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{{Infobox wrestler |
{{Infobox wrestler |
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| − | |name= Vader |
+ | |name = Big Van Vader |
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| − | |image= Vader. |
+ | |image = Vader.jpg |
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| + | |caption = |
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| + | |alma_mater = University of Colorado |
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| − | |height= 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
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| + | |names = Big Van Vader<br>Super Vader<br>Vader |
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| − | |weight= 450 lb (200 kg) |
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| + | |height = {{height|ft=6|in=5}} |
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| − | |status= Freelancer |
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| + | |weight = {{convert|452|lb|kg|abbr=on}} |
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| + | |birth_date = {{birth date|1955|5|14}} |
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| + | |resides = Boulder, Colorado, United States |
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| − | |other= Baby Bull<br />Big Van Vader<br />Bull Power<br />Leon White<br />Super Vader<br /> |
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| − | }} |
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| + | |retired= |
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| + | |spouse = {{marriage|Grace Connelly|1979|2007|end=div}} |
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| + | |children = 2; including Jake Carter |
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| + | |death_date = {{death date and age|2018|6|18|1955|5|14}}|death_place = Colorado, U.S.|death_cause = Heart problems and pneumonia}} |
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| − | '''Leon Allen White''', ( |
+ | '''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. White spent the majority of his career with promotions World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]] (NJPW), and [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]] (AJPW) in the 1990s. |
| − | A super heavyweight wrestler capable of aerial maneuvers such as the moonsault (voted by ''Wrestling Observer'' readers as the "Best Wrestling Maneuver" for 1993), White competed as both a face and a heel. Among other accolades in WCW and Japan, he won the [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship]] (the first non-Japanese holder) and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times each |
+ | A super heavyweight wrestler capable of aerial maneuvers such as the moonsault (voted by ''Wrestling Observer'' readers as the "Best Wrestling Maneuver" for 1993), White competed as both a face and a heel. Among other accolades in WCW and Japan, he won the [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship]] (the first non-Japanese holder) and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times each, and a former [[GHC Tag Team Championship]] once. |
== Professional wrestling career == |
== Professional wrestling career == |
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| − | |||
| − | === American Wrestling Association (1985–1987) === |
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| − | While working out at a gym, White was spotted by a man who remembered him from his college football days who suggested he look into professional wrestling. Trained by Brad Rheingans, White got his first national exposure in the American Wrestling Association (AWA). He went by the moniker Baby Bull, which was later changed to Bull Power. White honed his skills during this time, and his ring work improved significantly to the point that he was granted a title match against Stan Hansen for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, which he was unable to win. |
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=== New Japan Pro Wrestling (1987–1992) === |
=== New Japan Pro Wrestling (1987–1992) === |
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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. Upon joining NJPW, White was given the ring name Big Van Vader and began to wear a black wrestling mask. His new identity was based on a strong warrior of the same name from Japanese folklore. He was introduced as the crown jewel of the Takeshi Puroresu Gundan stable that was managed by [[Takeshi Kitano]]. After a match where [[Riki Choshu]] had challenged [[Antonio Inoki]] in a losing effort, Vader demanded a match with the already worn down Inoki, and was victorious. This led the pro-Inoki audience to riot, resulting in NJPW being banned from the Sumo Hall, which was its home arena; the ban was rescinded in 1989, when NJPW did their first show back in Sumo Hall on February 22. |
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. Upon joining NJPW, White was given the ring name Big Van Vader and began to wear a black wrestling mask. His new identity was based on a strong warrior of the same name from Japanese folklore. He was introduced as the crown jewel of the Takeshi Puroresu Gundan stable that was managed by [[Takeshi Kitano]]. After a match where [[Riki Choshu]] had challenged [[Antonio Inoki]] in a losing effort, Vader demanded a match with the already worn down Inoki, and was victorious. This led the pro-Inoki audience to riot, resulting in NJPW being banned from the Sumo Hall, which was its home arena; the ban was rescinded in 1989, when NJPW did their first show back in Sumo Hall on February 22. |
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| − | After winning the final match of an eight-man tournament against [[Shinya Hashimoto]], Vader was declared the new [[IWGP Heavyweight Champion]]. He was the first gaijin (non-Japanese) wrestler to hold the title. |
+ | After winning the final match of an eight-man tournament against [[Shinya Hashimoto]], Vader was declared the new [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship|IWGP Heavyweight Champion]]. He was the first gaijin (non-Japanese) wrestler to hold the title. |
