10 Wrestlers Who Killed Their Own Push
1. Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam was an immensely popular upper-midcarder throughout his WWE run, and became a company staple after debuting during the Invasion. He drew huge face reactions despite his Alliance allegiance in the storyline, and his momentum continued after its conclusion, with RVD scoring a multitude of secondary title reigns.
True main event success eluded him for years, but this changed in 2006. Van Dam finally cashed-in his Money In The Bank briefcase to challenge for John Cena’s WWE Championship at ECW One Night Stand, and his victory was the ultimate feel-good moment for the Extreme faithful. Two nights later, RVD went one step further by claiming the ECW Championship for the first time in his career, finally cementing his status as a major player in WWE.
Trouble was right around the corner.
RVD was arrested for drug possession on July 2nd, and his push went down the drain. The next two nights saw Van Dam drop the WWE Championship to Edge, then the ECW Title to Big Show, before serving a mandatory 30-day suspension.
It took him five years to climb the mountaintop in WWE, but only three days to throw it all away, and he was out of the company by the following year.