Yeah but that didn't mean he was going to win it just because they won it. Some guys go their whole career without winning the biggest title and it wouldn't have surprised me if he was one of those guys. I never got the feeling it was inevitable for him to become WWE champion.
Indeed what a crime the likes of Dibiase, Steamboat, Rude and Perfect did not win a world title while on WWF's watch. They would have all been much more deserving than Van Dam.