Real Name: Rob Szatkowski
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 227 lbs
Hometown: Battle Creek, Michigan
Titles Held: ECW Television Championship, ECW Tag Team Championship(2)
Federations Worked With: World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation
Finishing Manuevers: Five Star Frog Splash, Van Daminator, Van Terminator
Wrestling Aliases: Robbie V, Rob Van Dam


Career Sketch

Rob Van Dam is quite possibly the best professional wrestler today. Every match he puts on would steal the show in the WWF or WCW, but he did them every week in ECW.Van Dam held the ECW TV title for around two years, in the modern era of wrestling that accomplishment is amazing.

Rob Van Dam grew up Rob Szatkowski in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was trained at an early age in the art of kickboxing and other karate oriented activities. In 1989, Van Dam decided he would be a professional wrestler. He began to study under the original Sheik, a legend in the wrestling buisness, and the uncle of Van Dam's greatest rival in ECW, Sabu.

While learning under The Sheik, he hammered home all the basics to Van Dam and Sabu, the two formed a tight friendship during these days. Van Dam also competed in toughman contests while training. He was quite good at them, and they helped him in his later pro wrestling days. After finishing his training with The Sheik, he had his first pro match at the age of ninteen in 1990. He wrestled against his best friend, Dango Nguyen. He worked about twelve matches until he went to Tennessee and joined USWA.

He and Sabu joined USWA together and began working with Chris Candido. Rob's name was Rob Zakowski, a play on his real name. Rob worked in USWA for two months before he moved to Florida and began working for the independents there. Van Dam also worked as a bouncer on the side to make ends meat.

After Florida, Rob moved to Georgia where his talents began to be noticed. He worked the independents there until WCW offered him a tryout. Bill Watts ran WCW at the time, and really liked Van Dam's potential. Rob was forced to drop the Van Dam name, and began competing as Robbie V. Rob was basically a jobber and curtain jerker making little money and wrestling no name talent most of the time.

After a while with WCW, Van Dam embarked on a tour of Japan that he had scheduled before he signed with WCW. When Rob returned to WCW, it was under new managment and Rob had no future with WCW. Rob decided to quit, Rob actually made more money when he returned to the independent circuit.

Rob returned to All Japan in 1994, Rob was unhappy in Japan. Japan had its advantages and disadvantages, while Rob liked most of the wrestling aspects of Japan, he hated living there. Rob was also not well liked in the front office, as they felt offended when Rob refused to train before the show, claiming he had already been trained. This did not sit well with the front office people in Japan, as the training was a Japanese tradition.

In late 1995, at the urging of Sabu, Paul Heyman called Rob up and offered him a job in ECW. Rob declined many initial offers, but finally accepted. He made his ECW debut in January 1996 where he defeated Axl Rotten, Van Dam continued to work Japan until 1997, while working with ECW all the time.

Rob became a popular regular with the company, at that time he had a match with his good friend Sabu. Sabu won, and offered his hand to Van Dam after the match, but Rob blew him off. Rob left to jeers from the crowd, Rob was now a heel. Rob quickly became very good at cutting promos with the help of Paul Heyman. Rob was now a major player in ECW.

Van Dam always seems to have a problem with something or someone, and this has never been different. In April of 1997, ECW held their first pay per view. Rob was left off the card, this did not sit well with Rob at all. Rob was living in Savannah, Ga. at the time and around that time WCW did a show in Savannah. Rob went to it to see friends. A conversation struck up between Van Dam and Eric Bischoff, and Bischoff wanted to bring Rob into the company. Van Dam seriously considered going, he was still angry about being left of the pay per view. It looked like Rob would be going to WCW for a second time. Van Dam was still in ECW though, and still worked their shows.

Right before the Barley Legal pay per view that Rob had been left off, Chris Candido suffered an injury and ECW needed a replacement. Paul Heyman asked Rob, and after thinking of saying no, Van Dam took the match against Lance Storm. Later on in the show, Van Dam came out and helped Sabu beat on Taz and Taz's manager Bill Alfonso. Alfonso actually sided with Rob in this scuffle and joined forces with Van Dam.

