STW #16: Vader in the WWF

[@TheSilentBattle]

Growing up as a young, impressionable lad in the early 90's, I have early memories of two menacing entrances: The Undertaker in WWF and Big Van Vader in WCW. It's pretty much the only thing I remember from WCW at that time, but the creepy mastadon headpiece with smoke blowing out had a big impact on lil me. As I grew to appreciate wrestling for more than a spectacle, I came to appreciate his in-ring work as one of the best big men ever to lace up the boots along side Bam Bam Bigelow. RIP Leon White. Thanks for the memories.

[@daveoliphant2889]

I saw Vader Vs taker on a UK tour

[@michaelfrazia4569]

awesome tribute brother

[@briangarrett3668]

Really was praying they could of brought that mastodon helmet to WWE. still one of the all time best entrances/attire ever

[@lookitskazzy]

10:41 to skip the shilling

[@vinson311]

Papa bless 🙌

[@MC-kk8xu]

6 years later appreciating you! 😌

[@dougripley861]

Had to listen to this again today. RIP Vader.

[@billyray5232]

I have been a Wrestling fan since 1983, and I was always strictly WWF fan, and it stayed that way for years until one single Wrestler caught my eye...Big Van Vader. He was the reason I not only started watching WCW, but became a fan of the promotion itself. His feuds and angles with Sting and Cactus Jack were awesome, and his match with Ric Flair is easily in my top ten best Ric Flair matches of all time. I even remember a Dream match of mine while Vader was still with WCW was Vader vs Undertaker, and we actually got to see that match when he Joined the WWF, even though he wasn't in his prime (I believe he was having shoulder issues) we still got amazing matches from Vader in the WWF, just watch Him vs Shawn Michaels...and I also was a huge fan of him and Mankind as a tag team. And it goes without saying that his work in Japan, WCW, and the WWE has rightfully earneda him a spot (and sooner than later) in the Hall of Fame. So.......IT'S TIME....IT'S TIME...IT'S TIME FOR LEON...TO REST IN PEACE.

[@melbias5046]

is that the one flair said he had to kick leons ass lol.

[@eddie9244]

RIP Vader!!! havent heard this episode yet , gonna listen right now , RIP Vader!!!

[@JoeyMartz]

RIP Leon. You were a class act who did it all.. Power and agility. Always put on a good show for fans.

[@russelloviatt9665]

Leon has always been a legend to me since I read about his career in Japan when I was a teenager. It was neat to finally see him in the wcw and wwf on tv

[@Obironnkenobi]

2:35:18 - Why in gods name did you skip over the part where Paul Bearer put on Vader's mask and ran around the ring yelling "IT'S PAUL BEARER TIME!" ? The man even stood on the turnbuckle in the corner and did the Vader sign with both his hands. It was an amazing moment.

[@michaelpitt57]

That was hilarious🤣

[@henryocean5714]

28:20 Tons and tons of kids would've known what a Mastodon was due to Power Rangers. For those who are unfamiliar, they all had robotic dinosaurs they rode in and the Black Power Ranger had a black Mastodon and it kicked ass.

[@gregharper6382]

Ahhh yes a man of the culture!👏👏👏

[@joshuaoneill3118]

Beat me to it!

[@markfinch6794]

“You guys are hitting him in the head with fucking hammers” I love this episode

[@MikeyP1983]

Erm as you do!🤣🤣

[@jimjim292]

RIP Leon White.

[@33malone]

Weird that this was the next episode in my playlist so soon after his passing. RIP Leon White. Its Vader Time in the sky!!

[@pjomayo]

Big Van Vader was also the inspiration for the videogame character Raiden/Big Bear from the Fatal Fury games.

[@antoniusjohnson3824]

RIP Vader, arguably the greatest big man in wrestling history.

[@jonfranks6902]

I’d put only a few ahead of him. Andre, Taker for example. But either way that’s great company to be with. Loved him in and out of the ring.

[@noeljr.7724]

I had to come listen to this after recent events. When I was young I was a HBK mark and I was happy that he was riding high in the WWF during this time. I remember the debut promos for Vader and being terrified that this monster was going to dethrone my favourite. I was happy when he got eliminated from the rumble and then suspended on RAW the next night. SummerSlam 1996 was the first PPV that I ever watched live. They were on from 12-3am in Ireland in those days and I was just 11 years old. I rooted for Shawn. I was happy to take the countout victory, I was happy to take the DQ victory and was very happy to take the final pinfall victory. Looking back now I'd love to go back and slap myself. Vader did deserve a run with the WWF title but listening to the factors involved here, I can't say it was entirely down to booking or even Shawn's attitude. A tag title run with Mankind might have been nice. Who knows? Anyway, there we have it. RIP Leon White.

