Rob Van Dam is one of the guys that a LOT of modern wrestlers, especially those who're more athletic and work a faster pace, say had a huge influence on them. Rob Van Dam has a kind of natural charisma about him, he was never particularly good on the mic but he had a charismatic presence and it helped that he was one of the most innovative wrestlers of the 90s. He incorporated styles from the US, Japan, Mexico and a few others into his natural athletic ability and did become something of a measuring stick for athleticism.

RVD was one of the handful of wrestlers from ECW who actually could work a match without the need for the extremely dangerous spots or over the top violence. He's also been a major player everywhere he's ever worked, so it's pretty damned hard to find any sort of legit argument against him being in the HOF.