On May 25, one month after being crowned champion, Vader lost the title to Russian suplex master [[Salman Hashimikov]]. Hashimikov dropped the title to Vader's old rival, Riki Choshu, on July 12. On August 10, Vader was given an opportunity at Choshu and the title. He defeated Choshu to become a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Shortly after winning the title again, White traveled to Europe, again using the name Bull Power, to face Otto Wanz for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship. He won the match and, as a result, held the Heavyweight Championship in two separate organizations at the same time. He continued to travel between Japan and Europe, defending his titles. In November 1989, Vader traveled to Mexico to defeat El Canek in the Universal Wrestling Association for the UWA World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first and only man to hold three world heavyweight titles in three continents simultaneously. He lost the UWA championship back to Canek on December 12, 1990. |
On May 25, one month after being crowned champion, Vader lost the title to Russian suplex master [[Salman Hashimikov]]. Hashimikov dropped the title to Vader's old rival, Riki Choshu, on July 12. On August 10, Vader was given an opportunity at Choshu and the title. He defeated Choshu to become a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Shortly after winning the title again, White traveled to Europe, again using the name Bull Power, to face Otto Wanz for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship. He won the match and, as a result, held the Heavyweight Championship in two separate organizations at the same time. He continued to travel between Japan and Europe, defending his titles. In November 1989, Vader traveled to Mexico to defeat El Canek in the Universal Wrestling Association for the UWA World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first and only man to hold three world heavyweight titles in three continents simultaneously. He lost the UWA championship back to Canek on December 12, 1990. |
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In February 1990, Vader faced [[Stan Hansen]] at an AJPW versus NJPW supercard show. Before Vader entered the ring, Hansen accidentally broke Vader's nose with the bullrope Hansen carried to the ring for his matches. During an exchange of stiff punches, Hansen unintentionally poked Vader's right eye with his thumb during their brawl, which caused the eye to pop out of its socket. After removing his mask, pushing the eye back into its socket and holding it in place with his eyelid, Vader continued wrestling Hansen until the match was rendered a no contest. As a result of the injury, Vader required a metal plate to be surgically placed under his eye. Vader's success garnered the attention of World Championship Wrestling, who convinced him to work for them while still the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and an active competitor in NJPW. |
In February 1990, Vader faced [[Stan Hansen]] at an AJPW versus NJPW supercard show. Before Vader entered the ring, Hansen accidentally broke Vader's nose with the bullrope Hansen carried to the ring for his matches. During an exchange of stiff punches, Hansen unintentionally poked Vader's right eye with his thumb during their brawl, which caused the eye to pop out of its socket. After removing his mask, pushing the eye back into its socket and holding it in place with his eyelid, Vader continued wrestling Hansen until the match was rendered a no contest. As a result of the injury, Vader required a metal plate to be surgically placed under his eye. Vader's success garnered the attention of World Championship Wrestling, who convinced him to work for them while still the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and an active competitor in NJPW. |
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| − | Vader's first match in WCW took place on July 7, 1990 at The Great American Bash, where he defeated |
+ | Vader's first match in WCW took place on July 7, 1990 at The Great American Bash, where he defeated Tom Zenk in a little over two minutes. Around this time, Vader began a feud with Stan Hansen in [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]]. Two weeks later, Vader went to Europe and defeated Rambo in a tournament final to reclaim the vacant CWA World Heavyweight Championship and become a three-time CWA World Heavyweight Champion in the process. In January 1991, Vader defeated Tatsumi Fujinami to earn himself a third IWGP Heavyweight Title reign. This reign was short-lived however, as Vader lost the title back to Fujinami on March 4. Rambo ended Vader's CWA World Heavyweight Championship reign on July 6, 1991. Vader went on to defeat Fujinami for the CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship but, upon his signing of a WCW contract in 1992, the title was declared vacant. At this point, WCW and NJPW were reaching a tentative working agreement. This benefited Vader, as he could now have his schedule coordinated far more easily. 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. |
| − | On March 1, 1992, he and [[Bam Bam Bigelow]] began teaming and won the [[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] from [[Hiroshi Hase]] and [[Keiji Mutoh]]. In May, Vader faced Mutoh, now known as The Great Muta, one on one and suffered a legitimate knee injury. This injury was a factor in he and Bigelow losing the title to WCW World Tag Team Champions, [[The Steiner Brothers]], after a near four-month reign. This also marked a decrease in his NJPW appearances, as Vader began to focus almost entirely on WCW and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. |
+ | On March 1, 1992, he and [[Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow|Bam Bam Bigelow]] began teaming and won the [[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] from [[Hiroshi Hase]] and [[Keiji Mutoh]]. In May, Vader faced Mutoh, now known as The Great Muta, one on one and suffered a legitimate knee injury. This injury was a factor in he and Bigelow losing the title to WCW World Tag Team Champions, [[The Steiner Brothers]], after a near four-month reign. This also marked a decrease in his NJPW appearances, as Vader began to focus almost entirely on WCW and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. |
| − | === |
+ | === Union of Wrestling Force International (1993-1995) === |
