It's hard to remember a time when Rob Van Dam hit his patented Five Star Frog Splash without clutching his ribs in pain. That was a big part of his act, correctly selling the impact of the move. The idea was that Van Dam knew he was hurting himself, but that it was worth it because he was damaging his opponent a hell of a lot more in the process. Such a visual display to the audience of pain was only fleeting, but it effectively sold the idea that RVD was willing to put his body on the line to be successful. Fans dig that, it's those little touches that make it easier to identify with a performer. It was often easy to wince when watching Van Dam hit the move, because people knew that grimace on his face was coming shortly afterwards. As for other moves, RVD could flip around the ring at will. His matches seemed like more of an athletic display rather than coming across as a genuine struggle, but he did have a dramatic sense to his bumps and falls. Take his Ladder Match against Eddie Guerrero from the May 27, 2002 edition of Raw, for example. The over-the-top limping and falling from the ladder from Van Dam is memorable.
