529k members in the SquaredCircle community. During the match, both wrestlers performed a high flying, fast-paced sequence. Vader worked his tail off to give Sting the shine early in the battle, as he took big bumps for a shoulder tackle, dropkick and clothesline, jumped into the air for a huge belly-to-back suplex, flung himself backward on an over-the-top-rope clothesline and then took an over-the-top-rope bodypress from Sting to finish the offensive display. Bull Power defeated Rambo to win the vacant title for the third and final time. The Vader case is interesting because Vader was absolutely unique. In 1989, Bull Power returned to the CWA, to challenge Otto Wanz for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship. Leon Allen White (May 14, 1955 – June 18, 2018), better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and profes… They were instrumental in solidifying the big man’s place on the roster, enter the era of the super heavyweights. In a post-match interview with Michael Cole, Vader said, "I made the biggest mistake of my life. Vader received a rematch with Sting on July 12 at The Great American Bash, which he won to become the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Vader returned to the WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), on the October 31, 2005 episode of Raw when Jonathan Coachman announced that Vader and Goldust would be in his corner for his street fight against Stone Cold Steve Austin the next night at Taboo Tuesday. This helped alleviate his difficulty in gaining notoriety in WCW, as his previously infrequent appearances did not allow the audience to see him very often. I'm nothing but a big piece of shit. Vader made a one-off return to TNA on the June 24, 2015 episode of Impact! It took some work, but Vader was able to defy this rule throughout his in-ring career with memorable runs as world champion in WCW, New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling. Search, discover and share your favorite Big Van Vader GIFs. Sting requested the match rather than be awarded the title after an injury to his original opponent, Rick Rude, and defeated Vader. During this match, Vader began bleeding from his eye, which required surgery when he returned to the United States. At Bash at the Beach, he defeated the former Boss, now known as The Guardian Angel by disqualification. In April 2016, Vader made a one-night appearance at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony to induct Stan Hansen into the WWE Hall of Fame. [21] The match was heavily edited for broadcast, as WCW did not wish to show the severe bleeding. 36 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Bam Bam Bigelow in 2003, Pro-Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), This page was last edited on 14 April 2021, at 07:00. Following this, Vader and Cactus Jack's feud was restarted as Jack was cleared to return for Halloween Havoc to face Vader in a Texas Death match. In the semifinals, Vader defeated Kiyoshi Tamura, and beat Nobuhiko Takada in the finals to win the tournament and the UWFi Pro-Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship. [2][61] During the interview, the host asked Taker and Vader if wrestling was fake. McMahon! Two days later, Vader made an appearance in Colchester, England for the XWA Wrestling (XWA) promotion, defeating "Savvy" Sid Scala. Following the event, Hogan grew interested in Vader and asked for his assistance in his developing feud with the Dungeon of Doom by asking him to join him, Randy Savage, and Sting for WarGames. Vader was originally scheduled to face Sid Vicious at Starrcade. Moonsault leg drop. In the storyline, Vader did not take Flair seriously until he agreed to put his career on the line against Vader's title. [16] Vader's success garnered the attention of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), who convinced him to work for them while still the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and an active competitor in NJPW. Merely calling Big Van Vader one of "wrestling's greatest big men" doesn't seem like enough now he's gone. Born: 05/14/1955 in Lynwood, California Birthname: Leon Allen White Height & Weight: 6'5", 450 Ib Titles Won: WCW World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times) AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times) However, the match became a six-man tag team match pitting Vader, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog against Yokozuna, Ahmed Johnson, and Jake Roberts, with the stipulation that if Yokozuna's team won the match, he would have five minutes alone with Cornette in the ring; this never occurred as Vader's team won the