| ⚫ | In late February 1993, White signed an eight-date agreement with the Union of Wrestling Force International (UWFi), where he competed as Super Vader due to legal issues concerning the Big Van Vader name. By September 1993, he was simply known as Vader in the United States. He worked with UWFi for over two years. His greatest triumph under there was a victory in the Best of the World Tournament, which started April 3 and ended August 18, 1994. Vader first defeated Salman Hashimikov and then Masahito Kakihara in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Vader defeated Kiyoshi Tamura and beat Nobuhiko Takada in the finals to win the tournament and the UWFi World Title. He later left the promotion after a financial dispute. He later returned to WCW. |
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| − | Vader was originally signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1990, but was only used sparingly until 1992. 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. Sting suffered a pair of cracked ribs and a ruptured spleen in the match after taking a Vader Bomb from Vader, though he continued to compete infrequently while recuperating. Vader was placed in a feud with Nikita Koloff shortly afterward while Sting recuperated. Vader finally received a rematch with Sting on July 12 at The Great American Bash, which he won to become the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion. 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. Vader was out of action after Clash of the Champions in September as he underwent knee surgery. |
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| − | Upon his return at Halloween Havoc, Vader sent Nikita Koloff into retirement and legitimately broke the back of jobber Joe Thurman, paralyzing him for a few hours. At Starrcade, Vader lost to Sting in the finals of the King of Cable tournament. Two days later, Vader defeated Simmons by taking advantage of a shoulder injury of Simmons's to regain the World Heavyweight Championship. On March 11, 1993, Vader lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to Sting in London, England. Six days later, he regained the title in a rematch in Dublin, Ireland. In subsequent weeks, Vader successfully defended the title against Davey Boy Smith, Sting, and Dustin Rhodes. |
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| ⚫ | In late February 1993, White signed an eight-date agreement with the Union of Wrestling Force International (UWFi), where he competed as Super Vader due to legal issues concerning the Big Van Vader name. By September 1993, he was simply known as Vader in the United States. He worked with UWFi for over two years. His greatest triumph under there was a victory in the Best of the World Tournament, which started April 3 and ended August 18, 1994. Vader first defeated Salman Hashimikov and then Masahito Kakihara in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Vader defeated Kiyoshi Tamura |
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| − | Upon returning to WCW, Cactus Jack defeated Vader via countout on the April 17 episode of Saturday Night. During the match, Jack suffered a broken nose and needed 27 stitches for wounds on his face. The match was heavily edited for broadcast, as WCW did not wish to show the severe bleeding. In a rematch on April 24, Vader powerbombed Jack onto the concrete floor outside the ring, resulting in Jack suffering a concussion and temporary loss of feeling in his left hand and leg. Believing he had sent Jack into retirement, Jack later appeared in a series of skits involving his powerbomb-inflicted amnesia and a search for his past. In the meantime, Vader began to feud with a new arrival to WCW, Davey Boy Smith. They met at Slamboree in May for the World Heavyweight Title. Vader lost by disqualification when he hit Smith with a chair, though he retained the title. Vader and Sid Vicious then formed a partnership and called themselves The Masters of the Powerbomb. They faced off with Smith and his new partner, Sting, at Beach Blast in July, where they lost to Smith and Sting. 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. Jack stood up to a series of devastating moves near the end of the match, though Vader won when Harley Race stunned Jack with a cattle prod that kept him down for a ten count. On March 16, 1994, Foley lost his right ear in a match with Vader in Munich, Germany; Foley's head became trapped in the ropes, which were under excessive tension, causing his ear to be torn off. |
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| − | Vader was originally scheduled to face Sid Vicious at Starrcade. The real-life dismissal of Vicious after Arn Anderson stabbed him in England, however, forced WCW to find a quick replacement. Executive producer Eric Bischoff placed Ric Flair in the match, which was scheduled in Flair's hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. In the storyline, Vader did not take Flair seriously until he agreed to put his career on the line against Vader's title. 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. Vader continued to feud with Flair until SuperBrawl IV, when Flair once again defeated Vader, this time in a "Thundercage" match. |
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| − | Vader then feuded with The Boss, defeating him at Spring Stampede. He also faced Sting at Slamboree for the vacant International World Heavyweight Championship. Sting requested the match rather than be awarded the title after an injury to his original opponent, Rick Rude, and defeated Vader. At Clash of the Champions XXIX, Vader defeated Dustin Rhodes and earned the opportunity to face the United States Heavyweight Champion Jim Duggan. In the Starrcade title match, Vader defeated Duggan with the aid of Duggan's 2x4 to win the United States Heavyweight Title. |
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| − | In January 1995, Vader had to end his alliance with Harley Race, because in real life, Race was involved in an automobile crash and Race left WCW. Vader confronted the World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, and informed him that he could not avoid the monster. The two met at SuperBrawl V, with Vader managing to kick out of Hogan's leg drop after a count of one. The referee was knocked out before Vader hit the Vader Bomb on Hogan. Ric Flair ran to the ring, made the three count, and attacked Hogan, resulting in Vader's disqualification. A rematch was signed, a strap match for the inaugural Uncensored pay-per-view. 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. Vader was stripped of the United States Heavyweight Championship on April 23, 1995 for multiple violent offenses. However, Vader gained another opportunity to win the World Heavyweight Title from Hogan at Bash at the Beach in a Steel Cage match. 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. He then restarted his feud with Flair, based on his frustration at Flair's constant interference in his title matches and Flair's annoyance at his inability to defeat Hogan. At Clash of the Champions XXXI, Vader defeated Flair and Arn Anderson in a 2-on-1 handicap match. 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 complied but the storyline never developed as, shortly after, Vader was fired from WCW after he was involved in a locker room brawl with Paul Orndorff. |
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| − | The title video for the September 4 debut edition of WCW Monday Nitro featured multiple shots of Vader (one of four wrestlers featured, along with Hogan, Sting and Savage), who parted ways with WCW shortly thereafter. Absent from the first episode, he had been scheduled to face Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the September 11 edition, but was replaced by Lex Luger, who issued a challenge to Hogan on the debut show. Vader would never perform on Nitro. |
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=== Return to NJPW (1996) === |
=== Return to NJPW (1996) === |
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| − | At [[Wrestling World 1996|Wrestling World]] on January 4, Vader had his first post-WCW match, facing the man whose four-year winning streak Vader had ended over eight years ago, Antonio Inoki. Inoki was over 50 years old at the time, but the match lasted nearly fourteen minutes before Inoki won the match. |
+ | At [[January 4 Tokyo Dome Show#Wrestling World 1996|Wrestling World]] on January 4, Vader had his first post-WCW match, facing the man whose four-year winning streak Vader had ended over eight years ago, Antonio Inoki. Inoki was over 50 years old at the time, but the match lasted nearly fourteen minutes before Inoki won the match. |
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| − | === World Wrestling Federation === |
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| − | ==== Camp Cornette (1996) ==== |
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| − | In the weeks leading up to the 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"). He made his first World Wrestling Federation (WWF) appearance as a participant in the Rumble match. 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. Vader was eliminated by Shawn Michaels before he reentered the ring and started assaulting everyone, including Michaels. Vader defeated Vega on the following Monday Night Raw, before assaulting WWF officials. Eventually, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon demanded that Vader cease his attacks, and received a Vader Bomb for his efforts. As a result, Vader was suspended for his actions, though in reality he needed time off for shoulder surgery. |
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| − | Jim Cornette campaigned for Vader's reinstatement, and by the time Vader returned, Yokozuna had left Cornette's management. At February's In Your House 6, Vader appeared during Yokozuna's match against The British Bulldog. Yokozuna was about to pin The Bulldog, when Vader attacked him, handcuffed him, and delivered a severe beating. This led to what was supposed to be a one-on-one encounter between Vader and Yokozuna at WrestleMania XII. 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. The stipulation was 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. |
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| − | ==== Feud with Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker (1996–1997) ==== |
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| − | Vader then attacked WWF Champion Shawn Michaels after one of Michaels's matches. Vader's attack on Michaels earned him a spot in a six-man tag team match at In Your House 9: International Incident. 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. Vader faced Michaels again at SummerSlam, where Vader won by count-out. Cornette, however, realized that the title could not change hands through a count-out and got the match restarted. This time, Michaels used Cornette's tennis racket and was disqualified. Again, Cornette managed to get the match started over. Finally, Michaels scored a pinfall over Vader. |
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| − | Following his feud with Michaels, Vader faced off against The Undertaker in a singles match at the Royal Rumble. During the match, The Undertaker's former manager, Paul Bearer, attacked him and helped Vader win; Bearer then became Vader's manager. Both Vader and Undertaker went on to compete in the Royal Rumble match, during which 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 Rumble. 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. Vader, after bleeding profusely, was eliminated by The Undertaker. Bearer then persuaded his two proteges, Vader and Mankind, to go after the Tag Team Championship, despite the fact that the two men often brawled between themselves. They failed in their bid to win the tag team gold at WrestleMania 13. |
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| − | ==== Last feuds and departure (1997–1998) ==== |
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| − | Vader again received an opportunity to face The Undertaker (this time for the WWF Championship) at In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede, but lost. On the following night's Raw is War, Vader wrestled The Patriot. The Patriot won the match and then went after Bret Hart, who came to ringside during the match. Vader attacked The Patriot, and then brought him back into the ring, where he went for the Vader Bomb. Hart came into the ring and laid the Canadian flag over The Patriot. Vader got down, picked up the Canadian flag, broke it, and started a brawl with Hart. This turned Vader face and served to bring Vader into the USA vs. Canada feud. At Survivor Series, Vader was the leader of Team USA, with Goldust, Marc Mero, and Steve Blackman (replacing the injured Patriot) as they faced Team Canada, composed of The British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart, Doug Furnas, and Phil LaFon. During the match, Goldust walked out on his team. Team USA lost the match after The Bulldog pinned Vader after hitting him with the ring bell. Goldust and Vader feuded throughout the fall and finally faced off at the Royal Rumble, in a match which Vader won. Goldust eliminated Vader from the Royal Rumble match later that night (Vader entered at number 30). |
