as mindless entertainment, I am far past a point of simply being bored by RVD's exploits. It's just tiresom and stale. And all of this is without even taking into consideration the complete lack of personality and charisma he possesses. I have seen Chris Masters ooze more flash in his character and better mic skills than RVD has in WWE. How depressing is that? If you are going to be a main event star for Vince, you have to be able to control the crowd not only in the ring, but also on the mic. You need to be able to stand in the ring for ten minutes by yourself and build up heat. Do you honestly believe that RVD, with the horrible mic skills he has been showing for years now, is capable of that? If you say "yes" then you are simply lying to yourself. If he has to work the mic against someone like Trips, Edge, or even someone like Cena, he is going to get embarassed. Putting the strap on RVD, unless the intent is solely to have him drop it and "restart" ECW, would be a very critical mistake on the part of WWE.