Rob Van Dam is widely regarded as the biggest superstar in the history of ECW, and for a large majority of its existence, ECW presented RVD as the franchise player. He had it all; a good look, impeccable athletic skills, and a good amount of charisma. When ECW folded in 2001, RVD had no issue finding employment with WWE.
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The former ECW star was a part of the invading force, and upon his debut, he was a heel going up against the WWE. Despite portraying a villain, RVD garnered a positive response almost every time he came out. He was popular even with WWE fans because he was talented and always put on one hell of a show. After the Invasion angle, RVD emerged as a big babyface and the company positioned him as the number one contender to the world title.
RVD Wins Money In The Bank And Challenges John Cena
Sadly, the champion at that time was Triple H and RVD stood no chance. The fans wanted him to win, and he was sufficiently popular to warrant the title, but in the end he was the first victim of the reign of terror, and he spent the next few years in the upper-mid card.
Van Dam won a few secondary titles, but the big breakthrough came in 2006. WWE had revived the defunct ECW brand and the first ECW PPV under WWE, One Night Stand, took place in 2005. RVD should have closed the show, but he was out nursing an injury. Still, he did show up and received a hero’s welcome. WWE put together another PPV the next year. One Night Stand 2006 was even bigger the first show, and this time RVD was set to headline the show. His opponent was the most hated individual in professional wrestling, John Cena.
RVD had won the Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 22, and on the same event Cena defended his WWE championship against Triple H. Instead of cashing in when Cena was vulnerable, RVD announced that he wanted Cena at One Night Stand, promising that he would bring the WWE title to ECW.
This led to a short but entertaining feud between the two babyfaces. The match at One Night Stand came to an end when RVD pinned Cena and won the WWE Championship. One week later, Paul Heyman awarded RVD the ECW title as well, and he became double champion.
WWE had big plans for RVD, as his popularity was at an all-time high, but unfortunately this big push came to a screeching halt when Van Dam found himself in trouble with the law. On the 1st of July, RVD and Sabu were driving from Virginia to Philadelphia, and RVD was driving well above the speed limit.
Rob Van Dam Gets Arrested And Loses His Championships
Van Dam was pulled over by the police. In normal circumstances, you get a speeding ticket or a warning, and you drive off. However, the police officer then caught smell of pot, and he searched the vehicle. He found 18 grams of marijuana, painkillers, and a few other drugs. Sabu and RVD were arrested. It came at the worst possible time for the latter.
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Within weeks, RVD lost the WWE championship to Edge, and on the very nxt day, he lost the ECW championship to the Big Show. He was also handed a 30-day suspension. He returned after his suspension was over, but he never came close to the main event scene ever again.
Vince McMahon Was Upset Over RVD's Arrest
A few years later, RVD talked about the incident in an interview with Baltimore Sun. He recalled how he felt he let a lot of people down, including Vince McMahon. Strangely, looking back on it, RVD said he was okay with how things turned out, and when his suspension was over, he asked for more days off, as he felt the schedule was way too grueling.
Vince McMahon himself gave his thoughts in a WWE documentary titled Icons. He said that he was disappointed and personally upset over RVD’s action as he thought Rob was above that. As soon as RVD entered the building, McMahon notified him that he would be booked to lose both titles in a span of 24 hours. Suffice to say, RVD was distraught and lamented that he disappointed a lot of people in the company.
This arrest led to a lot of change in plans. RVD was removed from the title picture entirely and the WWE Championship became the focal point of the feud between John Cena and Edge. Despite committing such a blunder, RVD was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame for having one hell of a career. That being said, if that arrest hadn’t happened, RVD would have been a much bigger deal.