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| − | Following his feud with Goldust, Vader began feuding with Kane, and both faced off for the first time at No Way Out of Texas. 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. Two months later, at Unforgiven, Vader returned during Kane's Inferno match against The Undertaker. Kane was attempting to leave the match when Vader appeared and fought him back to the ring to continue the match, which Kane lost. Vader and Kane had a rematch at Over the Edge in a Mask vs. Mask match. Vader attempted to use a wrench on Kane like the one used on him months before, but Kane managed to recover and defeat Vader, costing him his mask in the process. In a post-match interview with Michael Cole, Vader said, "I made the biggest mistake of my life. Maybe Vader time is over. I'm a piece of shit. A big fat piece of shit." |
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| − | 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. After considering retirement, Vader instead negotiated his own release from the WWF so he could once again wrestle in Japan. His final WWF pay-per-view match was a loss to Bradshaw at Breakdown: In Your House in a No Holds Barred match on September 27. He lost to Edge on Sunday Night Heat in his final televised WWF match. His last match in a WWF ring was on October 25 at a Madison Square Garden house show in a Triple Threat Match with Mankind and Ken Shamrock, which Vader lost after he tapped out to Shamrock's ankle lock. In a shoot interview, Jim Cornette said part of the reason that Vader's WWE run was not as successful as what was hoped was due to the failure of properly booking Vader. In the interview, he reveals that Vince McMahon desired to change his name from Vader to 'The Mastodon' |
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=== All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah (1998–2002) === |
=== All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah (1998–2002) === |
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After returning from his hiatus, Vader joined the new Japanese promotion [[Pro Wrestling NOAH]] (NOAH), where he won the [[GHC Tag Team Championship]] with [[2 Cold Scorpio]]. |
After returning from his hiatus, Vader joined the new Japanese promotion [[Pro Wrestling NOAH]] (NOAH), where he won the [[GHC Tag Team Championship]] with [[2 Cold Scorpio]]. |
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| − | ===Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003)=== |
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| − | On February 19, 2003, Vader appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) to defend Dusty Rhodes, who was fighting with The Harris Brothers. He won a tag team match the next week against the Harris Brothers via disqualification. He then began a feud with Nikita Koloff, whose career Vader ended long ago. However, TNA and Vader soon parted ways. |
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| − | ===Return to WWE (2005)=== |
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| − | Vader returned to World Wrestling Entertainment on the October 31, 2005 episode of Raw as a heel, where 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. When Austin decided not to participate, he was replaced by Batista. Vader and Goldust interfered in the match on Coachman's behalf and received spinebusters for their efforts. Batista pinned Coachman with the Batista Bomb to win the match. Vader left the company soon after and returned to compete in Japan. |
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| − | ===Independent circuit and first retirement (2005–2007)=== |
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| − | Vader returned to Japan, wrestling at a Wrestleland show. He also worked in the independent circuit as Big Van Vader, including a tag match against Samoa Joe and Dan Maff in Jersey All Pro Wrestling with Mike Awesome as his tag team partner. On May 12, 2007, Vader faced Brutus Beefcake at Spartan Slamfest, a World Wrestling Coalition charity show for Wyoming Valley West School District. The match was held at the Kingston Armory in Kingston, Pennsylvania. After wrestling his last match in 2007, White began working as a high school football coach. |
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| − | === Return to the independent circuit (2010–present) === |
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| − | On April 29, 2010, White made a one-night return to wrestling under his Vader ring name at the event Vader Time 5 ~ Return of the Emperor ~. At the event, he teamed with his son Jesse and former tag team partner Scorpio to successfully defeat Makoto Hashi, Tamon Honda and Tatsumi Fujinami in the main event. |
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| − | Vader made his in-ring return to the United States on January 28, 2012. He defeated Arik Royal and Adam Page in a handicap match at WrestleReunion: Los Angeles. On May 11, 2012 at Resistance Pro's event A Small Deadly Space, Vader defeated Jay Bradley. On August 12, 2016, following a war of words on Twitter, Vader will make his debut for Revolution Pro Wrestling at Uprising 2016, facing Will Ospreay at York Hall, Bethnal Green, UK. |
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===Return to AJPW (2011–2012)=== |
===Return to AJPW (2011–2012)=== |
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On December 7, 2012, Vader returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Keiji Mutoh and [[KENSO]] to defeat [[Bambi Killer]], Franz Dynamite and Mazada in a six-man tag team match. |
On December 7, 2012, Vader returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Keiji Mutoh and [[KENSO]] to defeat [[Bambi Killer]], Franz Dynamite and Mazada in a six-man tag team match. |
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| − | === |
+ | === Dradition (2017) === |
