Editing Rob Van Dam (section)

==== TNA World Heavyweight Champion and EV 2.0 (2010–2011) ====

On March 8, 2010, Van Dam made his debut for [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] (TNA) at the promotion's [[TNA Impact!'s move to Monday nights|Monday night episode]] of ''[[Impact! (TV series)|Impact!]]'', defeating [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]]. Then just seconds after his debut victory Sting attacked him and later [[Hulk Hogan]] with his signature baseball bat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_39660.shtml|title=TNA Impact Results 3/8: Keller's live ongoing report covering the historic beginning of Monday Night War II|last=Keller|first=Wade|author-link=Wade Keller|date=March 8, 2010|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=March 9, 2010}}</ref> Van Dam got his revenge on Sting the following week by attacking him during his entrance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_39854.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact Report 3/15: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV show - A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Hardy|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=March 15, 2010|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=March 24, 2010}}</ref> Van Dam teamed with [[Jeff Hardy]] in a tag team match, where they defeated [[Beer Money, Inc.]] ([[Bobby Roode|Robert Roode]] and [[James Storm]]) on the March 22 episode of ''Impact!''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_40040.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact Report 3/22: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|date=October 22, 2009|access-date=October 24, 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> The following week the two of them teamed with [[Eric Young (wrestler)|Eric Young]] and defeated [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|The Band]] ([[Kevin Nash]], [[Scott Hall (wrestler)|Scott Hall]] and [[Sean Waltman|Syxx-Pac]]) in a six-man tag team steel cage match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1269919705|title=Impact Results - 3/29/10|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=March 29, 2010|publisher=WrestleView|access-date=March 30, 2010}}</ref>  At [[Lockdown (2010)|Lockdown]] on April 18, both Van Dam and Hardy became members of Team Hogan (joining [[Abyss (wrestler)|Abyss]] and [[Jeff Jarrett]]) for the annual [[Lethal Lockdown match]], where they defeated Team Flair (Sting, [[Nigel McGuinness|Desmond Wolfe]], Robert Roode and James Storm).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_40725.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Lockdown Results 4/18: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of PPV - Styles vs. The Pope, Team Hogan vs. Team Flair, Angle vs. Anderson|first=James|last=Caldwell|date=April 18, 2010|access-date=April 18, 2010|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref>

The night after Lockdown he first defeated Jeff Hardy in a number one contender's match and then, in the main event of the evening, [[A.J. Styles]] to become the new [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship|TNA World Heavyweight Champion]].<ref name=Impact04192010>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_40756.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact Report 4/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast--Whole F'n New Champion|first=Daniel|last=Wilkenfeld|date=April 19, 2010|access-date=April 20, 2010|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> After succeeding in his first televised title defense against Desmond Wolfe, Styles attacked Van Dam, announcing the invocation of the rematch clause for [[TNA Sacrifice (2010)|Sacrifice]] on May 16.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwerawreport/article_41070.shtml|title=TNA Impact Results 5/3: Keller's ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live show from Orlando|first=Wade|last=Keller|author-link=Wade Keller|date=May 3, 2010|access-date=May 8, 2010|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> At Sacrifice Van Dam defeated Styles in a rematch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_41360.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Sacrifice results 5/16: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of PPV - RVD vs. Styles, Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson|date=May 16, 2010|access-date=May 16, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> The following month at [[Slammiversary VIII]] on June 13 Van Dam retained his title against Sting in a rematch of his TNA debut.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_41923.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Slammiversary results 6/13: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV - RVD vs. Sting, Hardy & Anderson, "nice surprise"|date=June 13, 2010|access-date=June 13, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> Van Dam defeated Abyss, Jeff Hardy and [[Mr. Kennedy|Mr. Anderson]] in a four-way match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at [[Victory Road (2010)|Victory Road]] on July 11.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_42443.shtml|title=TNA Victory Road results 7/11: Keller's ongoing "virtual time" coveage [sic] of live PPV event|date=July 11, 2010|access-date=July 11, 2010|last=Keller|first=Wade|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the following episode of ''Impact!'' Van Dam aligned himself with fellow ECW alumni Tommy Dreamer, [[Raven (wrestler)|Raven]], [[Stevie Richards]], [[Terry Gerin|Rhino]], [[Devon Hughes|Brother Devon]], [[Pat Kenney]], [[Al Snow]] and [[Mick Foley]], who saved him from a beating at the hands of Abyss.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TNA_News_1/article_42456.shtml|title=TNA News: TNA Impact TV taping "virtual-time coverage" for Thursday's episode|date=July 12, 2010|access-date=July 13, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1279001038 |title=Spoilers: TNA Impact for this Thursday |date=July 13, 2010 |access-date=July 13, 2010 |last=Martin |first=Adam |publisher=WrestleView |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428050636/http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1279001038 |archive-date=April 28, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1279252015 |title=Impact Results - 7/15/10 |date=July 15, 2010 |last=Martin |first=Adam |work=WrestleView |access-date=July 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719090613/http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1279252015 |archive-date=July 19, 2010 }}</ref>

