5 Things About WCW/ECW Invasion That Ruled (And 5 That Sucked)

4. The Ascendancy Of RVD

Rob Van Dam was probably ECW's biggest star by the time the company was forced to shut up shop and close their doors. But just because he was a big star in the minor leagues didn't mean that he would necessarily succeed in the shark tank that was the WWF. Van Dam had a lot of things going against him in the WWF. Although undoubtedly talented, he didn't fit Vince McMahon's vision of what a headliner should be. He had a flippy, stunt-based ring style, wore unusual singlets with dragons and '4:20' airbrushed on the side and had a laid-back interview style and demeanour. He may not have fit Vince and the other WWF officials' vision, but the fans certainly gravitated towards him. Van Dam instantly connected with the Federation fan base thanks to all of the things that others believed would hold him back. They had never seen anything like Van Dam before and they liked what they say. Van Dam was one of the only real success stories of 2001. He came to the WWF with a stigma attached to him (as well as heat from a previous run in the company), won the fans over with his sterling performances between the ropes and found himself battling the likes of The Rock and Steve Austin after only a few months. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfMLjNakG2Q