| + | On April 20, 2017, Vader made an appearance in Japan at Korakuen Hall as part of the [[Dradition]] show to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the debut of [[Tatsumi Fujinami]]. Following a six-man tag team match, Vader fell down to one knee and collapsed. Originally believed his collapse was due to dehydration, Vader posted on Twitter that he was dropped on his head during the match and that is what caused him to briefly pass out. He also said that it had nothing to do with his heart. Vader was able to walk backstage under his own power and he remained in Japan as he was scheduled to work two more shows in Fukuoka and Osaka. On April 22, Vader, Takuma Sano and Yoshiaki Fujiwara lost a six man tag team match to Koji Kanemoto, Shiro Koshinaka and Tatsumi Fujinami and his final match for the tour was on April 23 when Vader, Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Shiro Koshinaka, Takuma Sano and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. |
||
| − | ====Part-time appearances (2012–present)==== |
||
| − | On the June 11, 2012 episode of Raw, Vader made his first WWE appearance in nearly seven years, where he worked as a babyface defeated Heath Slater in a singles match. On July 23 on the 1000th episode of Raw, Vader and several other legends prevented Slater from leaving in his match against Lita, which she won. On April 2, 2016 Vader returned to WWE to induct his former rival and friend Stan Hansen to WWE Hall of Fame. |
||
| − | |||
| − | ===Return to TNA (2015)=== |
||
| − | On June 24, 2015, Vader returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) television on Impact Wrestling for a singles match against Bram on Destination America Television. Vader won the match via disqualification after Bram used a ring wrench to hit Vader in the head. Matt Morgan then entered the ring to save Vader and take out Bram. |
||
== In wrestling == |
== In wrestling == |
||
| Line 124: | Line 77: | ||
** ''Vader Hammer'' (Multiple forearm chops to a cornered opponent's head) |
** ''Vader Hammer'' (Multiple forearm chops to a cornered opponent's head) |
||
** ''Vader Slam'' (Running powerslam) |
** ''Vader Slam'' (Running powerslam) |
||
| − | * '''Managers''' |
||
| − | ** Paul Bearer |
||
| − | ** Jim Cornette |
||
| − | ** Ric Flair |
||
| − | ** Harley Race |
||
| − | * '''Nicknames''' |
||
| − | ** "The Man Called Vader" |
||
| − | ** "Baby Bull" |
||
| − | ** "Bull Power" |
||
| − | ** "The Mastodon" |
||
| − | ** "Emperor Warrior" |
||
* '''Entrance themes''' |
* '''Entrance themes''' |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| − | ** "Born In The U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen (AWA/CWA) |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| − | ** '''"Mastodon"''' by Jim Johnston (WWF/E) |
||
| − | ** "The Imperial March" by John Williams |
||
== Championships and accomplishments == |
== Championships and accomplishments == |
||
* '''[[All Japan Pro Wrestling]]''' |
* '''[[All Japan Pro Wrestling]]''' |
||
** [[Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship]] (2 times) |
** [[Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship]] (2 times) |
||
| − | ** [[World Tag Team Championship |
+ | ** [[World Tag Team Championship |World Tag Team Championship]] (1 time) – with [["Dr. Death" Steve Williams|Steve Williams]] |
** [[Champion Carnival]] (1999) |
** [[Champion Carnival]] (1999) |
||
* '''Catch Wrestling Association''' |
* '''Catch Wrestling Association''' |
||
| Line 153: | Line 92: | ||
* '''[[New Japan Pro Wrestling]]''' |
* '''[[New Japan Pro Wrestling]]''' |
||
** [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship]] (3 times) |
** [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship]] (3 times) |
||
| − | ** [[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] (1 time) – with [[Bam Bam Bigelow]] |
+ | ** [[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] (1 time) – with [[Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow|Bam Bam Bigelow]] |
** [[G1 Tag League|Super Grade Tag League]] (1991) – with [[Tatsumi Fujinami]] |
** [[G1 Tag League|Super Grade Tag League]] (1991) – with [[Tatsumi Fujinami]] |
||
** IWGP Title Tournament (1989) |
** IWGP Title Tournament (1989) |
||
| Line 163: | Line 102: | ||
* '''[[Pro Wrestling NOAH]]''' |
* '''[[Pro Wrestling NOAH]]''' |
||
** [[GHC Tag Team Championship]] (1 time) – with Scorpio |
** [[GHC Tag Team Championship]] (1 time) – with Scorpio |
||
| − | * '''''Tokyo Sports''''' |
+ | * '''''[[Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards|Tokyo Sports]]''''' |
| − | ** Best Tag Team Award (1998) <small>with [[Stan Hansen]]</small> |
+ | ** [[Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards#Best Tag Team Award|Best Tag Team Award]] (1998) <small>with [[Stan Hansen]]</small> |
* '''Universal Wrestling Association''' |
* '''Universal Wrestling Association''' |
||
** UWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) |
** UWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) |
||
| Line 188: | Line 127: | ||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| − | ! |
+ | ! style="background:#e3e3e3; width:20%;" |Winner (wager) |
| − | ! |
+ | ! style="background:#e3e3e3; width:20%;" |Loser (wager) |
| − | ! |
+ | ! style="background:#e3e3e3; width:20%;" |Location |
| − | ! |
+ | ! style="background:#e3e3e3; width:20%;" |Event |
| − | ! |
+ | ! style="background:#e3e3e3; width:15%;" |Date |
| − | ! |
+ | ! style="background:#e3e3e3; width:5%;" |Notes |
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|- style="text-align:center;" |
||
|Kane (mask) || Vader (mask) || Milwaukee, Wisconsin || Over the Edge || {{dts|1998|05|31}} || |
|Kane (mask) || Vader (mask) || Milwaukee, Wisconsin || Over the Edge || {{dts|1998|05|31}} || |
||
|} |
|} |
||
| − | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Wrestlers]] |
| − | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Gaijin]] |
| + | [[Category:NJPW Roster]] |
||
| + | [[Category:AJPW Roster]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Pro Wrestling Noah Roster]] |
||
| + | [[Category:KAOS]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Takeshi Puroresu Gundan]] |
||
Revision as of 12:12, 21 June 2018
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. White spent the majority of his career with promotions World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in the 1990s.