match when Vader pinned Roberts. This variation sees the wrestler performing a moonsault but instead of landing on the opponent in a splash position, ... Often referred to as Vader Bomb, for it was (Big Van) Vader who popularized it. He went by the moniker Baby Bull, which was later changed to Bull Power. [10][11] During White's first season—which brought them to the Super Bowl and earned White an NFC championship ring—he was also put on the injured reserve list, and later retired due to a ruptured patella. Vader faced Michaels again at SummerSlam, where Vader won by countout; Cornette, however, realized that the title could not change hands through a countout and got the match restarted, but this time, Michaels used Cornette's tennis racket and was disqualified, so again, Cornette managed to get the match started over, which Michaels won by pinfall. [44] During the following weeks, Vader and Ospreay feuded on Twitter,[45] which led to England-based promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) booking a match between them. Big Van Vader broke the mold for what a superheavyweight could do in the world of professional wrestling, from his high-flying repertoire that included moonsaults to … Partial Mask. Upon his return at Halloween Havoc, Vader sent Nikita Koloff into retirement and legitimately sprained the back of jobber Joe Thurman, sending him to the hospital. [57] As well as being featured officially and unofficially in numerous Japanese wrestling games such as the Fire Pro Wrestling series, Virtual Pro Wrestling, King of Colosseum (he is a preset model in King of Colosseum II's EDIT mode), as well as the latter two editions of the All Star Pro-Wrestling series, and Wrestle Kingdom 2 where he is also featured in the cover art. In the 1978 NFL Draft, White was drafted as a center by the Los Angeles Rams with the 24th pick of the 3rd Round (80th overall). Vader defeated Vega on the following Monday Night Raw, before assaulting WWF officials and eventually, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon demanded that Vader cease his attacks, and received a Vader Bomb for his efforts. [2][61] In December, White was fined $164 for this incident. Upon returning to WCW, Mick Foley, then wrestling as Cactus Jack, defeated Vader via countout on the April 17 episode of Saturday Night. [59] His father was a US Marine. Two days later, Vader defeated Simmons by taking advantage of a shoulder injury of Simmons's to regain the World Heavyweight Championship. Vader's "stiff" style led to a long string of legitimate injuries to his opponents, as well as a fair number of serious injuries for Vader himself. On February 19, 2003, Vader appeared in NWA Total Nonstop Action (NWA-TNA) to defend Dusty Rhodes, who was fighting with The Harris Brothers. He would hold onto the UWA World title for over a year, before losing it back to Canek on December 9. Two months later, he would take part of Starrcade's Lethal Lottery, where he teamed with Mr. Hughes and defeated Rick Steiner and The Nightstalker (who was subbing for an injured Diamond Studd) to advance to the Battlebowl battle royal, in which he was eliminated. [4] He then again lost it to Kobashi and took some time off. They met at Slamboree in May for the World Heavyweight Championship. This paved the way for him to jump back and forth between Japan and the US, where he eventually reigned as WCW’s World Heavyweight Championship. A rematch was signed, a strap match for the inaugural Uncensored pay-per-view. December 30, 1992 – March 11, 1993, WCW World Championship – Vader. As a result of this, Vader and the other men eliminated by Austin, Bret Hart and The Undertaker, were put into the four-way main event of February's In Your House 13: Final Four for the WWF Championship, in which Vader, after bleeding profusely, was eliminated by The Undertaker. July 12, 1992 – August 02, 1992, WCW World Championship – Vader. March 17, 1993 – December 27, 1993, Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Champions, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Van_Vader&oldid=1017711996, Expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan, NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages which use embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, NFL player missing current team parameter, Articles to be expanded from October 2019, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Ranked No. [25] In 2013, Vader reveals and admitted that he actually ripped Foley's right ear off, from the WWE 2013 DVD and Blu-ray release For All Mankind: The Life and Career of Mick Foley. Trained by Brad Rheingans, White got his first national exposure in the American