Rob Van Dam and Jean-Claude Van Damme are two famous names in the world of martial arts and entertainment. Both have starred in numerous action movies and have impressive fighting skills. But are they related by blood or just by coincidence? The answer may surprise you.
Rob Van Dam: The Wrestler and Actor
Rob Van Dam, whose real name is Robert Alexander Szatkowski, was born on December 18, 1970, in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA. He is an American professional wrestler and actor, who is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and Impact Wrestling. He is also known by his initials RVD or by his nickname “The Whole F’n Show”.
Rob Van Dam started martial arts at the age of 10, and earned his black belt in karate at 18. He also trained in kickboxing, muay thai, and taekwondo. He began his wrestling career in 1990, and soon became one of the most popular and innovative wrestlers in the industry. He is famous for his high-flying moves, such as the Five-Star Frog Splash and the Van Daminator. He has won several championships, including the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE Championship, the WWE Intercontinental Championship, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, and the X Division Championship.
Rob Van Dam has also appeared in several movies and TV shows, such as Bloodsport 4 (1999), Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2002), Wrong Side of Town (2010), The Marine 3: Homefront (2013), Sniper: Special Ops (2016), and Headstrong (2019). He is also a voice actor, who has voiced characters in video games and animated shows, such as Saints Row IV (2013), Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011-2016), and Family Guy (2017).
Jean-Claude Van Damme: The Martial Artist and Movie Star
Jean-Claude Van Damme, whose real name is Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, was born on October 18, 1960, in Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Brussels, Belgium. He is a Belgian martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. He is also known by his initials JCVD or by his nickname “The Muscles from Brussels”.
Jean-Claude Van Damme began martial arts at the age of 11, and studied shotokan karate, kickboxing, muay thai, and taekwondo. He earned his black belt in karate at 18. He also competed in several tournaments and matches, winning the European Professional Karate Association’s middleweight championship as a teenager. He moved to the United States in 1982 to pursue an acting career.
Jean-Claude Van Damme became a popular action movie star in the late 1980s and early 1990s, starring in films such as Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989), Lionheart (1990), Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Hard Target (1993), Timecop (1994), Street Fighter (1994), Sudden Death (1995), The Quest (1996), Maximum Risk (1996), etc. He is known for his acrobatic fighting style, his splits, and his signature roundhouse kick. He has also directed some of his own films, such as The Quest (1996) and Full Love (2014).
Jean-Claude Van Damme has also appeared in other movies and TV shows, such as JCVD (2008), The Expendables 2 (2012), Welcome to the Jungle (2013), Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), Jean-Claude Van Johnson (2016-2017), Lukas (2018), We Die Young (2019), etc. He has also done voice work for video games and animated shows, such as Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), Lego Dimensions (2015-2017), etc.
Are They Related?
Despite their similar last names and backgrounds in martial arts and movies, Rob Van Dam and Jean-Claude Van Damme are not related by blood or by marriage. They have never met each other in person either. Their last names are just a coincidence.
According to Wikipedia, Rob Van Dam’s surname Szatkowski is of Polish origin, while Jean-Claude Van Damme’s surname Van Varenberg is of Flemish origin. The name “Van Dam” or “Van Damme” means “from the dam” in Dutch or Flemish. It is a common surname in the Netherlands and Belgium, and it may refer to different places or families. There is no evidence that Rob Van Dam and Jean-Claude Van Damme share a common ancestor or a distant relative.
However, Rob Van Dam has admitted that he was inspired by Jean-Claude Van Damme when he chose his ring name. In an interview with WWE.com, he said:
“I was a big fan of his movies, and I thought it would be cool to have a similar name, since we’re both into martial arts. Plus, I thought it would help me get noticed more. I didn’t think I would become as famous as him, but I’m glad I did.”
Rob Van Dam has also paid tribute to Jean-Claude Van Damme in some of his matches, by performing his signature splits and roundhouse kick. He has also expressed his respect and admiration for Jean-Claude Van Damme on social media, such as Twitter and Instagram.
Jean-Claude Van Damme, on the other hand, has not publicly acknowledged Rob Van Dam or his career. However, he has shown his support for other wrestlers and MMA fighters, such as Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, and Ronda Rousey. He has also trained with some of them, such as Cody Garbrandt and Fabricio Werdum.
Conclusion
Rob Van Dam and Jean-Claude Van Damme are two successful and talented martial artists and entertainers, who have made their mark in the world of wrestling and movies. However, they are not related by blood or by marriage. They have never met each other in person either. Their last names are just a coincidence. However, they do share some similarities and influences, and they have both earned the respect and admiration of their fans and peers.