[@noeljr.7724]

@Ze TheGame Vader wasn't just hired. He was there since January. Granted there was a long term plan to get Shawn to the top but they did always have the plan for Vader to be the one to take the title off him albeit a bit later at Survivor Series. They opted to go with Sid instead. By your logic that people should have a long run after Mania then what about Austin or Benoit?

[@Appleanche5]

2:13:50 "You're hitting him in the head with fucking hammers, making him wear eye patches, throwing coffee in the other eye" dead

[@dianneEdangerously]

I LOVED Vader as a kid I mean LOVED. However looking back on the facts... he drank himself into embarrassing situations (like a lot of the guys did but we are speaking about Vader) His hygiene was very bad apparently He was SUPER aggressive beyond the needs of the business He got himself involved in violent situations (like kuawait) Vader didn't seem to get along with a lot of people in the locker room..or he was "hard to deal with"? ..it seems to me like this man had severe depression. JUST LIKE MANY OTHER WRESTLERS...i'd rather nit name names, I'm sure a million come to mind; we just couldn't help him in time. VADER SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME. REST IN PEACE

[@PowerPackers90]

You guys do know that Power Rangers aired in 93 and the black ranger's robot was a mastodon. So kids in 95 would know what it was.

[@joekoniski1729]

PowerPackers90 Thank you.

[@Rschr101]

Except nobody gave a shit about the Black Ranger, he didnt draw and was mid card talent at best. The Red Ranger was white hot until the Green Ranger came in to a massive pop and ran roughshod over the territory.

[@joelmalone7922]

The Power Rangers show god awful, complete garbage. I remember my seven year old self thinking it was horrible even then. TMNT kicks it's lame ass mercilessly.

[@joelmalone7922]

*was. My mistake

[@JoeCool-fb7uf]

Wow, “PowerPacker” is a helluva name. Wow …just wow.

[@mickeytrue2658]

Vader in WCW and Japan was the man and I think at the time we expected the same thing in WWF but I don’t think he was the same guy anymore. Maybe should have been booked better but I guess now we know that couldn’t be the case. Too much working against him politically as well as his own “letting himself go” issues. A true what could have been scenario.

[@NicolasBowling]

Great episode, as always!

[@Xagura]

One of my favorite monster heels. RIP Big Man Vader.

[@TruckerJenkins82]

Opinions pal

[@masediggity]

He said how many kids know what a Mastodon is?? That was hilarious to me for some reason. Anyone else crack up there??

[@stevenkunzer9027]

Mason Johnson yeah a little bit lol

[@mrwednesdaynight]

I had to look it up when I was a kid. The more you know.

[@7deadlypins]

Doubt anyone reads these things, but bruce gives the best answer as to why Shawn did what he did when he yelled at vader. I feel like conrad jumped on bruce about something that bruce answered perfectly. I don't know if conrad is doing that because he thinks the fans want him to. I just feel that Bruce was explaining what happened and why. I think people sometimes don't realize what its like to manage things, or to manage sports in general. Its a fucking mess and it isn;t always as cut and dry as the fans think it should be.

[@gregharper6382]

Agreed!! I also just think Conrad loves to Hate HBK like many others do because they hear all these bad stories and like to act like these things happened to them personally

[@gregoryhoyle3739]

It was that Vader vs Michaels match that made me hate Shawn Michaels.

[@CPloveshisQueen]

I remember listening to vadars music in the gym and just getting jacked up enough to put me in a zone to lift hard and heavy with few reps.

[@gregharper6382]

Definitely a video of Rico yelling “Jeff hurry up G*d Dammit!” On KZbin! So yes it absolutely happens all the damn time!!

[@QoQabai658]

It's time.... It's time.... It's Vader TIME!!!!!

[@clayp7284]

One of the Greats of Professional Wrestilng

[@seanbarton4940]

My cousin and I went to a house show at the Gund Arena. Sometime afterwards when we were on our way home, my aunt ran into Blackman and Shamrock having a sit down meal at a Wendy’s in middle of nowhere Rootstown Ohio. We went to the show, she got autographs at home.

[@villainnetwork2479]

RIP Vader

[@Bubba__Sawyer]

2:31:30 I don't understand why Bruce was so against the way Vader cut the "fat piece of shit" promo. I don't see how the "I trained hard for this" "look at me I'm so big" changed the meaning/intent of what he was saying. If anything, it added to it. It gave the promo a very real feel. It seems even back then that WWE micro-managed things too much at times. Watch any post-fight press conference from a UFC event and the loser will almost always say how they trained so hard for the fight and how disappointed they were in their performance. Vader made the promo much better with the parts he ad-libbed, and Bruce is an idiot for not being able to see that.