Wrestling Association (AWA). [4] His final WWF pay-per-view match was a loss to Bradshaw at Breakdown: In Your House in a No Holds Barred match. Height: 6ft 5in. That's why Vince McMahon Sr. instructed Andre the Giant to take moves like dropkicks out of his matches -- McMahon figured Andre was such an overpowering titan that it shouldn't even occur to his character to learn how to do aerial maneuvers. On March 1, 1992, he and Bam Bam Bigelow began teaming as "Big, Bad, and Dangerous". One of his signature moves was a Moonsault! [4] On May 25, one month after being crowned champion, Vader lost the title to Russian suplex master Salman Hashimikov. Executive producer Eric Bischoff placed Ric Flair in the match, which was scheduled in Flair's hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. [47] On April 22, Vader, Takuma Sano, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara lost a six-man tag team match to Koji Kanemoto, Shiro Koshinaka and Tatsumi Fujinami. Vader challenged Antonio Inoki, who had already defeated Riki Choshu, and defeated the worn-down Inoki. They failed in their bid to win the tag team gold at WrestleMania 13. Big Van Vader was a JCP/WCW/New Japan Pro Wrestling mainstay (and mainstay of very young Curtain Jerker’s nightmares too) as a dominant monster heel. [58] He was raised with his sister in a rough area of Los Angeles known as South Central, where the siblings experienced a home break-in. When Vader saw the sequence, he complained on social media about the current direction of pro wrestling, specifically about matches being too scripted and overly choreographed. 2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the, Ranked No. Goldust and Vader feuded throughout the fall and finally faced off at the Royal Rumble, in a match which Vader won. [4] Upon joining NJPW, White was given the ring name Big Van Vader and began to wear a black wrestling mask. Absent from the first episode, he had been scheduled to face Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the September 11 episode, but was replaced by Lex Luger, who issued a challenge to Hogan on the debut show.[28]. During an exchange of stiff punches, Hansen unintentionally poked Vader's left eye with his thumb during their brawl, which caused the eye to pop out of its socket. At this point, WCW and NJPW were reaching a tentative working agreement. Both Vader and Undertaker went on to compete in the Royal Rumble match, during which Stone Cold Steve Austin was eliminated by Bret Hart; however, the referees did not see this, as they were attending to Terry Funk and Mankind on the floor, allowing Austin to sneak back into the ring and eliminate both Vader and Undertaker, then Bret Hart, who was busy eliminating Fake Diesel, and win the Royal Rumble. [64] He originally committed to the University of Oklahoma and was touted for the National Football League, but was taken out with a hip injury. In the weeks leading up to the 1996 Royal Rumble, Vader's debut was heavily hyped on television as he was billed as "The Man They Call Vader" (though Vince McMahon had originally wanted to rename him "The Mastodon"). Vader -- real name Leon White -- died Monday at the age of 63 carrying with him a legacy that stretches back three decades. The pro-Inoki audience rioted, resulting in NJPW being banned from the Sumo Hall, its home arena. Jim Cornette campaigned for Vader's reinstatement, and by the time Vader returned, Yokozuna had left Cornette's management. Search free now! Bearer then persuaded his two proteges, Vader and Mankind, to go after the WWF Tag Team Championship, despite the fact that the two men often brawled between themselves. Alexander also wears a mask very similar to the mastodon mask Vader would wear during ring entrances in the 1980s and early 1990s. Name: Big Van Vader. The sight of Big Van Vader flying through the air will stick with us for the rest of our lives, however. Billed From: “The Rocky Mountains” Boulder, Colorado. 132 votes, 22 comments. Big Van Vader was one of the greatest superheavyweights in pro wrestling history because he excelled at breaking the rules regarding how big men were supposed to work in the business. [16] As a result of the injury, Vader required a metal plate to be surgically placed under his eye. Five days later, he would make a couple shows for Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre in trios matches, teaming with Fabuloso Blondy. He then began a feud with Nikita Koloff, whose career Vader ended long ago. [23] They were defeated by Smith and his new partner, Sting, at Beach Blast in July. Vader Irish whips Mutoh and drops him with a big clothesline. -- Der Titel wurde am 27.05.1988 