Who has two thumbs, scored a historic WWE Championship win in New York City and is perhaps the most popular ECW icon of all time? Say it with him now: “Rob! Van! Dam!”
When the chilled out martial artist from Battle Creek, Mich. broke into ECW in 1996, he made an impact like few grapplers ever have. Trained alongside future partner and rival Sabu by Sabu’s uncle, The Original Sheik, RVD had the sound fundamentals needed to thrive in the Land of Extreme. Van Dam’s laidback demeanor directly contradicted his agility in the squared circle, which made him an instant favorite among the Philadelphia faithful. He quickly scored victories over Axl Rotten, Mikey Whipwreck and Sabu, but it was his partnership with the latter that launched The Whole Dam Show to a new level.
By himself, RVD was innovative. With Sabu, he was revolutionary. The game-changing duo accomplished things inside and outside the ring that few could have imagined. Employing chairs, ring ropes and guardrails, the pair was led by Bill Alfonso, who blew hard on his whistle while his crown jewels flew through the air. Their stunning bout against The Eliminators at Cyberslam 1997 paved the way for WWE’s TLC Matches, marking just one example of RVD’s trailblazing style.
