10 WWE Champions Who Deserved Longer Runs
9. Rob Van Dam
ECW One Night Stand 2006 is one of the iconic pay per views of the 2000s. Before WWE completely ruined the brand, the events were a chance to luxuriate in grubby, blood soaked nostalgia with Paul Heyman and the boys. RVD winning the world belt from John Cena was the perfect way to cap this off.
It was no less than Van Dam deserved, either. Perennially over, an innovative performer, one of the most watchable men in the business, RVD should have been champion prior to this, and certainly should have been given another shot with the belt.
Did he ruin it for himself? Ultimately, yes. RVD lost the strap after being pulled over by the law carrying some substances he shouldn’t have been. But there are stars before and since who have been forgiven for indiscretions far, far worse than Van Dam’s.
He left the company shortly after, and while he has made appearances since, they’ve never been anywhere close to this level. With a performer as popular as RVD, it just seems like money being left on the table.