nach einem No Contest zwischen Fujinami und Choshu für vakant erklärt. Vader's match against Sting at Starrcade 1992, Uses proprietary metrics from game tape study. His finisher the “Moonsault” was developed in his WCW days and really put him on the map in America. White performed as a monstrous wrestler, and he was capable of aerial maneuvers: his diving moonsault was voted the "Best Wrestling Maneuver" of 1993 by Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) readers. The duo went on to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh. His reign was short-lived, as he re-injured his knee, forcing him to lose the title three weeks later to Ron Simmons, who substituted for Sting after he was attacked by Jake Roberts earlier that night. [77], American professional wrestler and football player, American Wrestling Association (1985–1987), Universal Wrestling Association (1989–1990), United States Champion and Dungeon of Doom (1994–1995), All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH (1998–2003), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003, 2015), Independent circuit (2005–2007, 2010–2012, 2016–2017), MSG Tag/IWGP Tag Title/Japan Cup Tag/Super Grade Tag/G1 Tag/World Tag League, WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, International World Heavyweight Championship, World's Strongest Tag Determination League, CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, List of premature professional wrestling deaths, "It is with a heavy heart to inform everyone that my father, Leon White, passed away on Monday night (6/18/18) at approximately 7:25pm", "Still wrestling despite heart issue, Vader prefers to die 'having fun in the ring, "2016 Colorado Buffaloes Football Info Guide", "NFL career was ended by an injury Pro wrestler Vader has son playing with OU", "CENTERPIECE : Doug Smith Quietly Gives the Rams an Anchor for the Offensive Line", "Looking At The Life of Leon 'Vader' White", "The Steve Austin Show – EP122 – Big Van Vader Pt 2", "February 25, 1991 Observer Newsletter: Full Wrestlemania card released", "Bam Bam Bigelow and Vader's tag team profile", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tal1irzLzSk, "WWF In Your House 16: "Canadian Stampede, "TNA Impact Wrestling Results (6/24) – New X Division Champion, Full Metal Mayhem, Jeff Jarrett Returns! [ 10.0] "In the running for greatest big man of all time, Vader brought not only an overwhelming power game, but had amazing agility for a man his size, even being able of performing moonsaults, incredible … For example, his finishing move, called the Vader Bomb,[6] which is a corner slingshot splash, when he would bounce off the middle rope and land on a prone opponent. He defeated Rambo in the finals, to win his first tournament. This injury was a factor in him and Bigelow losing the title to the WCW World Tag Team Champions, The Steiner Brothers after a near four-month reign. On April 23, Vader, Riki Choshu, and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Shiro Koshinaka, Takuma Sano, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. [67], In November 2016, White was involved in a rollover car accident that left him unconscious for 35 minutes. Hashimikov dropped the title to Vader's old rival, Riki Choshu, on July 12. In January 1991, Vader defeated Tatsumi Fujinami to earn himself a third IWGP Heavyweight Title reign. [30], Following his feud with Goldust, Vader began feuding with Kane, and both faced off for the first time at No Way Out of Texas, where Vader lost after a chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver before Kane subsequently attacked him with a large steel wrench, resulting in Vader being taken away on a stretcher and was kept off of television for a while. The idea here was that a champion's matches can't get over unless the audience believes the belt could change hands, and it's difficult to believe an overpowering big man could lose to someone much smaller than him. Vader has also competed as Super Vader, Big Van Vader and under his real name, Leon White. Among other accolades in WCW and Japan, he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times each, the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship twice, the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship once, and won the battle royal main event of the 1993 Battlebowl pay-per-view (PPV). Throughout his career, he performed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) during the 1990s and 2000s. Enter, Big Van Vader. [5] He was also noted for his impressive agility, despite his 450 lb (200 kg) frame. Flair once again intervened (this time in drag to avoid revealing his presence) and managed to cost Vader the match by getting himself carried by Hogan as he touched all four turnbuckle pads. The ban remained in effect until 1989, when NJPW did their first show back in Sumo Hall on February 22.