Editing Rob Van Dam (section)

==== Intercontinental Champion and Championship Unifications (2001–2002) ====
Van Dam became a face, but lost the Hardcore Championship to The Undertaker at [[Vengeance (2001)|Vengeance]] on December 9.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/vengeance/history/vengeance2001/results/|title=Vengeance 2001 official results|publisher=WWE}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/vandam.html#wwf2|title=RVD's WWF Career (2001)|publisher=Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster}}</ref> He then entered into a rivalry with [[William Regal]] over Regal's [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Championship]].<ref name="wwf2002">{{cite web|url=http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/vandam.html#02|title=RVD's WWF Career (2002)|publisher=Acclerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster}}</ref> On the February 25, 2002 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam defeated Lance Storm and [[Big Show]] in a triple threat match to become the #1 contender to the Intercontinental Championship.<ref name="wwf2002"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020225.html|title=Raw results - February 25, 2002|date=February 25, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref> At [[WrestleMania X8]] on March 17, Van Dam faced Regal for the Intercontinental Championship and won the match after he hit Regal with a Five-Star Frog Splash.<ref name="wwf2002"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm18/ |title=WrestleMania X-8 official results |publisher=WWE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319101052/http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm18/ |archive-date=March 19, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322704|title=History Of The Intercontinental Championship - Rob Van Dam(1)|access-date=January 1, 2008|publisher=WWE|archive-date=December 15, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215085628/http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322704|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Rvdwmx8@Commons.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.9|Van Dam after winning the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Championship]] at [[WrestleMania X8]]]]

When the WWF was divided into two "[[WWE brand extension|brands]]", [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] and [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown!]] in 2002, Van Dam was [[WWE brand extension#Superstar selections|drafted]] to the Raw brand as the fourth pick, thus bringing the Intercontinental Championship to ''Raw''.<ref name="rvdraw02">{{cite web|url=http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/vandam.html#raw1|title=RVD's Raw Career (2002)|publisher=Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster}}</ref><ref name="2002 Draft">{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020325.html|title=Raw results - March 25, 2002|date=March 25, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref> On the April 1 episode of ''Raw'', after Van Dam defended his title successfully against [[Booker T (wrestler)|Booker T]], [[Eddie Guerrero]] returned to the WWF and attacked Van Dam.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020401.html|title=Raw results - April 1, 2002|date=April 1, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref> He started a feud with Guerrero over the Intercontinental Championship. At [[Backlash (2002)|Backlash]] on April 21, Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Guerrero.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/backlash/history/backlash2002/results/|title=Backlash 2002 official results|publisher=WWE}}</ref> At [[Insurrextion (2002)|Insurrextion]] on May 4, Van Dam and Guerrero had a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship. Guerrero was disqualified after hitting the referee with the Intercontinental Championship; as a result, Van Dam won the match but not the title because a title cannot change hands by disqualification.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/ins.html#2002|title=Insurrextion 2002 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History}}</ref> At [[Judgment Day (2002)|Judgment Day]] on May 19, Van Dam failed to win the Intercontinental title from Guerrero in another rematch.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/judgmentday/history/judgmentday2002/results/ |title=Judgment Day 2002 official results |publisher=WWE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215114025/http://www.wwe.com/shows/judgmentday/history/judgmentday2002/results/ |archive-date=February 15, 2008 }}</ref> The following night he defeated The Undertaker for the [[WWE Championship|WWE Undisputed Championship]] but Raw owner [[Ric Flair]] restarted the match (due to The Undertaker's foot being on the bottom rope), which Van Dam then lost negating the title win.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020520.html|title=Raw results - May 20, 2002|date=May 20, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref> On the May 27 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam defeated Guerrero in a [[ladder match]] for his second Intercontinental Championship.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020527.html|title=Raw results - May 27, 2002|date=May 27, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322712 |title=History Of the Intercontinental Championship - Rob Van Dam (2) |access-date=January 1, 2008 |publisher=WWE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421232701/http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322712 |archive-date=April 21, 2007 }}</ref>