A super heavyweight wrestler capable of aerial maneuvers such as the moonsault (voted by Wrestling Observer readers as the "Best Wrestling Maneuver" for 1993), White competed as both a face and a heel. Among other accolades in WCW and Japan, he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (the first non-Japanese holder) and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times each, and a former GHC Tag Team Championship once.
Professional wrestling career
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1987–1992)
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. Upon joining NJPW, White was given the ring name Big Van Vader and began to wear a black wrestling mask. His new identity was based on a strong warrior of the same name from Japanese folklore. He was introduced as the crown jewel of the Takeshi Puroresu Gundan stable that was managed by Takeshi Kitano. After a match where Riki Choshu had challenged Antonio Inoki in a losing effort, Vader demanded a match with the already worn down Inoki, and was victorious. This led the pro-Inoki audience to riot, resulting in NJPW being banned from the Sumo Hall, which was its home arena; the ban was rescinded in 1989, when NJPW did their first show back in Sumo Hall on February 22.
After winning the final match of an eight-man tournament against Shinya Hashimoto, Vader was declared the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He was the first gaijin (non-Japanese) wrestler to hold the title.
On May 25, one month after being crowned champion, Vader lost the title to Russian suplex master Salman Hashimikov. Hashimikov dropped the title to Vader's old rival, Riki Choshu, on July 12. On August 10, Vader was given an opportunity at Choshu and the title. He defeated Choshu to become a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Shortly after winning the title again, White traveled to Europe, again using the name Bull Power, to face Otto Wanz for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship. He won the match and, as a result, held the Heavyweight Championship in two separate organizations at the same time. He continued to travel between Japan and Europe, defending his titles. In November 1989, Vader traveled to Mexico to defeat El Canek in the Universal Wrestling Association for the UWA World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first and only man to hold three world heavyweight titles in three continents simultaneously. He lost the UWA championship back to Canek on December 12, 1990.
In February 1990, Vader faced Stan Hansen at an AJPW versus NJPW supercard show. Before Vader entered the ring, Hansen accidentally broke Vader's nose with the bullrope Hansen carried to the ring for his matches. During an exchange of stiff punches, Hansen unintentionally poked Vader's right eye with his thumb during their brawl, which caused the eye to pop out of its socket. After removing his mask, pushing the eye back into its socket and holding it in place with his eyelid, Vader continued wrestling Hansen until the match was rendered a no contest. As a result of the injury, Vader required a metal plate to be surgically placed under his eye. Vader's success garnered the attention of World Championship Wrestling, who convinced him to work for them while still the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and an active competitor in NJPW.
Vader's first match in WCW took place on July 7, 1990 at The Great American Bash, where he defeated Tom Zenk in a little over two minutes. Around this time, Vader began a feud with Stan Hansen in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Two weeks later, Vader went to Europe and defeated Rambo in a tournament final to reclaim the vacant CWA World Heavyweight Championship and become a three-time CWA World Heavyweight Champion in the process. In January 1991, Vader defeated Tatsumi Fujinami to earn himself a third IWGP Heavyweight Title reign. This reign was short-lived however, as Vader lost the title back to Fujinami on March 4. Rambo ended Vader's CWA World Heavyweight Championship reign on July 6, 1991. Vader went on to defeat Fujinami for the CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship but, upon his signing of a WCW contract in 1992, the title was declared vacant. At this point, WCW and NJPW were reaching a tentative working agreement. This benefited Vader, as he could now have his schedule coordinated far more easily. 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.
