Rating The Champ: Rob Van Dam

May 10, 2020
3 min read

Welcome to a new series on the website, called Rating The Champ. This will follow my prior World Title Series, where I reviewed each and every WWE Heavyweight Champion in history from Hulk Hogan’s first title win in 1984 all the way to the current days. Money in the Bank cash-ins will not be included for obvious reasons, unless it was a proper match (ie: Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006). Royal Rumble and battle royales won’t be included as well.

In this new series, I will rate all the PPV matches from each and every WWF/E Heavyweight Champion in history. To be fair, since this is the WWF/E title, I’ll only rate their PPV matches in the WWF/E. In this edition, we’ll be looking back at the PPV career of the one and only, former WWE Champion, Rob Van Dam.

2001

Hardcore: Vs. Jeff Hardy – WWF Hardcore Championship (InVasion) ****
Ladder: Vs. Jeff Hardy – WWF Hardcore Championship (SummerSlam) ***3/4
Hardcore: Vs. Chris Jericho – WWF Hardcore Championship (Unforgiven) ****
Vs. Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle – WWF Championship (No Mercy) ***3/4
W/ The Alliance vs. Team WWF (Survivor Series) ****1/4
Hardcore: Vs. The Undertaker – WWF Hardcore Championship (Vengeance) ***

2002

Vs. Goldust (No Way Out) **
Vs. William Regal – WWF Intercontinental Championship (WrestleMania X8) **1/2
Vs. Eddie Guerrero – WWF Intercontinental Championship (Backlash) ***3/4
Vs. Eddie Guerrero – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Judgment Day) ****
Vs. Chris Jericho (King of the Ring) ***3/4
Vs. Brock Lesnar (King of the Ring) *1/2
Vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Vengeance) **
Vs. Chris Benoit – WWE Intercontinental Championship (SummerSlam) ***1/4
Vs. Triple H – World Heavyweight Championship (Unforgiven) ***
Vs. Ric Flair (No Mercy) **
Elimination Chamber Match – World Heavyweight Championship (Survivor Series) ****

2003

W/ Kane vs. William Regal & Lance Storm – World Tag Team Championship (No Way Out) **1/4
W/ Kane vs. The Dudley Boyz – World Tag Team Championship (Backlash) **
W/ Kane vs. La Résistance – World Tag Team Championship (Bad Blood) 3/4*
No Holds Barred: Vs. Kane (SummerSlam) **1/2
Vs. Christian vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Unforgiven) ***
W/ Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff (Survivor Series) ****1/4
Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Armageddon) ***

2004

W/ Booker T vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. La Résistance vs. Jindrak & Cade – World Tag Team Championship (WrestleMania XX) *1/4
W/ Rey Mysterio vs. The Dudley Boyz (Judgment Day) ***
Elimination: Vs. Cena vs. Booker vs. Duprée – WWE United States Championship (The Great American Bash) **
W/ Rey Mysterio vs. René Duprée & Kenzo Suzuki – WWE Tag Team Championship (No Mercy) **1/2
W/ Team Eddie vs. Team Angle (Survivor Series) **
W/ Rey Mysterio vs. René Duprée vs. Kenzo Suzuki – WWE Tag Team Championship (Armageddon) ***

2006

MITB Ladder Match (WrestleMania 22) ***3/4
Vs. Shelton Benjamin – MITB & WWE Intercontinental Championship (Backlash) ***3/4
Hardcore: Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (ECW One Night Stand) ****
Vs. Edge – WWE Championship (Vengeance) ***3/4
W/ Team Cena vs. Team Show (Survivor Series) **1/2
Extreme Elimination Chamber Match – ECW Championship (December to Dismember) **

2007

W/ ECW Originals vs. The New Breed (WrestleMania 23) **
Stretcher: Vs. Randy Orton (One Night Stand) ***

2013

RAW’s MITB Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ****1/2
Vs. Alberto Del Rio – World Heavyweight Championship (Night of Champions) **3/4
Hardcore: Vs. Alberto Del Rio – World Heavyweight Championship (Battleground) ***1/4

2014

Elimination: Vs. Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger (Extreme Rules) **1/2
Vs. Bad News Barrett – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Payback) ***
Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ****

TOP FIVE

5. Edge (Vengeance 2006)

4. Jeff Hardy (InVasion 2001)

3. Eddie Guerrero (Judgment Day 2002)

2. Chris Jericho (Unforgiven 2001)

1. John Cena (ECW One Night Stand 2006)

Average rating per year

2001 – 3.79
2002 – 2.89
2003 – 2.54
2004 – 2.29
2006 – 3.29
2007 – 2.5
2013 – 3.5
2014 – 3.17

Overall average rating

3/5

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Don’t miss the next article here on Rating The Champ, where we’ll be looking back at former WWF/E, WCW & World Heavyweight Champion, Kurt Angle.