Leon White
AKA: Big Van VaderBirthday: 1955-05-14
Died: 2018-06-18
Birthplace: Lynwood, California, USA
Leon Allen White better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or Vader, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. White is best known for his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, WWE and All Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1990s. A super-heavyweight wrestler capable of aerial maneuvers such as the moonsault and the dropkick, White was both a face and a heel in several professional wrestling promotions. During his career, he became an eight time world champion, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship three times and the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship twice. Vader returned to Japan, wrestling at a NJPW Wrestle Land 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. 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. O April 29, 2010, White made a 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 2 Cold Scorpio to successfully defeat Makoto Hashi, Tamon Honda and Tatsumi Fujinami in the main event. In May 2016, Will Opsreay and 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 in social media about the current direction pro wrestling is taking. During the following weeks, Vader and Ospreay feuded in Twitter, so England-based promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) booked a match between them. The match took place on August 12, 2016, where Vader defeated Ospreay. Two days later, he made an appearance in Colchester, England for the XWA Wrestling (XWA) promotion, where he defeated "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.[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 May 25, 2017 at WrestleJam V, where Vader defeated The Ironman. 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 (AJPW) and Pro Wrestling Zero1. On December 7, 2012, Vader returned to AAJPW, teaming with Keiji Mutoh and Kenso to defeat Bambi Killer, Franz Dynamite and Mazada in a six-man tag team match.
Filmography
Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows
Character: VaderWWE Royal Rumble 1998
Character: VaderWWE Action Zone!
Character: Big Van VaderWWE WrestleMania 13
Character: VaderWWE Hall Of Fame 2022
Character: VaderWWE Royal Rumble 1997
Character: VaderWWE Badd Blood: In Your House
Character: VaderWWE Breakdown: In Your House
Character: VaderWWE In Your House 9: International Incident
Character: VaderWCW Great American Bash '90: New Revolution
Character: Big Van VaderWWE SummerSlam 1996
Character: VaderWWE In Your House 11: Buried Alive
Character: VaderWWE Survivor Series 1996
Character: VaderWWE In Your House 13: Final Four
Character: VaderWCW WrestleWar 1991
Character: Big Van VaderWWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
Character: Big Van VaderWWE In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
Character: VaderWWE Survivor Series 1997
Character: VaderWWE Fully Loaded: In Your House
Character: VaderWWE Over the Edge: In Your House
Character: VaderWCW Halloween Havoc '91
Character: Big Van VaderWCW/New Japan Supershow II
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Great American Bash '92
Character: Big Van VaderWCW SuperBrawl III
Character: Big Van VaderWWE Taboo Tuesday 2005
Character: VaderWCW Slamboree 1993
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Beach Blast 1993
Character: Big Van VaderWCW SuperBrawl IV
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Spring Stampede 1994
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Fall Brawl 1993
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Starrcade 1993
Character: VaderWCW Fall Brawl 1994
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Halloween Havoc 1994
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Starrcade 1994
Character: Big Van VaderBest Of Raw • Volume One
Character: VaderWCW SuperBrawl V
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Uncensored 1995
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Slamboree 1995
Character: VaderWCW Bash at the Beach 1995
Character: Big Van VaderBest Of Raw • Volume Three
Character: VaderBest Of Raw • Volume Four
Character: VaderWWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream
Character: VaderBest Of Raw • Volume Six
Character: VaderRingside with Big Van Vader
Character: BIg Van VaderBiography: Shawn Michaels
Character: Self (archive footage)Deadly Venom: The Best of Sting
Character: Big Van VaderWCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1
Character: VaderTimeline: The History of WCW – 1993 – As Told By Vader
Character: Himself$rowCount++; } // end for loop // crew // $rowCount=0; for($x=0;$x
WWE King of the Ring 1998
Character: Vader (Appearance)WWE Unforgiven: In Your House
Character: Vader (Appearance)RevPro: Uprising 2016
Character: VaderWWE: Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '90s
Character: VaderWWE No Way Out of Texas: In Your House
Character: VaderWWE: The Best Of In Your House
Character: VaderWWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Character: VaderThe Best of WCW Clash of the Champions
Character: VaderWWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1
Character: VaderBret Hart: The Dungeon Collection
Character: VaderWWE: The History Of The World Heavyweight Championship
Character: VaderWWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection
Character: Big Van VaderWWE: Mick Foley's Greatest Hits & Misses - A Life in Wrestling
Character: Big Van VaderThe Rise & Fall of WCW
Character: Big Van VaderWWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash
Character: VaderWWE: The Best of Sting
Character: VaderSting: Into the Light
Character: VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XXII
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XX: 20th Anniversary
Character: Big Van VaderAJPW Super Power Series 1999 Finals
Character: VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XVIII
Character: Big Van VaderAWA Blood on the Sand
Character: "Bull Power" Leon WhiteAWA The Brawl in St. Paul
Character: "Baby Bull" Leon WhiteWCW Clash of The Champions XXXI
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Halloween Havoc
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Starrcade
Character: Big Van VaderWWE Royal Rumble 1996
Character: The Man They Call VaderWWE WrestleMania XII
Character: VaderWWE In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Starrcade 1991
Character: Big Van VaderWWE In Your House 8: Beware of Dog
Character: VaderWWE King of the Ring 1996
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XXIV
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XXIII
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Battle Bowl
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Halloween Havoc 1993
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XXV
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XXVI
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Slamboree 1994
Character: Big Van VaderWCW Bash at the Beach 1994
Character: Big Van VaderWWE Ground Zero: In Your House
Character: VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XXIX
Character: Big Van VaderWWE One Night Only
Character: VaderWCW Clash of The Champions XXX
Character: Big Van VaderNOAH: Accomplish Our First Navigation 2001 - Day 9
Character: VaderNOAH: Great Voyage
Character: Vader$rowCount++; } // end for loop // crew // $rowCount=0; for($x=0;$x