Hulk Hogan’s WrestleMania Rival Turned Down the ‘Vader’ Gimmick That Late Great Leon White Made Famous

Leon White will always go down in pro-wrestling history as a superstar with a vast and accomplished career. During his legendary span in the ring, he won 12 World Championships, including IWGP and WCW Heavyweight Championships.

His achievements provoked the WWE to enshrine him in their Hall of Fame. Vader will be inducted posthumously into the 2022 Hall of Fame Class along with The Undertaker.

Reflecting on his old friend White, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin talked about how The Ultimate Warrior turned down the ‘Vader’ gimmick.

The Big Van Vader: Character and Gimmick

‘The Mastodon’s in-ring gimmick was a thrillingly intimidating one. The Big Vader helmet, with smoke capable of fumigating the entire arena, was iconic. Moreover, the moonsault skills of the 435-pound heavyweight champ were a beauty to watch.

According to his longtime friend Steve Austin, this intimidation factor served well in establishing Vader’s in-ring character.

“He [came] walking to the ring, and that guy was as big as a house to began with. Just the intimidation factor. And then he’d set that thing on the floor, on the ground, and he’d start whistling and point at it, and of course that’d blow the steam, whatever that was that they blow out of there, it was incredible,” said Austin on The Steve Austin Show.

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Interestingly, this whole gimmick was not originally built for Vader. The pitch was for late WWE Hall of Famer, The Ultimate Warrior, who turned it down.

“I think they originally wanted to give that gimmick to the Ultimate Warrior who I think passed it up… ended up with the right man at the right time, because I don’t think anybody else could have pulled that gimmick like Leon did with his work style, with his athleticism. It was a parallel along with the first time I saw the Road Warriors,” the Texan recalled (H/T EWrestling).

“It’s Time” For Leon White, The Hall Of Famer

Leon White is someone who has made his legacy in multiple zones. He created a tremendous impact in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the eighties and became the first non-Japanese to accomplish title victories in Japan. Later, he signed with WCW and won the US Championship thrice.

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Hence, by the time he began his WWE venture, he was already a legend. Though not grandiose as the previous companies, Vader’s WWE tenure was a significant one. His most memorable match was at SummerSlam ’96 against Shawn Michaels.

‘The Man They Call’ passed away in 2018 due to long-time heart problems. Legends like Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Booker T, Hulk Hogan have shared their memories of the big man. Now, as he will finally decorate a place in the WWE Hall of Fame, his legacy will forever be glorious.