Jean-Claude Van Damme Belgian martial artist and actor

Date of Birth

18 December 1970, Battle Creek, Michigan, USA

Birth Name

Robert Alex Szatowski

Nickname

Mr. PPV
The Whole F'n Show
Mr. Monday Night
RVD
The Whole Dam Show
Mr. Thursday Night

Height

6' (1.83 m)

About Van Damme

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg  professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian martial artist and actor.Van Damme is best known for his martial arts action movies.His most successful films include Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989), Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Hard Target (1993), Timecop (1994), and JCVD (2008).Due to his physique and his Belgian background, he is known as "The Muscles from Brussels."

After studying martial arts intensively from the age of ten, Van Damme achieved national success in Belgium as a martial artist and bodybuilder, earning the "Mr. Belgium" bodybuilding title.He emigrated to the United States in 1982 to pursue a career in film, and achieved success with Bloodsport (1988), based on a story written by Frank Dux. He attained subsequent box office success with Timecop (1994), which grossed over $100 million worldwide and became his most financially successful film.

Spouse

Sonia Van Dam

(6 September 1998 - present)

Trade Mark

Raises both arms, and points to his head with his thumbs. He does this 3 times whilst saying 'Rob Van Dam'
The Van Daminator (spinning spit kick to a chair in an opponet's face while they catch it and hold it up)
RVD 4:20 Suicide Senton Sault - ECW special - (Rob jumps and flips from the top turnbuckle to nail an opponent out in the third row of an audience)
Trademark move: Hollywood Star Press (Split-Legged Moonsault)
Finishing move: Five Star Frog Splash (Frog Splash)
Trademark move: VanTerminator (Corner-to-Corner Missile Dropkick, which drives a steel chair into the face of his opponent)
Trademark move: 4:20 (Double Leg Drop with Rey Mysterio)
Trademark move: Chair Surf (Running Dropkick, driving a steel chair into the face of a seated opponent)
Trademark move: Rolling Thunder (Forward roll into a Somersault Senton)
Trademark move: Skateboard (Basball Slide Dropkick to a seated opponent in the corner)
Trademark move: Steam Roller (Rolling Fireman's Carry Slam)
Trademark move: Cartwheel Moonsault

Trademark move: Corkscrew Leg Drop (he also does this off the apron to an opponent on the security railing)
Trademark move: Flying Thrust Kick
Trademark move: Lifting Double Underhook Facebuster
Trademark move: Split-Legged Moonsault
Trademark move: Turnbuckle Shoulder Thrust Series into a Monkey Flip
Signature Move: Corkscrew Dropkick

Trivia

Holds the record for the longest reign as ECW World TV Champion, holding it from April 4, 1998, to March 4, 2000.
Was a heavyweight runner up in the 1990 Kalamazoo, Michigan Toughman Contest
Real-life professional wrestler. The "world television champion"
In an unofficial poll among wrestling fans in August 2001, the question was "Which superstar will make it as the next main eventer?" Rob Van Dam won with an astounding 65% of the vote. He beat out other wrestlers Jerry Lynn, Tajiri, Chris Jericho, X-Pac and Chris Kanyon.
Holds the record for the heaviest weight lifted using the 'Van Dam Lift' (166.5 lbs)
His own lift, the 'Van Dam Lift', is a registered lift open for all competitors to do at any USWA weightlifting meet

In 1998, the 'Van Dam Lift' was approved by the IAWA (International All-Around Weightlifting Association.)
Inventor of the 'Van Dam Lift' for weight lifting. This involves doing a split between two benches and lifting a dumbell from the floor to the waist
Past titles include: ECW World Television ECW Tag Team, WWF Hardcore {3x}, and WWF Intercontinental.
Had a short stint in the old WCW as Robbie V
Is the only professional wrestler ever to appear on the cover of "High Times" Magazine.
Is fluent in Spanish.
He is the only current WWE wrestler to be in the game "Legends of Wrestling".
Was given the name "Rob Van Dam" by a Florida Wrestler/Promoter named Ron Slinker
During his brief stint in WCW in the early 90s, he wrestled in the WCW World Television Title Tournament after Scott Steiner vacated the belt. Van Dam was eliminated by Vinnie Vegas (Kevin Nash).
An Air Brush Store located in a mall designs his tights.
Debut in the WWF in 1997 wrestling a few WWF/ECW cross promotion matches. Ironically his first match in 1997 in the WWF was against an unknown wrestler named Jeff Hardy. Later on when Rob Van Dam returned to the WWF in 2001 his first match was against Jeff Hardy who established himself to be one of the top wrestlers at the time.