The following week, TNA president [[Dixie Carter (wrestling)|Dixie Carter]] agreed to give the ECW alumni their own reunion pay–per–view event, [[Hardcore Justice (2010)|Hardcore Justice]] on August 8.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_42665.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 7/22: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|date=July 22, 2010|access-date=August 5, 2010|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> At Hardcore Justice, Van Dam defeated former tag team partner and rival Sabu in a non-title Hardcore Rules match, after his originally planned match with Jerry Lynn was scrapped due to Lynn suffering a back injury.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_42979.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Hardcore Justice PPV results 8/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of ECW-themed PPV headlined by RVD vs. Sabu|first=James|last=Caldwell|date=August 8, 2010|access-date=August 8, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> After successfully defending the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Abyss in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Weapon-based variations|Stairway to Janice match]] on the following special edition of ''Impact!'', named ''[[The Whole F'n Show]]'', Van Dam and the other former ECW wrestlers were assaulted by Abyss and {{Not a typo|[[Fortune (professional wrestling)|Fourtune]]}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TNA_News_1/article_43008.shtml|title=TNA News: Spoilers - detailed Impact TV taping report for "Whole F'n Show" featuring new angle, MOTY candidate?, three title matches|first=Kevin|last=Tomich|date=August 9, 2010|access-date=August 10, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2010/08/12/15010951.html|title=TNA's 'The Whole F'n Show': Beer Money, Machine Guns put on match of year candidate; Fortune makes statement|first=Matt|last=Bishop|date=August 12, 2010|access-date=August 13, 2010|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-date=June 29, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629172343/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2010/08/12/15010951.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> In the attack Van Dam suffered multiple serious [[Kayfabe|storyline]] injuries at the hands of Abyss including the need for stitches, spinal trauma and possible acute brain damage, which would force him to vacate the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on August 10 at the taping of the August 19 episode of ''Impact!''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/17074/|title=TNA title vacated - spoiler|date=August 10, 2010|access-date=August 10, 2010|work=[[Dave Meltzer#Wrestling Observer Newsletter|Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TNA_News_1/article_43030.shtml|title=TNA News: Spoilers - big news & notes from today's Impact TV taping for Aug. 19 episode, management's reaction to EV2.0 angle|date=August 10, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|access-date=August 11, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_43238.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 8/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|first=Daniel|last=Wilkenfeld|date=August 19, 2010|access-date=August 19, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> In reality, Van Dam was running out of dates per year on his contract and was therefore taken off television.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1282779729|title=Update on RVD's contractual status with TNA|last=Gerweck|first=Steve|date=August 25, 2010|access-date=August 26, 2010|work=WrestleView|archive-date=August 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805171859/http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1282779729|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Matt Hardy v RVD.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.13|Van Dam (left) taking on [[Matt Hardy]] in 2011]]
Van Dam returned via telephone interview on the September 16 episode of ''Impact!'' and announced that he would return to the Impact! Zone the following week, against his doctor's orders.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_43829.shtml|title=Keller's TNA Impact report 9/16: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV show with Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle|last=Keller|first=Wade|date=September 16, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=September 17, 2010}}</ref> Van Dam returned the following week, confronting Abyss and demanding a match against him at [[Bound for Glory (2010)|Bound for Glory]] on October 10, which Eric Bischoff agreed to give him.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_44002.shtml|title=Keller's TNA Impact report 9/23: Ongoing coverage of Spike TV cablecast including Bound for Glory hype|last=Keller|first=Wade|date=September 23, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=September 24, 2010}}</ref> At Bound for Glory Van Dam defeated Abyss in a [[Monster's Ball match]]. At the end of Bound for Glory it was revealed that [[Hulk Hogan]] and Eric Bischoff had sent Abyss after Van Dam in order to get the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on their own representative, Jeff Hardy. Van Dam confronted the group, later named [[Immortal (professional wrestling)|Immortal]], after Hardy had won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, only to get hit with the title belt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_44417.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Bound for Glory PPV results 10-10-10: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV - Angle vs. Anderson vs. Hardy, "they" reveal|date=October 10, 2010|access-date=October 10, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the October 21 episode of ''Impact!'' Bischoff claimed that someone from EV 2.0 had been calling him, trying to get to be a part of Immortal, which led to Van Dam getting paranoid about his stablemates, first accusing Raven of being the traitor. Later, he and Sabu were defeated in a tag team match by Beer Money, Inc., after Sabu accidentally hit him with a chair. After the match Van Dam and Sabu began shoving each other and had to be separated from each other by the rest of EV 2.0.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_44696.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 10/21: Complete "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV's live broadcast|date=October 21, 2010|access-date=October 22, 2010|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> After two more weeks of dissension between Van Dam and the rest of EV 2.0, Tommy Dreamer challenged him to a match at [[Turning Point (2010 wrestling)|Turning Point]] on November 7.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_44882.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 10/28: Complete "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV's live broadcast|date=October 28, 2010|access-date=November 4, 2010|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_45047.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 11/4: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|date=November 4, 2010|access-date=November 4, 2010|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> At Turning Point Van Dam defeated Dreamer and afterwards made peace with him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_45110.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Turning Point PPV results 11/7: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV - Hardy vs. Morgan, EV2 vs. Fortune, Team 3D "retirement" match|date=November 7, 2010|access-date=November 7, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the following episode of ''Impact!'' Rhino turned heel by attacking Van Dam and Dreamer, revealing himself as the traitor Van Dam had been looking for.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_45232.shtml|title=Keller's TNA Impact results 11/11: Styles vs. Stevie, Turning Point fallout, New TNA belt introduced by Hogan|date=November 11, 2010|access-date=November 12, 2010|last=Keller|first=Wade|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> At [[Final Resolution (2010)|Final Resolution]] on December 5 Van Dam defeated Rhino in a [[Professional wrestling match types#First Blood match|First Blood match]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_45809.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Final Resolution PPV results 12/5: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV - Hardy vs. Morgan II, several title and stipulation matches|first=James|last=Caldwell|date=December 5, 2010|access-date=December 5, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref>