Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander Szatkowski ( born December 18, 1970 in Battle Creek, Michigan), better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam, is an American professional wrestler and film actor of Polish descent, who is currently in WWE under contract.
Career
Background in sports / beginnings
Before his breakthrough as a wrestler Szatkowski tried as a kick boxer. Finally, because of the low earning potential, he joined the wrestling. Szatkowski was trained by The Sheik. He gave 1990 as Rob Szatkowski his wrestling debut against Dango Nguyen.
He was in his early days for some independent leagues, such as the United States Wrestling Association or South Atlantic Pro Wrestling active. In the latter doctorate, he was allowed to win (along with Chaz Rocco ) his first wrestling title in July 1992 with the SAPW Tag Team Championship.
World Championship Wrestling
End of 1992, Szatkowski was briefly switched on as Robbie V at World Championship Wrestling and had then again some performances in the independent leagues. Also Szatkowski had been committed for a long time in Japan. After his return to the United States, he signed with ECW.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Since January 1996 Szatkowski worked under the ring name Rob Van Dam for promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling. He was actively involved in the same year in the real feud of Jerry Lawler and Paul Heyman and entered into their frame several times in the WWF. So Szatkowski denied on several RAW matches shows and formed with Sabu and its companion bill ring Alfonso in ECW, "Team WWF ".
On April 4, 1998, he won the ECW Television Championship and held it until 12 March 2000. He was thus the longest title holder in the history of ECW, where he held the title for almost two years. 1998 won Szatkowski additionally twice the ECW Tag Team Titles ( with Sabu ) and held thus for a time two titles simultaneously.
World Wrestling Entertainment
After ECW went bankrupt in 2001, he moved to the then World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). Here he was initially involved in the Invasion storyline. Allowed to win it three times the WWF Hardcore Championship in 2001. In 2002, he was also allowed three times the WWE Intercontinental Championship win. End of the same year he was for a time No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, but the title was not allowed to win. In March 2003, he formed a tag team with Kane and was allowed to briefly hold the World Tag Team Championship. But in June had to give both the title again and the team was disbanded.
In September Szatkowski was allowed to hold the Intercontinental title for a fourth time. In December, he had the title to Randy Orton cede, then formed a team with Booker T, which was allowed to hold the tag team titles from February to March 2004. Then he was sent to Smackdown, where he had accepted from the summer of 2004 in a team with Rey Mysterio and was allowed to win the Tag Team Titles with him. In January 2005, RVD injured in a tag team title match at the knee, and had to take a long injury lay-off after that.
At ECW One Night Stand in June 2005, he first came back to WWE TV back to keep the show a speech and to support his friend Sabu against Rhyno. In the following years he appeared only rarely. After more than a year of forced break Szatkowski rose at the Royal Rumble in 2006 back in the ring. In March, a qualification match for the second Money in the Bank ladder match they let him win at WrestleMania 22 in Chicago. This he could decide for himself and cashed the contract gained on 11 June 2006. And they told Szatkowski at ECW One Night Stand John Cena defeat and so the WWE Championship win. In the meantime, could Szatkowski from April 30 to May 15, 2006 hold the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the sixth time.
Szatkowski was arrested on 3 July 2006, together with his colleagues ECW Sabu for drug possession. As a result he had to deliver at a RAW show, in a match against John Cena and Edge 's WWE Championship on July 4, 2006. His ECW World Heavyweight Championship, he lost a day later on the Big Show when Paul Heyman turned on him and attacked him with Big Show. He was subsequently suspended due to drug discovery for 30 days. After the punishment, he was still allowed to repeatedly compete for the ECW World Championship, but had always beaten.
After he did not renew his contract, which expired in June 2007, he played his last official match at World Wrestling Entertainment at the PPV One Night Stand against Randy Orton. He won this though, but was seriously injured after a sham of Orton in order to retire, since he no longer liked his ring character of the WWE and their scheduling. He was used only in 2001/ 02 at the WWE Main Eventer as and then ran in the middle fight card.
Independent
By his own testimony he felt burned out simply, would take a long relaxing holiday with his wife Sonya and then sign his next big contract with TNA, which is more flexible in the dates and it would be in the design of his ring character more leeway.
On 10 December 2007 he was found, however the occasion of the 15th birthday of RAW again for the WWE active. Szatkowski has now committed as an independent wrestler for a match against Santino Marella. Then he took the announced break.
On 12 June 2008 Szatkowski was at an event in the Spanish Las Palmas its active ring comeback for the league Nu- Wrestling Evolution and denied in the end for some more performances for this. In the Pay -Per-View Royal Rumble 2009, he joined again for a match with WWE.
Szatkowski is employed by the native to Ireland Promotion American Wrestling Rampage and took in November 2009, as part of their current squad, on a European tour in part. So he came to the end of November in several German cities.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Meanwhile Szatkowski stepped up to even with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and was out there in the official wrestling squad. On 19 April 2010 he was allowed to AJ Styles defeat the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and become the new champion, as Szatkowski had committed in TNA for a long time. So Szatkowski participated as a member of the former ECW TNA Hardcore Justice PPV while and could defeat Sabu there.
From June 2010, it was written in a feud with the Stables at Immortal Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair with Fortune, with Abyss was his main opponent. In this feud program also Tommy Dreamer, Rhino and Stevie Richards were involved. On 10 August 2010 the title was declared vacant after Szatkowski had kept these 113 days. So Szatkowski was written by a particularly fierce attack by Abyss shortly from the former storyline. After his return, this feud has been continued until October 2010. After some minor feuds he won at the big event Bound for Glory on October 14, 2012, TNA X Division Champion titles from Zema Ion, he had to leave at Impact Wrestling to Kenny King on February 28, 2013. After the Treaty of Szatkowski ran out.
Return to WWE
On July 14, 2013 Szatkowski returned at the July major event " Money in the Bank " as an active wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment zurück.Dort he feuded first against The Shield and then against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. After Hell in a Cell PPV in October 2013, his contract ended Szatkowski and first left again so that the WWE. At Raw on April 7, 2014, the day after WrestleMania XXX, he returned to WWE.
Achievements
- Independent
- American Wrestling Rampage
- Extreme Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Others
Szatkowski holds the world record in weightlifting during a balancing act on two benches ( as " Van Dam lift " part of the disciplines of the All-Around Weightlifting Association). Szatkowski owned a comic book store called " 5 Star Comics " in Lomita (California), where regular wrestling superstars (eg Bret Hart) gave signings. This was closed in 2007.
2008 it was announced that Szatkowkis wife Sonya had cancer. So the couple between 2008 and 2010 was in Europe.