Predictions for Rob Van Dam's Latest Run in WWE

Rob Van Dam is back in the WWE, and unlike he was during his underwhelming run in TNA, he actually appears to be motivated and happy to be there.

That’s good news for the WWE because an RVD that is actually trying is a great addition to a roster that’s already loaded with talent.

Van Dam is coming back to the WWE at a time when the company is at a crossroads, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. Many veterans have either recently retired or only working as part-timers these days, and the creative team is trying to create new stars to take their places.

So, just where will RVD fit in in a company with a star-studded roster that features everything from vets to rookies to those in between?

That remains a mystery, but because RVD is such a talented performer, he should have no problem sliding in somewhere and immediately improving the WWE as a result.

That being said, let’s take a look at some predictions of what the WWE has in store for RVD during his upcoming run.

He Will Win a Secondary Title

Over the last five years, a number of respected veterans have surprisingly held midcard titles.

Since 2009, JBL, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Big Show and Christian have all dipped down to the midcard to hold the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Meanwhile, MVP, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler have held the United States Championship during that span as well.

If all of those great superstars can hold a secondary title, then Van Dam certainly can, too.

From time to time, the WWE seems to get the urge to push former main eventers and/or world champions as midcard titleholders, and RVD could definitely be one of those vets who falls into that role.

Expect RVD to win either the United States or Intercontinental Championship during his current run, and in an ideal world, restore some prestige to the title in the process.

He Will NOT Work with Paul Heyman

Because he’s a real-life “Paul Heyman guy,” many fans are expecting RVD to work with Heyman during his current WWE run.

While that would be entertaining and nice for nostalgic purposes, it’s not going to happen.

Yeah, there’s a very public history between RVD and Heyman stemming back to their time in ECW. But they haven’t been involved in a substantial storyline together for quite some time now.

It seems like—though there will always be a link between the two—both RVD and Heyman have moved on to different phases of their careers. Heyman is busy with Curtis Axel, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar while RVD may not even end up working in the main event scene where Heyman stays.

Though it would be fun to see RVD and Heyman involved in one more angle together, whether as friends or foes, don’t bet the house on it actually happening.

He Will Essentially Fill Chris Jericho’s Role

Chris Jericho just finished up his most recent run with the WWE, and he can’t easily be replaced.

In 2013, Y2J has done an absolutely fantastic job of working with up-and-coming talent. He’s helped the likes of Fandango and Ryback improve in the ring, tried his best to get them over and put on countless great matches with all sorts of young stars.

Now that he’s gone again, the WWE will need a fellow vet to step up in Jericho’s absence and give the company a reliable babyface who can consistently put on good matches and put up-and-comers over.

That’s where RVD comes in.

Though maybe not quite a Jericho in terms of his overall abilities as a performer, RVD is a widely respected veteran who can still wrestle and has that star quality that is so valuable in wrestling today.

While many Van Dam fans are hoping that he may get another shot at glory, don’t count on it.

Instead, expect RVD to take over Jericho’s role as the WWE’s go-to babyface who slides into whatever role the company needs him in.

He Won’t Win a World Title, But Will Feud For One

The only part-timer who has won a world title recently is The Rock, and that’s because, well, because he’s The Rock.

For the most part, part-time superstars who aren’t going to be in the WWE for the long haul generally don’t make much noise in the world title picture.

One who did? Chris Jericho, who had a notable WrestleMania feud with CM Punk over the WWE Championship in 2012, but never won the belt.

Look for RVD to follow a similar path.

He’s talented and over enough to feud for a world title, but as someone who’s in his early 40s, he’s not going to win either the World Heavyweight or WWE Championship ever again.

Just like Y2J, though, RVD will make some noise in the world title scene because he’ll be around much more than most part-timers are.

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter!