10 WWE Gimmicks Which Ripped Off Real People

7. RVD - Jean-Claude Van Damme

RVD Jean Claude Van Damme
WWE/Universal Pictures

It's a good job Florida promoter Ron Slinker was an action movie fan. When a young Rob Szatkowski approached him for his first booking back in 1991, the booker immediately replaced the youngster's Polish surname for something more heroic: Rob Van Dam.

The switch wasn't born out of a simple predilection for Bloodsport star Jean-Claude Van Damme; the rookie wrestler bore an uncanny resemblance to the Belgian bruiser, right down to the crap mullet. Van Dam even had a background in kickboxing, whilst Van Damme had starred in arguably the greatest film about the sport (faint praise, yes), 'Kickboxer', just two years prior. The two also shared 'colourful' personal lives. That's how you live the gimmick.

In this post: 
Rob Van Dam
 
First Posted On: 
Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.