One of the most notorious “big men” in professional wrestling during the 1980’s and 1990’s has passed away.
Leon White, better known to worldwide audiences as “Vader” or “Big Van Vader”, died Monday at the age of 63. According to his son Jessie, White died of pneumonia and had also been battling health problems. There were a number of health issues that White, himself, had confirmed over the years. Two years ago, doctors gave him two years to live when it was revealed he was battling congestive heart failure.
Over the course of his 30-plus-year career, White had 45 surgeries, 19 concussions and was in a coma for 33 days in Japan. For decades, he was one of the most recognizable wrestlers in the industry, wearing his trademark red-and-black, thin-strapped mask in addition to his red-and-black wrestling singlet.
Prior to becoming a wrestler, he was an All-American football player and even played for the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, helping the team make the Super Bowl in 1979. He eventually retired due to numerous knee issues.
White debuted in the world of wrestling in Japan during the 1980’s, joining New Japan Pro Wrestling, putting on top-notch matches and becoming an international legend, before joining North American promotions such as the AWA and WCW. In WCW, White shined brightest as his athleticism blended with his big size (6’4” and 375 pounds) en route to becoming one of the best super-heavyweight wrestlers of all-time in the eyes of many. He won the WCW United States Championship once, and three times he won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
In 1996, White left WCW and joined their rival, Vince McMahon’s WWF, as he attempted to build off his previous success across the country (and world). Aligning with Jim Cornette, Vader had notable early feuds with WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. However, he never won a title in the WWF, and by mid-1998, he was out of the WWF and returned to Japan to wrestle.
White continued to wrestle up until 2017, when his various health issues began to finally take their toll.
Overall, White will go down in history and one of the toughest and dedicated wrestlers of the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s. And as his theme song loudly proclaimed, it will always be “Vader time”.
