8 Former Midcarders Who Could Returns As WWE Main Eventers In 2016

6. Rob Van Dam

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I get it, calling The Whole F'N Show a 'midcarder' is probably going to irk those of you with a fondness for a particular former Philadelphia-based promotion. Yes, RVD was a top man in ECW (probably the top man in 99/2000) but the fact of the matter is that he only flirted with the main event in WWE and spent most of his time wrestling in matches much lower on the card. Which is staggering, really, because few were as over as RVD was when he arrived in the company in the spring of 2001. The conformist, laidback and obscenely talented Van Dam was like a breath of fresh air, totally different from everyone else on the roster. WWE initially responded well to this, putting him in the ring with the likes of Steve Austin, The Rock and The Undertaker, but he quickly slipped down the card and became a perennial Tag Team and IC Champion. Van Dam did win the big one at ECW One Night Stand 2006 but his career went up in smoke (literally) soon after when he and Sabu were busted with marijuana and prescription drugs. He was stripped of his title and fell further down the card until he left a year later after neglecting to renew his contract. After six years working the indies and TNA, RVD returned to WWE at the 2013 Money in the Bank PPV, to a thunderous ovation. He's been in and out since (and has feuded with the likes of Alberto Del Rio) but hasn't been seen since the August 29, 2014 episode of Smackdown. There's every chance the 44-year-old could come back for another short run, especially since ECW nostalgia seems to be in season again. Could Van Dam be placed in a top-level feud, should that be the case? Quite possibly, depending on the injury situation and who is available.