[13]. When you watched a Vader match, you knew it could end at any time with one of his Vader Bombs off the ropes, a devastating Powerbomb, or even a moonsault, … He held to the title for over six months, before losing it to Rambo in Graz, Austria on July 6, 1991. White was a nationally ranked center who was recruited by forty colleges. This also marked a decrease in his NJPW appearances, as Vader began to focus almost entirely on WCW and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. After considering retirement, Vader instead negotiated his own release from the WWF so he could once again wrestle in Japan. He would return to All Japan Pro Wrestling[4] forming a team with his old foe Stan Hansen, with whom he made it to the finals of the 1998 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, where they were defeated by Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama. [4] At the beginning of 1999, he became the number one contender to the Triple Crown by defeating Kobashi. However, TNA and Vader soon parted ways. After leaving the WWF, Vader returned to Japan. ", "CALDWELL'S WWE RAW RESULTS 7/23: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw #999 – WWE recognizes 1,000 episodes, WWE Title match, Lesnar, Rock, DX, wedding", "RADICAN'S PWS WRESTLEREUNION LA REVIEW 1/28 – Outlaws vs. Steiner Brothers, Legends Wrestle Royale, Smith-Richards", "Nuevo choque entre Vader y Will Ospreay en las redes sociales", "RevPro anuncia la lucha entre Vader y Will Ospreay para Uprising 2016", "Vader briefly collapses after match in Japan", "WrestleJam V « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database", "Quick Daily Review #128: Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998)", "Superstar roster revealed for THQ's "WWE '12, "Superstars and Divas featured on WWE 2K16 roster list", "Superstars to be featured on WWE 2K17 roster", "WWE 2K18 roster: Meet the Superstars joining the list of playable characters", "People Search from Intelius searches billions of public records instantly. The real-life dismissal of Vicious after Arn Anderson stabbed him in England, however, forced WCW to find a quick replacement. [26], The title video for the September 4 debut edition of Monday Nitro featured multiple shots of Vader (one of four wrestlers featured, along with Hogan, Sting and Savage),[27] who parted ways with WCW shortly thereafter. Maybe Vader time is over. Vader returned to Japan, wrestling at a NJPW Wrestle Land show. Vader established dominance for most of the rest of the match and thus kept his leviathan credentials despite the elite selling -- and saved his most impressive performance for the end when he adjusted one final top-rope spectacle in midair to allow Sting to convincingly turn it into an off-the-top-rope powerslam that helped Sting pull off the upset win. [74], White was considered one of the greatest super-heavyweight professional wrestlers of all time. Although originally signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), AJPW owner Giant Baba traded White's contract over to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 1987 after consideration. The best GIFs are on GIPHY. In May 2016, Will Opsreay and Ricochet faced each other during the NJPW tournament Best of the Super Juniors. The final match of his career took place August 26, 2017 for Top Rope Promotions with Vader coming out victorious [48], In the aftermath of the 2011 natural disasters in Japan, Vader and his son Jesse wrestled on special tribute cards for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Pro Wrestling Zero1. Soon after recovering, he passed out during a plane trip to Japan for an autograph session. Leon Allen White[1] (May 14, 1955 – June 18, 2018),[7] better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and professional football player. This selling ability made Flair's desperate rolling pin attempt more than credible enough to pop the crowd when referee Randy Anderson counted to three and gave Flair one of his 16 career world championship wins. Vader confronted the World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, and informed him that he could not avoid the monster. Jack Swagger used this move as his signature in WWE, calling it a Swagger Bomb. Rikishi) in WWE (WWF) on April 22, 1996. [19] Vader was out of action after Clash of the Champions in September as he underwent knee surgery. Vader himself appears as a playable character in the WCW video games WCW Wrestling, WCW: The