[@totalgimmickwrestling-news71]

RIP Leon White

[@gibbynj3002]

I was crying laughing in this one during the Vince Russo segment.

[@chrisauble556]

45 minutes into the interview had me almost pissing on myself funny funny shit. Thanks Bruce

[@stoneosborne9247]

I loved Vader so much as a kid. My dad was a 6'4 fat guy from Alabama, so I liked all of the giant fat wrestlers haha

[@donnyx7860]

Your dad is Conrad??

[@Super122291]

Donny X oh my gosh

[@jrdoo7x]

i heard from vader himself in a interview that he hurt his shoulder and it never healed right.

[@NICARETTI]

Conrad is such a fucking mark like really the biggest fan of all time in this prestigious seat

[@zenoftupac9096]

I’m surprised the WWF didn’t bring in “Special Delivery” Jones at some point to beat Vader after Kuwait. Did also notice that the WWF used a clip of Vader attacking the reporter in his Jumbotron intro.

[@jiggiesosa6832]

Conrad such a lil baby he always says cool when he is wrong

[@grmreaper1414]

RIP To one of the best super heavyweights in history! He is in heaven right now screaming, ITS VADER TIME lol. RIP VADER!

[@PSUDarius2032]

Many kids of the of the 90's knew what a mastadon was because of Mighty Morphing Power Rangers....

[@WrestlingNZHazardis]

_Its Time, Its Time_ *V A D E R TIME*

[@shawnmckahan165]

Leon White a.k.a. Big Van Vader was a great big man.

[@rustykuntz94]

Schivane said Vader was always "ON". Always in character and was scary to be around cause when Leon was working he could throw shit at the annouce table, grab a commentator or who knows what

[@tommyhallum3020]

God damn pal he's a MASTODON!!

[@JackG79]

Omfg... when conrad said "for 100 grand u can beat this fucking guy with a hammer" inwas legit laughing so hard i was crying.

[@morganjacob1195]

I loved watching big bad Van VADER. One of my favorites. Rip

[@neilsun2521]

2:53:08 "antidotes" *anecdotes.

[@giangarcia3364]

rasslin'

[@Dredsed]

I hate the fact they didn't put him in the hof before he died, be wanted to go in while he was alive. It would've been awesome to see him as wwf champ but sadl he was a little past his peak.

[@travish6427]

The WWF's mishandling of Vader is borderline criminal in my opinion.

[@KingofClassy]

"How many kids knew what a Masatdon was?" Connie, in 1995, EVERY kid knew what a Mastadon was thanks to the Power Rangers

[@robertfullchim923]

Vader looked really upset when he hurt Shamrock in FMW.

[@baalberith5389]

McMahon destroyed Vader. He was a monster and they feed him to people and then buried him over and over.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Bam Bam I think edges out Vader, but I think Vader is more recognizable and perhaps was booked stronger at more favorable times - if that makes any sense whatsoever. I still think the best "big guy" moonsault goes to the headhunters. Go look up videos on youtube, they're just picture perfect. Normally big guys can pull it off but not have it be picture-perfect. Bam Bam couldn't, Vader couldn't. The Headhunters were LARGE though not Vader or Bam Bam big, but seeing them do those graceful moonsaults is just a physics-defying mental image.

[@JoeyMartz]

Vader never headlined a wrestlemania.... BBB headlined #11. Enough said.

[@theman6705]

Joseph D. Martínez Bruh Bam Bam list to a damn professional football player who was a non wrestler😂😂 I rather be in the undercard facing Backlund or something. Vader was wcw world champ and has beaten taker, sting, Foley, flair and has battled Kane, flair and other legends. Vader>Bam Bam

[@hotwatermanifesto4180]

WWE and the Simpsons. More educational than Public School!

[@filimonlopez3668]

If you had no ads you would have over million people subscribing easy.

[@bobbyseay4935]

Then how would they get paid?

[@daocvet]

My all time fav wrestlers, the top three will always be Dusty Rhodes, Sid, Vader in that order. There is a bunch of others, like Meng, but those three are my favorite(only reason why Meng isn't is because of the promos). I hated what became of him when he went to WWF/WWE, every wrestling fan should see a pattern, there are a lot of great wrestlers that died(career) because of going to WWE.

[@michaelfrazia4569]

it seemed like there was a few years where anything Vader did was pre planned as pure entertainment for the office.

[@wballz03]

I’m pretty sure the Vader/Owen Slammy waiter incident was at the 97 slammys not 96.