On March 1, 1992, he and Bam Bam Bigelow began teaming and won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh. In May, Vader faced Mutoh, now known as The Great Muta, one on one and suffered a legitimate knee injury. This injury was a factor in he and Bigelow losing the title to WCW World Tag Team Champions, The Steiner Brothers, after a near four-month reign. This also marked a decrease in his NJPW appearances, as Vader began to focus almost entirely on WCW and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
Union of Wrestling Force International (1993-1995)
In late February 1993, White signed an eight-date agreement with the Union of Wrestling Force International (UWFi), where he competed as Super Vader due to legal issues concerning the Big Van Vader name. By September 1993, he was simply known as Vader in the United States. He worked with UWFi for over two years. His greatest triumph under there was a victory in the Best of the World Tournament, which started April 3 and ended August 18, 1994. Vader first defeated Salman Hashimikov and then Masahito Kakihara in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Vader defeated Kiyoshi Tamura and beat Nobuhiko Takada in the finals to win the tournament and the UWFi World Title. He later left the promotion after a financial dispute. He later returned to WCW.
Return to NJPW (1996)
At Wrestling World on January 4, Vader had his first post-WCW match, facing the man whose four-year winning streak Vader had ended over eight years ago, Antonio Inoki. Inoki was over 50 years old at the time, but the match lasted nearly fourteen minutes before Inoki won the match.
All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah (1998–2002)
After leaving the WWF, Vader went to AJPW. He formed 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. At the beginning of 1999, he became the number one contender to the Triple Crown by defeating Kobashi. He then won the (vacant) Triple Crown Title on March 6, 1999 by defeating Akira Taue. He then won the 1999 Champion Carnival. After Vader lost the Triple Crown to Misawa on May 2, he regained it on October 31. He then again lost it to Kobashi and took some time off.
After returning from his hiatus, Vader joined the new Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH), where he won the GHC Tag Team Championship with 2 Cold Scorpio.
Return to AJPW (2011–2012)
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 and Pro Wrestling Zero1. On December 7, 2012, Vader returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Keiji Mutoh and KENSO to defeat Bambi Killer, Franz Dynamite and Mazada in a six-man tag team match.
Dradition (2017)
On April 20, 2017, Vader made an appearance in Japan at Korakuen Hall as part of the Dradition show to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the debut of Tatsumi Fujinami. Following a six-man tag team match, Vader fell down to one knee and collapsed. Originally believed his collapse was due to dehydration, Vader posted on Twitter that he was dropped on his head during the match and that is what caused him to briefly pass out. He also said that it had nothing to do with his heart. Vader was able to walk backstage under his own power and he remained in Japan as he was scheduled to work two more shows in Fukuoka and Osaka. On April 22, Vader, Takuma Sano and Yoshiaki Fujiwara lost a six man tag team match to Koji Kanemoto, Shiro Koshinaka and Tatsumi Fujinami and his final match for the tour was on April 23 when Vader, Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Shiro Koshinaka, Takuma Sano and Yoshiaki Fujiwara.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Release powerbomb
- Sky High Chokeslam Leg trap chokeslam, sometimes from the second rope)
- Vader Bomb (Corner slingshot splash)
- Vadersault (Moonsault)
- Signature moves
- Bearhug
- Body avalanche
- Chokeslam
- Dropkick
- Face Eraser (Wheelbarrow facebuster)
- Forearm club
- German suplex
- Lariat sometimes from the top rope
- Short-arm clothesline
- Spinning backfist
- Vader Attack (Running body block)
- Vader Crush (Jumping splash, sometimes from the second rope)
- Vader Hammer (Multiple forearm chops to a cornered opponent's head)
- Vader Slam (Running powerslam)
- Entrance themes
- "Eyes of the World" by Rainbow
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Steve Williams
- Champion Carnival (1999)
- Catch Wrestling Association
- CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- CWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- Impact Zone Wrestling
- IZW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bam Bam Bigelow
- Super Grade Tag League (1991) – with Tatsumi Fujinami
- IWGP Title Tournament (1989)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Wrestler of the Year (1993)
- Ranked #2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1993
- Ranked #27 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- Ranked #36 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Bam Bam Bigelow in 2003
- Pro Wrestling NOAH
- GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scorpio
- Tokyo Sports
- Best Tag Team Award (1998) with Stan Hansen
- Universal Wrestling Association
- UWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Union of Wrestling Forces International
- UWFI World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Best of the World (1994)
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- BattleBowl (1993)
- World Wrestling Federation
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Crime of the Century (1996) – Assault on WWF President Gorilla Monsoon
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 5 Star Match (1991) vs Keiji Mutoh at NJPW G1 Climax Day 3 on August 9
- Best Heel (1993)
- Best Wrestling Maneuver (1993) Moonsault
- Most Improved Wrestler (1999)
- Wrestler of the Year (1993)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Luchas de Apuestas record
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kane (mask) | Vader (mask) | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Over the Edge | May 31, 1998 |