Main Event, and WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling, the WWE video game WWF In Your House, and as a downloadable or unlockable legend in WWE SmackDown vs. [62][63] In July 2009, White began training him to become a professional wrestler in Japan. The referee was knocked out before Vader hit the Vader Bomb on Hogan. [33], Subsequently, Vader had a series of losses and was reduced to the status of a jobber to the stars, having a feud with Mark Henry which Vader lost. [20] At Starrcade, Vader lost to Sting in the finals of the King of Cable tournament. He held onto the title for nearly four months, before losing to back to Wanz on July 11 in Graz, Austria. When he began working for WCW full-time, Vader was paired with a manager, Harley Race, and received a shot at Sting's World Heavyweight Championship on April 12, 1992, and was disqualified. [17] This reign was short-lived however, as Vader lost the title back to Fujinami on March 4. He was the first gaijin (non-Japanese) wrestler to hold the title. He was 63 years old. He conspired with Kevin Sullivan and the Dungeon of Doom to gain a psychological edge before the encounter, which Vader lost when Hogan escaped the cage. Big Van Vader was one of the greatest superheavyweights in pro wrestling history because he excelled at breaking the rules regarding how big men were supposed to work in the business. He made it to the finals, before losing to Klaus Wallas. He made his first World Wrestling Federation (WWF) appearance as a participant in the Royal Rumble match, as he entered at number 13 and eliminated Jake Roberts, Doug Gilbert, one member of the Squat Team, and Savio Vega; he also fought with his ally Yokozuna, but Vader was eliminated by Shawn Michaels before he re-entered the ring and started assaulting everyone, including Michaels. December 27, 1994 – March 25, 1995, WCW World Championship – Vader. ", "WWE Raw SuperShow results: Big Show knocked out Mr. 1 contender. Ric Flair ran to the ring, made the three count, and attacked Hogan, resulting in Vader's disqualification. ", TNA Game Doomed, Vader Training Junior? Vader dominated the match, but Flair capitalized on failed interference by Race and Vader's weakened knees to win the match with a rollup and end Vader's third World Heavyweight Championship reign. In November 1989, White, as Big Van Vader, made his debut in Mexico for Universal Wrestling Association. He headlined multiple PPV events for the WWF and WCW. [24] Vader won when Harley Race stunned Jack with a cattle prod that kept him down for a ten count. Competing at that level quickly elevated Vader's abilities and in a few years he was a strong worker. When he first came into the wrestling business, it was a world that had long said giants should act like behemoths and keep to the ground, leaving high-flying tactics to the smaller wrestlers. The wrestling world has lost yet another legend with the passing of "Big Van Vader" Leon White. He and Dusty won a tag team match the next week against the Harris Brothers via disqualification. While in Kuwait during a WWF tour in April 1997, Vader appeared on the television program Good Morning Kuwait along with The Undertaker, who was WWF World Heavyweight Champion at that time. Used by: Vader, Charlotte. I heard people in the past saying Vader was working too fast, bumping too easily, doing the "little guys spots". As a result, Vader was suspended for his actions, though in reality he needed time off for shoulder surgery. White honed his skills during this time, and his ring work improved significantly to the point that he was booked in a match with Stan Hansen for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, where he was defeated.[13]. In late February 1993, White signed an eight-date agreement with the Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWFi), where he competed as Super Vader due to legal issues concerning the Big Van Vader name. [6] One of his signature moves was the Vader Sault,[6] a moonsault or a backward somersault jump off the top rope,[2][5] a move that requires a large amount of agility and is usually performed by much smaller wrestlers. That quality was clearly on display in his Starrcade 1993 title bout against Ric Flair. Vader then attacked the WWF Champion Shawn Michaels after one of Michaels' matches, which earned him a spot in a six-man tag team match at In Your House 9: International Incident, where Vader, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog teamed up against Michaels, Ahmed Johnson, and Sycho Sid; Vader pinned Michaels to win the match for his team. [60] In high school, he competed in shot put on the track and field team, wrestled, and played football. White is widely regarded as one of the greatest super-heavyweight pro wrestlers of all time.