20 Greatest WWE SmackDown Matches Ever
17. Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs Rob Van Dam (September 4, 2001)
Stone Cold Steve Austin was always incredibly precious about the jobs he did in 2001, and this one wasn't exactly clean or conclusive, but 'The Rattlesnake's loss to Rob Van Dam made the most of the overwhelming popularity of 'Mr Monday Night' during his maiden summer with the organisation.
The energetic headliner capped off an intriguing mini-feud between the Alliance members that gradually propelled RVD to a No Mercy pay-per-view main event alongside perennial title rivals Austin and Kurt Angle. He'd taken some grief for his perceived stiffness in his first few months, but going blow-for-blow with Austin did wonders for his status at such an early stage.