[@BckDrBOYES]

Think it became a vicious circle. Vader stopped giving a shit, WWF stopped giving a shit, so on and so on.

[@austinryan9382]

Vader was all time great heal .

[@rc3694]

Rest In Peace Vader

[@Newarksfinest05]

1:36:21 lmao Mr Mac Man 😂

[@mrrvc6950]

Rip Vader

[@gojirajenkins8528]

That MacMahon payoff joke Conrad made was real hahah 4 years later now

[@fjccommish]

Who was Pulldog?

[@ultimog3739]

Vader beat Undertaker at Royal Rumble 97

[@ASHUTOSH-im6pp]

Ric is #1 and Shawn is #2? Neither are 1 or 2.

[@JoeyMartz]

Bret Hart is #1.

[@priimovalentiino1640]

Where's bam bam bigalow?!

[@aaronwhalen6433]

Shawn is not number 2. In ring maybe. Not but overall.

[@suitedandbooted363]

Aaron Whalen agree Steve Austin is number 2 in my opinion behind Flair

[@Rschr101]

His promos were boring and his poor attitude overshadows how good he was at flipping and flopping around the ring.

[@markmack2746]

The Montreal screw job was a work. Think we don't know Prichard?

[@dnice2000]

Bruce: complains Vader is always hurt.... Also Bruce: putting Vader in matches that'll get him hurt because....."they paid alot of money"

[@tarheelspeighty9645]

Kane was booked how they should have booked Vader. A monster heel. Theu completely ruined him. So glad I saw him live right after he got there and was still pushed heavy.

[@mox19380]

every time...the the southpark mickey mouse cornette impression cracks me up

[@dnice2000]

They basically forced Vader into these injuries with terrible booking and allowing him in dangerous positions, then force him to lose massive amounts of weight in a short period of time then blame it on him when he has health issues because of it...... smh

[@stingrey1571]

bam bam bigelow is the greatest big man ever. he changed what we expect from a tall/fat wrestlers. if it wasnt for bam bam, we wouldnt have samoa joe, luke harper, taker etc.

[@JoeyMartz]

Harper and taker? Please explain how BBB and those two relate? Thx -J

[@gregharper6382]

1:34:06 Kuwait interview!

[@travismcdonald6576]

WWF buried Vader. It’s as simple as that. He was a former WCW star and Shawn Michaels bitch ass didn’t like him. Vader never stood a chance.

[@mran3902]

Ya fuck Michaels

[@Stevehug83]

Only bam bam and earthquake were better big men than Vader. One man gang is pretty close. He worked really stiff and frequently hurt other wrestlers but was still a great worker despite that. He was a scary heel and perfect to work against the top faces

[@Milos2804]

To me it was Yokozuna

[@dachronicalalittlebitofeve6630]

Thank god we got Austin instead of hhh, imagine if hhh had got his push so early…. Stone cold may never have happened

[@dachronicalalittlebitofeve6630]

Early Vader was scary, I actually feared for sting back then, thought he’s going to get hurt. That’s what makes wrestling real, we get a while of meh blah yada…. Then someone new comes along who isn’t playing the game, he’s doing it for real, same as Goldberg, that’s what gets in our heads, wrestling is fake but this guy is real….

[@Cuddyscott84]

U can see in some of the matches shawn was rude 2 Jose. I don't remember the exact matches I'm referring so maybe I shouldn't even say anything but it's 2 late I've said it cuz I seen it & eventually I'll remember the matches I'm talking about. I do remember Jose getting tossed into the steps or shoved & bumping into shawn like getting in his way. Shawn wasn't very nice in his words. But I still wanted 2 grow up 2 be like HBK

[@codycampbell6257]

Bruce your terry funk is spot on , always laugh when you speak the funker!!!

[@rosharma7443]

Vader was a badass in my 10 year old mind.

[@PunkRockPainting]

Agree

[@TheWildCur]

Vader was terrifying.

[@jamiesutherland1497]

STWW. Dear Mr Pritchard. Its called speaking the "Queens english" We haven't had a king since the 1940's.

[@jaserogers997]

"Misterrr Macmaaayn"

[@FranzFerdinand76]

"old lover boy Leon was getting a little handsey"

[@ThisLifeisaParade]

2:16:22 TF?

[@derekfisher8571]

Bam Bam was a better big man than Vader for the record. Bam Bam was a better worker overall.

[@brother.love143]

1:13:00

[@hgonz14]

Big brother bruti shake shake shake

[@jonhufford6980]

I feel like the wwf kind of of went out of their way to put vader over. Lots of shenanigans.. And bam bam was a much better 350+ big guy.. He just was...

