Redo: Heel Rob Van Dam

At the tail end of last year I was thinking up some new series ideas to change things up as we approach year five of the website. I knew that I wanted to focus on gimmicks and redo's, but I didn't know which would be the best way to handle Rob Van Dam. To explain at Bound For Glory last year Rob Van Dam turned heel for the first time in almost twenty years and the first time in Impact Wrestling. Soon after turning on Rhyno at Bound For Glory his current girlfriend Katie Forbes joined him as his manager. 

For the most part all RVD and Katie Forbes have done is acted like two horny teenagers just kissing each other every chance they get. I understand that Rob likely wanted his girlfriend alongside him to help keep him sane on the road again more often. Rob has not been a heel in almost twenty years and never caught a whiff of the other side in that time. In my opinion, the heel turn could've been done a lot better with the turn giving Rob more of a reason to turn then just making out with his girlfriend. 

Rob Van Dam has put his body on the line for years going back to his days in ECW and now at 45 years old it might be time for him to slow down to prolong his career a little. Changing his move set would've been the first thing I would've changed but I would've done it done it slow. For example I'd have Rob go up for the frog splash and then change his mind waving off the fans. I'd have him go for van terminator and then drop off the ropes and wave them off again. In the weeks Rob would start adding new moves to his arsenal and leaning more on karate instead of high flying. 

This would build to a promo where Rob denounces his old self saying "I put my body on the line for the twenty five years for what? To get risk life altering injuries, to give a half whited moron who couldn't do half things I can do a chance to dream. Katie and I discussed it and it's time I start thinking about the only person that matters me." He'd finish by saying "For twenty years I've put you people first and it's gotten me nothing and helped me nowhere that changes now." Tommy Dreamer then pops up and points the finger at Katie for Rob's change of attitude and this enrages Rob who attacks Tommy and bloodies him badly. Setting up his first big match as a heel and raises the blame for people to hate Katie and gives her a character as well as it gives Rob a reason why he turned heel again. ​