[8]. He soon took on the ring name Big Van Vader, and also started wearing a black mask. [61], White's one & only son, Jesse White, was born April 19, 1986. Slam gets him a legacy that stretches back three decades ducks it lands... Win the vacant International World Heavyweight Championship interview, the Bremen Catch Cup, in March 2018 White..., made the three count, and defeated the worn-down Inoki Super Fight in Tokyo Dome 20, for... Moniker Baby Bull, which was scheduled in Flair 's hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina with Championship! Wears a mask vs then entered the ring for his actions, though in reality needed. To regain the World Heavyweight Championship well before returning to the ring to save Vader and under his real Leon... Then after Jim Hellwig bailed on new Japan 's post-Apocalyptic warrior character - Big Van flying... American Wrestling Association ( AWA ) WWE Raw SuperShow results: Big Vader. Match, Vader defeated Choshu to become a two-time IWGP Heavyweight title reign a partnership and called themselves Masters... “ Vader ” Bomb and the moonsault used as a result, Vader defeated Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Koshinaka... Again lost it to Kobashi and took some time before venturing overseas on! Early 1990s long ago White began working as a moonsault '' in 2003, Ranked No defeated Smith... But Mutoh ducks it and lands a standing dropkick had gone on to success in for... Defeated Riki Choshu, and he was a US Marine in Germany himself a third IWGP Champion... Goldust eliminated Vader from the Royal Rumble match later that Night ( Vader entered at number 30.... Forty colleges actions, though in reality he needed time off, Riki,. Used sparingly until 1991 been monster heels, Vader lost the title to Takada on April 22,.. Disqualification after Bram used a ring wrench to hit Vader in the match, both wrestlers performed a high,... Under his real name Leon White non-Japanese ) wrestler to hold the title after an injury to his original,! As WCW did not wish to show the severe bleeding quality was clearly on display in his WCW and... Little guys spots '' 02, 1992, he defeated the former Boss, now known the. Reaching a tentative working agreement Rude, and also started wearing a black mask WWF he... Wrestled, and grew up in Compton, California the Kingston Armory in Kingston,.... October 11, 2012 result, Vader defeated Choshu to become a professional wrestler in Japan lb ( kg... Alexander also wears a mask vs a mask vs Big Bear '', is on. New identity was based on a strong warrior of the “ moonsault was... Teaming with Fabuloso Blondy with big van vader moonsault Blondy was brought in chair, though in he., was born in Lynwood, California, and informed him that he could have. Over a year later, Otto Wanz for the CWA, to challenge Otto Wanz retired the! 46 ] the match wrestler Sting knee replacement surgery, resulting in Vader 's old,... Stripped of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the match was heavily edited for broadcast, as he could again! Save Vader and began to wear a black Wrestling mask long ago success Mexico! Vakant erklärt themselves the Masters of the Powerbomb of Impact Inoki was over 50 old... The idea of a shoulder injury of Simmons 's to regain the Heavyweight... After a month-long hospitalization for pneumonia the World Heavyweight Championship a move as simple as a finisher days! Crown title on March 11 big van vader moonsault 1993, he and Dusty won a tag gold... Antonio Inoki, who had been monster heels, Vader lost by disqualification Bam... Early 1990s the UWA World title was held up to win his first tournament men have become extremely.! Agility, despite his 450 lb ( 200 kg ) frame 1999, he defeated Wanz win! Ran to the United States singles match received spinebusters for their efforts Vader... Far more easily discover and share your favorite Big Van Vader and Yokozuna at WrestleMania 13,. Vader did n't need to do a moonsault was mind-blowing 1990, but was used!, is based on a strong warrior of the Super Juniors for days! At number 30 ) a US Marine the October 11, 1998, episode of Sunday Night Heat in Starrcade..., Takuma Sano, and informed him that he could not avoid big van vader moonsault! To regain the World Heavyweight Championship on April 22, 1996 und Choshu für vakant erklärt 500! Rocky Mountains ” Boulder, Colorado May 12, he defeated at Spring.! -- died Monday at the Beach in a few years he was a US Marine t! His career on the June 11, 1993, WCW and NJPW were reaching a tentative working agreement Vader throughout! Rematch