[@masediggity]

Simply put.... Vader had IT, Bam Bam did not. No matter any amount of arguing will sway me.

[@JoeyMartz]

WWF buried Vader lols.... I'm not even going to give examples... Too many to list!

[@rainman11985]

When I was a kid I couldn't take Vader seriously. He was a fat guy in every sense, he even had the facial features of a fat guy. His name and even his mask was goofy. Now I can recognize how athletic he was, although Bruce is right that he was past his best in the WWF. I also never liked elements of his working style. His punches especially. They looked like he was throwing 50% strength arm punches and hitting with his wrists rather than his fists, his punches probably hurt like hell but looked like shit. If I was a promoter I'd be interested in Vader but I'd tell him he has to change his style and if he's not willing to change then I'm not interested. Bam Bam Bigelow would get my vote as best 350+ worker.

[@r3d3y3si]

rainman11985 vader in Japan was better than bam bam. wwf vader wasn't allowed to work the same way.

[@amys1885]

true

[@freighttrainsahpassing9790]

Noone was safe from an Owen Hart Rib lol !!!

[@tomwalker389]

51:10 Good thing Conrad doesn't have to perform.

[@ashleyswim3009]

"Did he pull that rascal out or what?"

[@daveoliphant2889]

It's time it's time it's Vader time. I went watching wcw in Birmingham uk main event bulldog Vs Vader for the strap. Stood at ringside with hair beaded and bulldog t-shirt and bulldog sign. Vader looked at me said who's the man. I said u because I wasn't arguing with him.

[@skincarver1797]

You can take all the drug's you want just don't gain weight.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

The good ole' days. :'}

[@big_dro1713]

Huh?

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

I'm surprised he didn't bring up Vader wearing his singlet backwards on his debut.

[@ciaranmurren]

2 hours in

[@almightyone1181]

Wow

[@booty121212]

Lmao hes wearing it backwards in the pic they used as well

[@ultimog3739]

I've noticed in a few Vader matches him wearing his attire back to front.

[@josephboza7448]

Leon is one of the greats of Professional Wrestling. Vader went through hell in the WWF. Shawn Micheals thought he was hot shit lets be real. Vader was screwed from the start with that place. I think he was behind the eight ball cause he came from WCW. I was surprised he made it to the fall of 1998 cause of that. It's crazy that Vince was on a crusade about weight cause now after Leon passed away he loves big bastards like Braun Strowman and Lars Sullivan.

[@Dredsed]

How dumb. Strowman and the gay are not fat.

[@briangarrett3668]

I agree with Conrad. WWE killed Vader. If you only saw him in WWE you never saw Vader. The man was a beast in the NWA/WCW days. WWE dropped the ball with that guy. I was so pumped he came over and they screwed it all up. Shame

[@justinwalker2928]

Vader was out of shape and past his prime by time he signed with the WWF.

[@briangarrett3668]

@@justinwalker2928 so we're half the wrestlers back then compared to now. Could of easily pushed him. We all know why it went the way it did cough cough Shawn Michaels cough cough

[@justinwalker2928]

@@briangarrett3668 half the wrestlers back then were out of shape and past their prime? Yeah in WCW but not the WWF.

[@briangarrett3668]

@@justinwalker2928 and yet back then WCW was still better and I'm a WWE guy now at least. I have gone back and forth depending who put on a better show. And I beg to differ. Lex sting flair arn pillman stunning Steve yeah you know who. They were not all out of shape. And WWE had plenty also. Andre honky valentine and so on that were our of shape. So yeah. Vader was still a stud and was never "in shape" as you claim but still did a top rope moonsault. At his weight you had to be in shape to do that so your point is moot. Accept facts. By your logic CM punk and Danielson should already be retired. And many more. There is no prime in wrestling. It's where you body is at the age you're at and how lucky you got with injuries. Vader was better than three quarters of the roster back then. And that's a bet. Also been well documented Shawn didn't like working with him which we all know was the death nell then. Sorry forgot to add earthquake tugboat bloated road warriors and so on oh and wait did WCW have a steroids investigation? No .oh .well maybe that's why all the WWE guys were jacked back then huh. Now you can rack me.

[@justinwalker2928]

@@briangarrett3668 It wasn’t just Shawn who complained to Vince about Vader too stiff in the ring, there were other people urge locker room including Bret who also complained. Shawn and Vader had three televised matches in 1996 and Vader one two of them.

[@ninjavigilante5311]

I almost threw up listening to the part where they said Vader gear stinks ughh gross

[@rainman11985]

'A Cement Truck filled with vomit' Jesus Christ what a visual...