Was influenced into wrestling by several wrestlers including "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, whose style is similar to Van Dam's, both in flexability and acrobatics.
At the time of ECW's last days as a wrestling promotion when many of their stars were wrestling without receiving pay, it was reported that ECW Owner, Paul Heyman owed him over $100,000 in back pay. Heyman helped further his career by pushing for the WWF to sign him.
Held the WWE Tag Team Titles with Kane, and later with Booker T.
One of the few wrestlers in the last 10 years to hold a pinfall victory over "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Was criticized upon first arriving in the WWF that his style was too extreme and his moves were stiff. Many wresters suffered concussions from his Van Daminator move. RVD has since cleaned up his offensive moves and isn't as stiff as he was in ECW.
Unified the WWE Intercontinental Title with the WWE European and Hardcore Titles.
In the 80s when he was a teenager, he appeared in a WWF Segment with "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase where DiBiase would bribe the audience to do crazy things in order to get his money.
He wears special boots designed to withstand stiff kicks. The boots are primarily worn by wrestlers in Japan due to a lot of the martial arts kicks they recieve. In an interview he stated that if an American wrestler is seen wearing them you can tell they've wrestled in Japan.
Never defeated for the ECW Television title. He was forced to relinquish the title when he broke his leg.
Notable Title Wins Include: SAPW Tag Team titles; National Wrestling Council Tag Team titles w/Bobby Bradley; ECW Television title; ECW Tag Team titles w/Sabu (2); ASW North American title; WWE Hardcore title (4); WWE Intercontinental title (4); WWE European title - unified with IC title; WWE World Tag Team titles w/Kane; WWE World Tag Team titles w/Booker T
Held the ECW Television title for 23 months.
Current theme music is "One of a Kind" by Breaking Point.
His top three favorite movies are Get Shorty (1995), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) & Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004).
His all-time favorite comic book is "Ghost Rider".
Drives an Explorer Sport.

His favorite match was against Jerry Lynn for the ECW TV title in 1999.
He owns his own Comic book store called "RVD's 5 Star Comics and Wrestling" in Lakewood, California (in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area), in the Lakewood Center Mall.
During his ECW days, his entrance theme song was "Walk" by Pantera. Then later he used a cover of the same song by the band Kilgore.
In 1990, Van Dam competed in the Kalamazoo Tough Man contest, finishing in second place.
Growing up in Battle Creek, Michigan, Van Dam studied martial arts at two local dojos. He received instruction for Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Aikido, Kendo, and Kick Boxing.
At WrestleMania 22, Rob Van Dam climbed the ladder and defeated five other men to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, earning a championship opportunity any time in the next year.
Previous Managers: Ric Flair, Fonzie, Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Claimed his sixth Intercontinental Championship at Backlash, defeating Shelton Benjamin with a Five-Star Frog Splash in a match pitting RVD's Money in the Bank briefcase against Shelton's Intercontinental Championship.
Cashing in the Money in the Bank contract at ECW's One Night Stand on June 11.
Won the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania 22.
At ECW One Night Stand on June 11, 2006, RVD dethroned John Cena for the WWE Championship in an extremely controversial decision, when ECW owner Paul Heyman came to the ring after interference by Edge and a frog splash by RVD and counted 1-2-3 after 2 officials were knocked out.
On ECW's first broadcast in 5 years on June 13, 2006, RVD was crowned the new ECW champion when Paul Heyman presented him with the original ECW Heavyweight belt.
Will face Edge at Vengeance for the WWE Championship.

Now uses "Fury of the Storm" by Shadows Fall as his theme song.
July 3-4 2006 RVD lost the WWE and ECW World Championships on consecutive nights. He lost the WWE title in a triple threat match against Edge and John Cena on July 3 on the RAW Broadcast after Cena hit the FU on RVD and was pinned by Edge for the 1-2-3. He went on to lose the ECW title the very next night to the Big Show.
Former World Tag Team Champion.
Former WWE Tag Team Champion.
In early 1993, Van Dam joined WCW as Robbie V.

Personal Quotes

"Hey, everything is cool when you're Rob Van Dam."
"Things have a way of just working themselves out."
(On what he would want put on his tombstone) "One of a kind."
(On WWE wrestler Triple H) "He carries himself like his position and championship mean all the world to him. He's voted most least likely to be chilling at RVD's pool."