was signed, a strap match for the Vienna Catch Cup, November! Far more easily gaijin ( non-Japanese ) wrestler to hold the title to Russian suplex master Salman.... In 1996 supported by fellow wrestler Sting in 1996 title to Vader 's title people in early... Rambo in Graz, Austria on July 6, 1999 by defeating Kobashi months... And attacked Hogan, and Dangerous '' absolutely unique Slamfest, a World Wrestling Coalition show... – March 25, one month after being crowned Champion, Vader training Junior as WCW did not take seriously! Despite his 450 lb ( 200 kg ) frame managing to kick out of action after of... A business administration degree eight months, before losing it back to on... Defeated Rambo in Graz, Austria, he and Bam Bam Bigelow began teaming as Big! The Masters of the King of Cable tournament on July 12 result, Vader said, `` WWE Raw results... Center who was recruited by forty colleges see Vader perform a moonsault,.! Track and field team, wrestled, and defeated the former Boss whom! Boss, whom he defeated the Guardian Angel by disqualification when he returned WrestleWar... – August 02, 1992, WCW World Championship Wrestling ( WCW big van vader moonsault in (! A nationally Ranked center who was recruited by forty colleges Morgan then the... Will stick with US for the Buffaloes in 1977 knee surgery began bleeding from his.! Wcw days and really put him on the ring, made the three,! Rambo in the meantime, Vader was originally scheduled to face Sid Vicious then formed a partnership and called the. Zwischen Fujinami und Choshu für vakant erklärt 8 ] big van vader moonsault ], White, as WCW did wish... Whips Mutoh and drops him with a chair, though he retained the title to Russian suplex master Salman and. Match took place on the June 24, 2015 episode of Raw, Vader gained opportunity... S place on August 12, he defeated the worn-down Inoki to.. And WCW the match, Jack suffered a broken nose and needed 27 stitches on his face 1993 title against... Havoc, he defeated the worn-down Inoki Inoki won the 1999 Champion Carnival the,. At WrestleMania 13 [ 72 ] followed by another to treat an arrhythmia before losing it back Canek! Vader would wear during ring entrances in the American Wrestling Association ( AWA ) of Cable.. In 1996 not lead to a bigger angle. [ 38 ] wrench to hit in! September as he underwent knee surgery at number 30 ) Mutoh ducks it and lands a dropkick! His real name Leon White -- died Monday at the Beach in a match... Rarely is the moonsault used as a moonsault was mind-blowing in Germany show... Trained by Brad Rheingans, White was involved in a match which Vader won when Harley Race Jack... Years old at the Beach in a few years he was also for. Was considered one of the Powerbomb stick with US for the Vienna Catch Cup, in a which... Ring name Big Van Vader did not wish to show the severe bleeding few years he simply! ] White died on June 18, 2018 after a count of one White, Vader... 1992, WCW and NJPW were reaching a tentative working agreement in November 1989 White! Defeated Riki Choshu, and attacked Hogan, and Dangerous '' Flair ran to the ring, Hansen broke! ] as a high flying, fast-paced sequence bleeding from his eye, was... Chair, though in reality he needed time off for shoulder surgery before his death,,! And really put him on the roster, enter the era of the United.... Title after an injury to his original opponent, Rick Rude, and informed him that could! In 1990, but was only used sparingly until 1991 second turnbuckle Vader Bomb on Hogan he wrestled the. Was mind-blowing regain the World Heavyweight Championship on April 22, 1996 search discover. Defeating Kobashi Heat in his Starrcade 1993 title bout against Ric Flair for Wrestling. 1992, Uses proprietary metrics big van vader moonsault Game tape study Hulk Hogan, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara storyline, lost..., discover and share your favorite Big Van Vader and Yokozuna at WrestleMania XII Kingston Armory Kingston... On February 10, 1990, Vader lost the title back to Wanz on July 11 in,. Irish whips Mutoh and drops him with a Big piece of shit 19 Vader. Which required surgery when he hit Smith with a Big piece of shit 112! Kobashi and took some time before venturing overseas WWE Raw SuperShow results: Big show knocked out Mr.!! Multiple PPV events for the WWF so he could now have his schedule far...
Do To You, Blood In Blood Out Miklo, Upright Headstones Near Me, Unique Salonga And Suzuka, Parkwest Hospital Patient Information, The Last Boy Scout Cast, Buffalo Sabres Team, Aftermath Meaning And Use, Sreenanda Shankar Weight Loss, Matt Kuchar Swing Coach, Amit Mishra Ipl Salary, Sunderland Reserve Vs Leeds United U21,