Big Van Vader: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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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]], 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/nowayout/history/1998/results/|title=No Way Out of Texas Results|access-date=2008-07-12|publisher=[[WWE]]}}</ref> Two months later, at [[Unforgiven: In Your House]], Vader returned during Kane's [[inferno match]] against The Undertaker; as Kane was attempting to leave the match, Vader appeared and fought him back to the ring to continue the match, which Kane lost.<ref>{{cite web|title=Unforgiven Results|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/unforgiven/history/1998/results/|access-date=2007-09-16|publisher=WWE|archive-date=June 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605025836/http://www.wwe.com/shows/unforgiven/history/1998/results|url-status=dead}}</ref> Vader and Kane had a rematch at [[Over the Edge: In Your House|Over the Edge]] in a [[mask vs. mask match]], in which 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 (wrestling)|Michael Cole]], Vader said, "I made the biggest mistake of my life. Maybe Vader time is over. I'm nothing but a big piece of shit. A big fat piece of shit".<ref name=shit>{{cite web|last=Powell|first=John|title=Stone Cold Beats the Odds|url=http://slam.canoe.com/SlamWrestlingArchive/jun1_overtheedge.html|publisher=Slam Wrestling|access-date=July 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925180546/http://slam.canoe.com/SlamWrestlingArchive/jun1_overtheedge.html|archive-date=September 25, 2015}}</ref>

Subsequently, Vader had a series of losses and was reduced to the status of a [[Job (professional wrestling)|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.<ref name=rej>{{cite web|url=http://www.canoe.com/SlamWrestlingEditorial/jan5_molinaro.html|title=Vader rejuvenated in Japan|author=Molinaro, John F.|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=November 12, 2009|date=January 6, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312022024/http://www.canoe.com/SlamWrestlingEditorial/jan5_molinaro.html|archive-date=March 12, 2005}}</ref> His final WWF pay-per-view match was a loss to [[John Layfield|Bradshaw]] at [[Breakdown: In Your House]] in a No Holds Barred match. He lost to [[Edge (wrestler)|Edge]] on the October 11, 1998, episode of ''[[WWE Heat|Sunday Night Heat]]'' in his final televised WWF match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwwew.net/tv/heat/981011.htm|title=Sunday Night Heat — October 11, 1998|work=pwwew.net|access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref> In a shoot interview, Jim Cornette said part of the reason that Vader's WWF run was not as successful as what was hoped was due to the failure to properly book Vaderhim.<ref>{{YouTube|kUZizMxgSlY}}</ref>

=== All Japan Pro Wrestling (1998–2000) ===

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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|WrestleReunion: Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/DVDs_-_VGames_-_Books_25/article_61196.shtml|title=RADICAN'S PWS WRESTLEREUNION LA REVIEW 1/28 – Outlaws vs. Steiner Brothers, Legends Wrestle Royale, Smith-Richards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513043431/http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/DVDs_-_VGames_-_Books_25/article_61196.shtml |archive-date=May 13, 2012|url-status=live|publisher=PWTorch.com|date=May 8, 2012|access-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref> On May 11, 2012, at [[Resistance Pro]]'s event A Small Deadly Space, Vader defeated [[Jay Bradley]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.resistancepro.com/events/|title=Events: Resistance Pro Wrestling|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611015917/http://www.resistancepro.com/events/ |archive-date=June 11, 2012|publisher=Resistancepro.com|access-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref>

In May 2016, [[Will Ospreay]] and [[Ricochet (wrestler)|Ricochet]] faced each other during the NJPW tournament Best of the Super Juniors. During the match, both wrestlers performed a high flying, fast-paced sequence. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.solowrestling.com/new/52728-vader-sobre-el-ospreay-vs-ricochet-me-entristece-la-direccion-que-esta-tomando-el-wrestling|title=Vader sobre el Ospreay vs Ricochet|last=Solowrestling|date=May 30, 2016|website=www.solowrestling.com}}</ref> During the following weeks, Vader and Ospreay feuded on Twitter,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.solowrestling.com/new/53172-nuevo-choque-entre-vader-y-will-ospreay-en-las-redes-sociales|title=Nuevo choque entre Vader y Will Ospreay en las redes sociales|last=Solowrestling|date=June 17, 2016|website=www.solowrestling.com}}</ref> which led to England-based promotion [[Revolution Pro Wrestling]] (RevPro) booking a match between them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.solowrestling.com/new/53373-revpro-anuncia-la-lucha-entre-vader-y-will-ospreay-para-uprising-2016|title=RevPro anuncia la lucha entre Vader y Will Ospreay para Uprising 2016|last=Solowrestling|date=June 26, 2016|website=www.solowrestling.com}}</ref> The match took place on August 12, 2016, with Vader defeating Ospreay. Two days later, Vader made an appearance in Colchester, England for the [[XWA (professional wrestling)|XWA Wrestling]] (XWA) promotion, defeating "Savvy" Sid Scala.

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 collapsed due to being dropped on his head during the match, but he 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/vader-briefly-collapses-after-match-japan-234051|title=Vader briefly collapses after match in Japan|last=Meltzer|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Meltzer|date=April 20, 2017|access-date=April 21, 2017|work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421045036/http://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/vader-briefly-collapses-after-match-japan-234051|archive-date=April 21, 2017}}</ref> On April 22, Vader, [[Takuma Sano]], and [[Yoshiaki Fujiwara]] lost a six-man tag team match to [[Koji Kanemoto]], [[Shiro Koshinaka]] and Tatsumi Fujinami. On April 23, Vader, [[Riki Choshu]], and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Shiro Koshinaka, Takuma Sano, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. The final match of his career took place August 26, 2017, for Top Rope Promotions with Vader coming out victorious.<ref name="Cagematch">{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=201096|title=WrestleJam V « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database|website=www.cagematch.net}}</ref>

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White was a [[Born again|born again Christian]].<ref name=Part3/>

While in [[Kuwait]] during a WWF tour in April 1997, White appeared on the television program ''Good Morning Kuwait'' along with [[The Undertaker|Mark Calaway]], who was WWF World Heavyweight Champion at that time.<ref name=Cage/><ref name=kuwait>{{cite web|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/1997-12-31/news/18047941_1_kuwaiti-fined-kuwait-kuwait|title=Wrestler Vader Fined|work=New York Daily News|date=December 31, 1997|access-date=November 12, 2009}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> During the interview, the host asked both of them if wrestling was fake.<ref name=Cage/><ref name=kuwait/> In response, White flipped over the table they were sitting at and grabbed the host by the tie, asking him if it seemed fake while using foul language. He was then arrested and detained by Kuwaiti authorities for two weeks.<ref name=Cage/><ref name=kuwait/> In December, White was fined 50 [[Kuwaiti dinar]]s (about $164) for this incident. In a later interview, it was revealed that this incident was in fact scripted, as it was pitched to both White and Earl Hebner by the producers of the show in an attempt to boost viewership numbers; however, the host was not apprised of the plan, which resulted in him filing for charges against White.<ref name=kuwait/>

===Health problems and death===