20 Former WWE Stars Who Should Return For Brand Split 2016
3. Rob Van Dam
When Rob Van Dam came to WWE following the closure of ECW, he took the company by storm. Even though the Invasion angle was a flop, RVD became one of the most popular men in the promotion. Nevertheless, WWE refused to strike while the iron was hot. They kept Van Dam in the midcard and in tag teams, finally putting the title on him in 2006. That reign came to an abrupt end when RVD was arrested for possession of marijuana, and his push never returned. The next year, he left the company.
Van Dam made a much-hyped comeback to WWE in 2013, but as he was only going to be around for a limited time, the company didn't invest heavily in him. A poorly-booked feud with Alberto Del Rio produced some good matches, but did little else. RVD came back for another run in 2014 to muted fanfare.
RVD has been critical of how his recent returns to the company went, but with two separate rosters, it's possible that the former WWE Champion could find himself in a better spot. Like Chris Jericho, Van Dam could reinvent himself and get other stars over in the process, and either Raw or Smackdown would benefit greatly.