The talks with WCW died, and Rob ultimatley decided to stay with ECW. The ECW-WWF angle began after this, and Rob was a key figure in that angle. Rob ahowed up on Raw on May 12, 1997 with Jerry Lawler. Rob began to roll through WWF opponents like Jeff Hardy and 2 Cold Scorpio. Rob continued to work for the ECW-WWF angle. Rob liked it because it showed him what it was like to be in the "Big 2" without out actually being with the company. Rob did not like working the big shows, he hated how the WWF would put a time limit on his matches. In June of 1997, Vince McMahon told Rob to lose via countout to the man now known as Road Dogg, Rob refused and walked out. This incident ended the ECW-WWF agreement.

Rob was actually working the WWF and All Japan during his absense from ECW, which was explained on-camera by a suspension from ECW. Rob returned to ECW after he and Sabu got fed up and quit All Japan. Rob brought Jim Cornette and Jerry Lawler with him when he returned to ECW, and those three and Sabu started to roll through ECW's top names. Rob started to feud with Tommy Dreamer in a ECW vs WWF feud, Tommy protecting ECW, Rob representing the WWF. At November 2 Remember 1997, Rob took on Dreamer in a flag match, with the loser having to raise the winner's promotion's flag. Rob won the match with the help of Stevie Richards, it was a really good match.

After the flag classic, the ECW-WWF war died down and Rob moved on to other things. Van Dam grabbed a big win over Bam Bam Bigelow at House Party 1998. Rob began to compete with Sabu as a tag team. They had title matches vs Candido and Justin Credible, but werent able to grab the straps.

Rob's career began to slow down in the spring of 1998, and he and Sabu went on a tour of Europe together. After Rob and Sabu returned to America, ECW decided to put the Television strap on Rob, it was Rob's first mainstream title. Rob won the title from Bam Bam Bigelow on April 4, 1998 and has held it ever since.

When Rob won the title, it created a rivalry between he and Sabu. Sabu had a #1 contender match with Al Snow for the World title and Rob threw in the towel for towel for Sabu, when Sabu had victory in the palm of his hands. The two were ready to fight, but Fonzie broke them up. The two collided at Wrestlepalooza 1998, and fought to a 30 minute draw, it was a great match. A match was booked where Rob and Sabu were on opposite tag teams, but the two ended up re-uniting and attacking their respective partners.

At the ECW arena on June 27, 1998, Rob and Sabu won the ECW Tag Team Titles, they mad a great duo but often had disagreements, Rob was now a double-champion. Months went on and Rob and Sabu began to rival the Triple Threat, Shane Douglas, Bigelow, and Candido. Taz eventually got into the mix and sided with Rob and Sabu. It set up a six man tag at November 2 Remember 1998. Before that match could take place, Rob and Sabu lost the tag titles to the Dudley Boys.

The match at November 2 Remember was not all that great, but Rob, Sabu, and Taz came out on top. Van Dam then started a mini-rivalry with Jerry Lynn over the TV belt, with Rob coming out on top. Rob and Sabu were offered a rematch for the tag titles in Tokyo vs the Dudleys with the stipulation being that if Rob and Sabu lost, they could never tag up again, Rob and Sabu won however, and regained the tag titles.

Rob was scheduled to take on Masato Tanaka for the TV title at Guilty as Charged 1999, but took on Lance Storm instead, it was a decient match, and Rob was starting to get a huge push. Rob doubled over the next few months defending his TV title, and defending the tag titles with Sabu.

At Living Dangerously 1999, Rob took on Jerry Lynn in what was one of the greatest matched of 1999, it went back and forth and time expired. The ref was going to award the match and the TV title to Lynn, but Lynn asked for 5 more minutes to win the match, and Van Dam won the match in that time. Rob then put on another great match with Lynn at Hardcore Heaven 1999, the two liked working together and both put on classic matches, Rob came out victorious again. Rob had also recently lost the tag team titles to the Dudley Boys in a singles match when Sabu and Bubba Ray were injured.

