Could a heel turn revitalize RVD?

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

RVD right now is in need of a makeover. Sure, the fans still pop for him and chant his name, but his actual "heat" is declining because people don't take him seriously vs. HHH (and since HHH dominates the RAW mains this is all that really matters right now, unfortunately) and don't see him as a threat to win. So maybe a heel turn would freshen him up and restore his credibility. Here's how I think it could be done.

 

First, have RVD cost Michaels the title at Armageddon and ally with HHH. The next night, bring them out and let RVD cut a promo. He can complain about how his inability to win the big matches is because he's spent more time worrying about pleasing the mindless fans with his high-flying moves and thumb pointing than trying to beat his opponent. He says that from now on, R-V-D is dead and he's just Rob Van Dam (or maybe even Robert, to go over the top with it). Have him say it quickly so people can't say it along with him. Give him an obnoxious "hollywood-style" persona similar to Corporate Rock. Have him talk about his martial arts movies and compare himself to Van Dammne, Chan, Li, etc.. Finally, get him to adopt a new in-ring style that is purposely over-scientific with lots of holds and mat sequences and other stuff. Let him finish with the 5-star splash but do it quickly with no time to pose on the turnbuckle. It would probably take a lot of hard work from Rob, but I think with patience he could pull it off.

 

Now, have him feud with Michaels because he cost Shawn the title while HHH fights either Steiner or Austin. These could then be the two big RAW matches for Wrestlemania. After he beats Shawn turn RVD a few months later (again, like they did with the Rock) and he will be revitalized and possibly even more popular.

 

Comments?

[Guest CanadianChick]

I dunno, there are too many Rock similarities for me...but it would be interesting how they would turn him heel...

[Guest creativename]

No offense, but by god, keep RVD the hell away from HHH. The "allying with HHH heel turn" is toooo played out. RVD's heat would completely and utterly vanish if that happened.

 

Also, the dissing the fans and telling them to stop chanting for him is the exact same promo that HHH gave when he turned heel. It was lame then too.

 

Just have RVD be the heel he was in EC Dub. I agree that incorporating elements of the Rock character is a good idea, if it's not overdone (Orton is doing this already anyway); RVD's own character is too strong for him to need to copy Rock. Make RVD a completely self-centered wrestler who thinks he's the Whole F'n show and is always encouraging the fans to chant RVD...in other words, the same character he is now, but more blatanly selfish and he also cheats to win~! It would completely betray the RVD character, if he all of a sudden turned on the fans. It would be better if he condescended to them and mocked them sometimes, but acted like the fans still loved him, rather than giving them a blatant "F you".

 

Sure he'll still get face pops from a lot of people, but these days, a credibly booked, over main event heel will usually have that anyway. I think with heel RVD, either you have to accept him getting face pops, or no heat at all.

 

That's how I'd do it. The question remains, should they turn him heel? I say it's very, very risky. And most definitely, if he does turn heel, he should be a HHHater. It would make no sense at all for him to be friendly with HHH, who's been kicking his ass and screwing him over for months, even if they are both heels. That just reeks of old-school, primitive 80's-style "faces and faces, heels and heels magically get along" booking.

 

In any event, I seriously doubt RVD will ever be champ or main event again. He's been buried much too blatantly and thoroughly, and if the WWE hasn't pushed him for real yet, given how desperate they've been, they'll probably never push him.

 

But maybe they'd consider pushing heel RVD...it's the same shit they pulled with Jericho anyway. So it appears that a heel turn might be RVD's only hope, at this point.

[Guest El Satanico]

No an actual heel turn wouldn't work at all.

 

All they need to do is give RVD a serious pissed off side. They wouldn't even have to do away with his laid back "whatever" style. Just have him be laid back RVD who when pushed will let his serious agressive side show.

 

So it appears that i'm suggesting they turn him into The Incredible Hulk

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

I didn't mean for it to come of as a HHH/RVD "Two man power trip" angle or something. Allying with HHH would just be a temporary (i.e. one-week) move to slide him into a feud with Michaels who is a top face. I agree that keeping him as a HHH "sidekick" would be disastrous. Again, the idea was for a smooth transition from Michaels-HHH into RVD-Michaels and Steiner-HHH (also, tag matches involving these guys would obviously be used to build to PPV matches).

