Dark Side Of The Ring: 4 Things We Learned From 'Big Van Vader'

Before Leon White was Vader, he was a wrestler named Baby Bull. After a rough childhood growing up in Los Angeles, including burglars breaking into his house when he was home alone with his sister, White found an outlet in football. He was actually drafted by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, but injuries ended his career.

He then turned to wrestling, with the first wrestler he ever met being none other than Bruiser Brody. He ended up in Minnesota's AWA as Baby Bull. He immediately got over because of his size and athleticism while learning from one of the best, then AWA Champion Stan Hansen.

Vader Broke Out In New Japan Pro Wrestling

Leon White Beat Antonio Inoki In His First Match

Leon White went to New Japan Pro Wrestling where he became the monster foreign heel named Big Van Vader. Coming out in a badass helmet, he was absolutely terrifying, and in his very first match he beat Antonio Inoki, who hadn't lost in years. Vader's son, Jesse White, said:

"It was probably the most impactful debut in professional wrestling history."

The Japanese fans eventually accepted him and Vader became the first American IWGP Champion. This led to Vader starting a rivalry with his mentor, Stan Hansen. The two men main-evented a show in the Tokyo Dome, but during it, a stiff shot from Hansen led to one of Vader's eyeballs popping out. As proof of just how strong he was, Vader popped his eye back into his skull and continued the match.

Vader Was A World Champion In WCW

Leon White Was Fired After A Backstage Fight With Paul Orndorff

In Dark Side of the Ring, Jim Ross said:

"When I was in WCW, someone sent me footage of the Stan Hansen match, and that's what gave me the idea to bring him in."

Vader was pushed as an immediate main event heel, feuding with the likes of Ric Flair, Sting, and Mick Foley. Despite being 400 pounds, Vader was so talented that he even did moonsaults from the top rope. Vader became an unstoppable champion, with his popularity growing to the extent that he had cameos in Boy Meets World and Baywatch.

As good as he was though, he was never home, and he was obsessed with being a star. Leon White was unable to shut off the Vader character, and his ex-wife, Debra White, spoke about the abuse and controlling nature she had to endure. She said:

"We lost Leon, and we just had the character."

Things started to change for Vader. He became unsafe in the ring and even broke the back of a wrestler named Joey Thurmond, ending his career. Leon White was to blame, but he also felt horrible, crying over his actions. Things only got worse when Hulk Hogan came to WCW. The two didn't click due to Hogan needing to get his way. His spot started to fall down the card, and then Vader made the unwise choice to get into an argument with Paul Orndorff backstage. Dark Side of the Ring said the former Mr. Wonderful beat up Leon White, leading to Vader being fired.

Vader Struggled In WWE

Leon White Was In Bad Health In His Later Years

Vader was out of WCW, but with Jim Ross now in charge of Talent Relations in WWE, he brought him into Vince McMahon's promotion. He debuted at the Royal Rumble and later attacked Gorilla Monsoon. He could have been a monster heel in WWE, but Vince McMahon didn't know who Vader was. He wanted to call him the Mastadon. Vader was also struggling in the ring due to injuries and weight issues. He and Yokozuna were sent to a weight-loss center at Duke University, but both actually gained weight because they were sneaking in food. Jim Ross said:

"You're gonna eat yourself out of a job, man. Act like an adult."

Vader had a rivalry with then WWE Champion Shawn Michaels, but their feud was horrible because of how much Michaels disliked White over his stiff shots. On top of that, HBK and others complained about how badly Vader smelled because he never washed his gear. To make matters worse, Vader attacked a reporter on live TV in Kuwait when the host questioned whether wrestling was real. It became an international incident, with Vader kept in Kuwait for weeks. Vader's status in WWE fell over it and, due to the combination of everything, he was eventually released.

Leon White struggled during the last years of his life, as he battled with painkiller addiction, the end of his marriage, and recurring health problems. In late 2016, Leon White was given two years to live after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The diagnosis turned out to be sadly correct. Whie passed away on June 18, 2018 at the age of 63. Jesse White said:

"He lived a short life, he lived a full life, he got to experience some things most people can't even fathom. Unfortunately, he was just 63 years old and too young."

In a 2017 interview clip, Leon White asked that no one feel sorry for him because he'd lived a great life. He lived a great wrestling career too.