As the summer months of 1999 approached, Rob continued to rival Jerry Lynn and The Impact Players, Rob had some good matches with Lynn and Lance Storm over the summer, but it was uneventful for Rob as he continued to hold on to the TV title. The fall brought pretty much the same as Rob continued to be involved with The Impact Players and Sabu. Rob locked horns with Taz at November 2 Remember 1999, Taz's last televised match with the company before he departed for the WWF, Rob was now the top name in ECW. Rob and Taz fought to a draw in Taz's last match, it was a pretty good match.

As the 2000 approached, Rob began to feud with Sabu, it was a good feud, but was never finished due to uncontrollable circumstances. The two met at Guilty as Charged 2000 in a decient match for the TV title, Rob came out on top. Rob began to feud with ECW Champion Mike Awesome over Rob's ctach phrase "Im the whole F'N show." Sabu got involved and took Awesome's side, this could have meant Van Dam getting pushed towards the world title, but Rob suffered a severe ankle injury that put him out of action, and Sabu started talks with WCW.

Rob returned in May of 2000, his TV title had been put on Rhino. At Hardcore Heaven 2000, Rob battled Jerry Lynn in a good match. There was interference from Van Dams rivals of Rhino, Cyrus, Steve Corino and Jack Victory. The real blow however, came when Rob's good friend Scott Anton came to the ring, and shoved Van Dam off the top rope as it appeared he would go for the 5 star plash, and Lynn then capitalized, even though he was unhappy, and pinned Van Dam.

Things seem to have slowed up greatly for Van Dam since he got injured. As the Summer approached, he feuded with Rhino, Scotty Anton, and Cyrus. His battles with Rhino went through the Summer and have continued into the Fall months.

At Anarchy Rulz 2000 Rob took on Rhino for the TV title. This was a great match that featured the finishers of both men. Rob hit the Five Star Splash, but Rhino kicked out, then, with Justin Credible's help, he hit the Gore and pinned RVD for a win.

After leaving ECW for a while to film a movie and because of injury, Robbie reurned to ECW at Guilty as Charged 2001. He took on Jerry Lynn, and as always, the two put on a spectacular match, and RVD won when he hit both the Van Daminator and Van Terminator. After that, RVD just feuded with his normal foes until ECW went out of buisness and folded in the Spring of 2001.

Many assumed Rob would sign on with the big 2 finally, but, it was just the big one because Vince McMahon bought WCW, and Rob just sat tight, even with rumors of him signing with WWFE, his face never appeared on TV, and many assumed we'd never see RVD again.

On July 9, 2001, the WCW Invasion angle was full-steam in the WWF, but was losing popularity with the fans. On Raw that night, Chris Jericho and Kane, and Lance Storm and Mike Awesome were competing in a WWF vs WCW tag team match, when all of a sudden, Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer, in ECW t-shirts, hit the ring, to everyones suprise. They helped Storm and Awesome beat up Jericho and Kane. Then, the WWF troops came down to apparently stop RVD and Dreamer and the WCW team. The WWF guys stared down the four, but then, they all turned around and beat up Kane and Jericho. Thats when everyone noticed, RVD and Dreamer, Storm and Awesome, and the 6 guys from the WWF(Tazz, Credible, Rhyno, The Dudley Boyz, and Raven) were all former ECW stars. As Jim Ross went ballistic, Paul Heyman left his Raw color man post and went to the ring and cut a ECW post, claiming that ECW was taking out WWF and WCW.

Later in the night, WCW and WWF combined to take on the ECW crew. However, WCW and ECW teamed to beat WWF up. WCW owner Shane McMahon then came to the ring and explained to Vince that he and Paul had merged ECW and WCW, and then announced Vince's daughter Stephanie was the new owner of ECW.

That brings me to today, where Rob is finally in the main stream. He has been the best kept secret in wrestling for years and finally may be able to showcase his amazing talent. Hopefully, like many ECW stars of the past, his debut in the big time wont be botched.

Pat McGregor
Send feedback to PatMcGregor@tpww.net

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