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

So it appears that i'm suggesting they turn him into The Incredible Hulk

RVD: So my question to you, Chris Jericho.

Jericho: Yes, sparky?

RVD (still in monotone bored-sounding voice): Is what you gonna do? What ya gonna do, dude, when the most exciting wrestler in the WWE lays the big frogsplash across your chest? You better get ready, amigo. What ya gonna do?

(Van Dam sort of tries to rip his shirt in a half-ass way, fails, and shrugs)

[Guest geniusMoment]

The only way to revitalize Rob is to bring in none other than the manager of champions, thats right its time for the whistle, its time for the teeth, and yes gentlemen and maybe one or two ladies its time for Mr. Bill Alphonso. Seeing rob make fun of bill after bill cut one of his promos was one of the things that made rob cool in the first place. During the split they should have had bill negotiate a contract with one of the brands that allowed his matches to be anything goes, like the Ravens rules clause, because rob works best when using a chair, don't make his matches the garbage brawls just center them on one or two weapons used brutally. I have always felt rob needs a sidekick or someone to make fun of, its what brings out the arrogant, yet somehow likeable part of his character.

[Guest El Satanico]

So it appears that i'm suggesting they turn him into The Incredible Hulk

RVD: So my question to you, Chris Jericho.

Jericho: Yes, sparky?

RVD (still in monotone bored-sounding voice): Is what you gonna do? What ya gonna do, dude, when the most exciting wrestler in the WWE lays the big frogsplash across your chest? You better get ready, amigo. What ya gonna do?

(Van Dam sort of tries to rip his shirt in a half-ass way, fails, and shrugs)

No no no...not THAT Hulk. I refer to the GREEN Incredible Hulk not the orange one.

[Guest Army Eye]

The only way to revitalize Rob is to bring in none other than the manager of champions, thats right its time for the whistle, its time for the teeth, and yes gentlemen and maybe one or two ladies its time for Mr. Bill Alphonso.

Oh hell yes. Now we're talking.

[Guest red_file]

Not the whistle. The pain, the pain.

[Guest BA_Baracus]

No.

 

Some meaningful wins would.

 

Not that, that's going to happen any time soon...

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

No no no...not THAT Hulk. I refer to the GREEN Incredible Hulk not the orange one.

Yeah, I know, I'm just busting up imagining one of Hogan's roid-rage like scripts being read in RVD's laidback style.

[JasonX 0]

RVD right now is in need of a makeover. Sure, the fans still pop for him and chant his name, but his actual "heat" is declining because people don't take him seriously vs. HHH (and since HHH dominates the RAW mains this is all that really matters right now, unfortunately) and don't see him as a threat to win. So maybe a heel turn would freshen him up and restore his credibility. Here's how I think it could be done.

 

First, have RVD cost Michaels the title at Armageddon and ally with HHH. The next night, bring them out and let RVD cut a promo. He can complain about how his inability to win the big matches is because he's spent more time worrying about pleasing the mindless fans with his high-flying moves and thumb pointing than trying to beat his opponent. He says that from now on, R-V-D is dead and he's just Rob Van Dam (or maybe even Robert, to go over the top with it). Have him say it quickly so people can't say it along with him. Give him an obnoxious "hollywood-style" persona similar to Corporate Rock. Have him talk about his martial arts movies and compare himself to Van Dammne, Chan, Li, etc.. Finally, get him to adopt a new in-ring style that is purposely over-scientific with lots of holds and mat sequences and other stuff. Let him finish with the 5-star splash but do it quickly with no time to pose on the turnbuckle. It would probably take a lot of hard work from Rob, but I think with patience he could pull it off.

 

Now, have him feud with Michaels because he cost Shawn the title while HHH fights either Steiner or Austin. These could then be the two big RAW matches for Wrestlemania. After he beats Shawn turn RVD a few months later (again, like they did with the Rock) and he will be revitalized and possibly even more popular.

 

Comments?

The only way a heel turn for RVD would legitamitely work is if the WWE TOTALLY and COMPLETELY CASTRATES Triple H in the process of turning RVD heel. I mean, turning HHH into a pathetic loser who keeps getting beaten, who RVD forever belittles, and who is beneath RVD in terms of who's the better wrestler.