Rob Van Dam: An IMPACT Career Retrospective

Few hold a victory over Sting in their career – Rob Van Dam is not most people however. Not only has he defeated “The Icon” multiple times – he did it on his TNA debut on March 8th, 2010.

Not only that, RVD defeated Sting in 10 seconds when he debuted. A four time IMPACT World Champion and “The Whole F’N” show took one sixth of a minute to put him away. That speaks to the caliber of performer Rob Van Dam is – explosive and extreme, intense and magnetic – RVD is one of the most unique and charismatic stars in wrestling history. Debuting in 2010, join us on a look back at his IMPACT career.

Debuting in March, 2010 it only took RVD 40 days to reach the mountaintop in IMPACT. In his 8th match in the company – after defeating longtime friend and rival Jeff Hardy earlier in the night – Van Dam ended AJ Styles’ then longest World Title reign in history to become the best TNA had to offer. It took at true elite level competitor to go from debut to World Champion that fast.

RVD’s hardcore reputation proceeded him however and such notoriety invites challenge. “The Monster” Abyss took great interest in that propensity for the extreme and brutalized Van Dam with his trusty nailbat Janice following their Stairway to Janice World Championship match on The Whole F’N Show edition of IMPACT – causing Van Dam to have to vacate the IMPACT World Championship.

That also led to a quest for vengeance from RVD. The lust for revenge led RVD right into Abyss’ specialty match – Monster’s Ball – at Bound For Glory 2010. In a physical match filled with nailbats and barbed wire boards, RVD shut the 6’8” Weapon of Mass Destruction up for good and finally got revenge for losing his World Championship.

While issues with Abyss and a disgust with Jeff Hardy sucked Van Dam into a dispute with Hulk Hogan’s Immortal for much of the start of 2011 – a longtime rival returned to challenge RVD once more at Destination X. Van Dam was set to face Jerry Lynn at the Hardcore Justice reunion show in 2010 but the X-Division pioneer Lynn had to withdraw due to injury. Lynn wasn’t about to just go away however.

The X-Division became the center focus heading into Destination X and what better time for “The New F’N Show” to challenge “The Whole F’N Show” one more time. They revolutionized the X-Division style, it was time to renew it! RVD defeated Lynn once again in another classic reminiscent of all their wonderful matches of old.

Van Dam’s rivalry with would explode once more – no longer a friendly revisit to the past, Lynn became sick of RVD constantly over-shadowing him and the two time X-Division Champion turned on Van Dam. They’d return to their old stomping ground in Philadelphia to settle the score for good – as Van Dam defeated Lynn once more at Bound For Glory in Full Metal Mayhem. They would battle one final time on One Night Only: Xtravaganza as Lynn competed on his retirement tour.

RVD would finally put Immortal behind him as he joined Team Garett Bischoff to face Team Eric Bischoff at Lockdown 2012 – as they secured victory and banished Eric Bischoff from IMPACT for good. With Immortal finally behind him, RVD set his sights back on the World Championship he never lost.

Bobby Roode was closing in on beating AJ Styles’ record IMPACT World Title reign. RVD had already ended that Styles record, why not end Roode’s too? RVD was named as number one contender and would go on to face Roode in a ladder match – RVD’s specialty – at Sacrifice 2012. In Van Dam’s one and only IMPACT ladder match he left it all out there – where eventually one high risk too many cost him and allowed Roode to retain in a jaw-dropping match.

After competing in the 2012 Bound For Glory Series, RVD set his sights on a different crown – the X-Division title. RVD defeated DJZ at Bound For Glory to become the 55th X-Division Champion in San Diego. Van Dam would be a fighting champion – successfully defending the IMPACT X-Division Championship against Kid Kash, Joey Ryan, DJZ, Austin Aries and Christian York before eventually losing the belt to Kenny King.

After a six year absence, RVD finally returns to IMPACT and a dream match is set. On Thursday April 4th at United We Stand in Rahway, NJ – Van Dam teams with long time partner Sabu to face The Lucha Bros in an Extreme Dream match. You absolutely can’t miss it.