After facing each other in the final round of the [[King of the Ring (2002)|2002]] [[King of the Ring tournament]] (which he lost), Van Dam and [[Brock Lesnar]] began feuding with each other. Van Dam defended his Intercontinental Championship against Lesnar twice and retained his title both times by disqualification on the June 24 episode of ''Raw'' and at [[Vengeance (2002)|Vengeance]] on July 21.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020624.html|title=Raw results - June 24, 2002|date=June 24, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/vengeance/history/vengeance2002/results/|title=Vengeance 2002 official results|publisher=WWE}}</ref> On the July 22 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam won the [[WWE European Championship]] for the first and only time{{refn|group=note|name=first}} after he defeated then-European Champion Jeff Hardy in a [[championship unification]] [[ladder match]]. As a result, the European Championship was deactivated upon being unified with the Intercontinental Championship. On the July 29 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to [[Chris Benoit]].<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020729.html|title=Raw results - July 29, 2002|date=July 29, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref>

[[File:RVDCampeonIC.JPG|thumb|Van Dam as Intercontinental Champion]]
At [[SummerSlam (2002)|SummerSlam]] on August 25, Van Dam won his third Intercontinental Championship by defeating Benoit in a rematch for the title.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/history/2002/results/|title=SummerSlam 2002 official results|publisher=WWE}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322720 |title=History Of The Intercontinental Championship - Rob Van Dam(3) |access-date=January 1, 2008 |publisher=WWE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070422143034/http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322720 |archive-date=April 22, 2007 }}</ref> As Benoit brought the title to ''SmackDown!'' when he switched brands shortly after winning it, Van Dam brought the title back to ''Raw''.<ref name="rvdraw02"/> On the August 26 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam won the Hardcore Championship for the fourth and final time after he defeated then-Hardcore Champion Tommy Dreamer in a championship unification [[hardcore match]]. As a result, the Hardcore Championship was deactivated upon being unified with the Intercontinental Championship.<ref name="hardcore"/><ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020826.html|title=Raw results - August 26, 2002|date=August 26, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref> On the September 9 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam became the number one contender to the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013)|World Heavyweight Championship]] by defeating Chris Jericho, [[Jeff Hardy]], and [[Big Show]] in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Basic elimination matches|fatal four-way elimination match]].<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020909.html|title=Raw results - September 9, 2002|date=September 9, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref>

Van Dam started feuding with the World Heavyweight Champion [[Triple H]]. On the September 16 episode of ''Raw'', Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Chris Jericho after interference by Triple H.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020916.html|title=Raw results - September 16, 2002|date=September 16, 2002|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling}}</ref> At [[Unforgiven (2002)|Unforgiven]] on September 22, Van Dam faced Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. Due to [[Ric Flair]]'s interference, Van Dam lost the match.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>[http://www.wwe.com/shows/unforgiven/history/2002/rawmainevent/ Unforgiven 2002 main event] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921081355/http://www.wwe.com/shows/unforgiven/history/2002/rawmainevent/ |date=September 21, 2010 }}</ref> At [[No Mercy (2002)|No Mercy]] on October 20, Van Dam got his revenge on Flair by defeating him.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/nomercy/history/2002/results/ |title=No Mercy 2002 official results |publisher=WWE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126081749/http://www.wwe.com/shows/nomercy/history/2002/results/ |archive-date=November 26, 2007 }}</ref> At [[Survivor Series (2002)|Survivor Series]] on November 17, Van Dam participated in the first-ever [[WWE Elimination Chamber|Elimination Chamber]] match for Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship, but it was won by [[Shawn Michaels]]. During the match, Van Dam performed a Five-Star Frog Splash off of one of the pods/chambers onto Triple H, and accidentally landed his knee onto Triple H's throat.<ref name="rvdraw02"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/2002/mainevent/ |title=Survivor Series 2002 main event |publisher=WWE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221171201/http://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/2002/mainevent/ |archive-date=February 21, 2008 }}</ref>