Big Van Vader (Leon Allen White) is finally going into the WWE Hall of Fame.
WWE announced today that Vader will be posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 during WrestleMania 38 Weekend.
The former World Heavyweight Champion passed away on June 18, 2018 at the age of 63.
WWE previously announced The Undertaker as the headliner for the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame Class. He will be inducted by WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.
The 2022 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, April 1 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The event will air live on Peacock and the WWE Network, after the WrestleMania 38 go-home edition of SmackDown goes off the air that night.
As noted, former World Heavyweight Champion Leon White, Vader aka Big Van Vader passed away at the age of 63 on Monday night. His son noted on Twitter that he passed away due to complications from pneumonia.
WWE remembered Vader with the following announcement on their website:
Vader passes awayWWE is saddened to learn that Leon White, better known to WWE audiences as Vader, passed away Monday night at the age of 63.
White began his sports-entertainment career in the mid-1980s after retiring from the NFL due to injury. He rose to national prominence in Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association before joining New Japan Pro Wrestling as the masked Big Van Vader. He went on to become one of the promotion’s biggest stars and most feared competitors.
Vader then transitioned to World Championship Wrestling, where he would make the biggest mark of his career. He engaged in memorable rivalries with the likes of Sting and Ron Simmons, becoming a dominant, three-time WCW World Champion in the process.
In 1996, Vader joined the WWE roster, where he squared off against Superstars such as Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. He also found success on the small screen with a recurring guest role on the popular 1990s television program, “Boy Meets World.”
WWE extends its condolences to White’s family, friends and fans.
Vader aka Big Van Vader — who wrestled in WWE, WCW, NJPW, AJPW and all over the world — has passed away at the age of 63-years-old … this according to his family.
One of Vader’s children tweeted from his account saying, “It is with a heavy heart to inform everyone that my father, Leon White, passed away on Monday night (6/18/18) at approximately 7:25pm.”
Adding, “Around a month ago my father was diagnosed with a severe case of Pneumonia. He fought extremely hard and clinically was making progress. Unfortunately, on Monday night his heart had enough and it was his time.”
As you may recall, Vader underwent open-heart surgery in March. Vader spoke in-depth with Bill Apter about the surgery before it happened and called himself a “walking time bomb” due to having ten clogged blood vessels.
Leon White, known to wrestling fans as Vader or Big Van Vader, had another heart surgery yesterday. His heart had shifted to an irregular heart beat, which would increase his chances of a heart attack and stroke. Here is Vader’s official Tweet:
Yesterday I had a surgery on my heart .My heart had shifted to an A-Fib irregular heart beat A person in a fib has substanily increased chance of Heart Attack &Stroke.The surgery was to put the HEART in normal sinus https://t.co/MQvHiGe0Rg was a success
On April 19, Vader announced on Twitter hat he was hospitalized due to pneumonia. In the tweet, Vader mentioned that his pain is through the roof and cannot breath.
Leon White, known to wrestling fans as Vader or Big Van Vader, is back in the hospital just a few days after announcing he was released. Vader underwent successful open heart surgery last month and was in the hospital until April 13 of this month.
Vader announced on Twitter yesterday that he was hospitalized due to pneumonia. In the tweet, Vader mentioned that his pain is through the roof and cannot breath.
Brief timeline of Vader’s recent health issue:
Less than two years ago, Vader revealed that he had congestive heart failure and said that he had two years to live. Vader is now 62 years.
On March 26 2018, Vader’s son, Jesse announced on Twitter that Vader had underwent open heart surgery and has a long road to recovery.
Former WWE and WCW star “Big Van Vader” Leon White posted the following on Twitter over the weekend, giving fans an update on his health following his recent heart surgery.
I Am officially out of the HOSPITAL and in rehab Its a long ROAD BK from here to the RING WISH ME LUCK!!!!
Former WWE and WCW star Leon “Vader” White (Big Van Vader) underwent open heart surgery today in Dallas, Texas and according to his son Jesse, it was a success, but at the same time, worse than expected.
Jesse posted the update from Vader’s Twitter account.
This is his son Jesse. I wanted to let everybody know that I just spoke to the Surgeon. The surgery was a success but it was worse than we had expected. Long road for recovery. Will keep you posted. Thank you for the prayers.
Vader spoke in-depth with Bill Apter about the surgery before it happened and called himself a “walking time bomb” due to having ten clogged blood vessels.
On November 14, 2016, Vader announced that he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure due to his football and wrestling careers. He visited two heart doctors and they told him he has only two years left to live.
Told by 2.heart Drs at this time that my heart is wore out from footbal&wrestling I have 2 yrs to live , conjestive hesrt failure reality
Vader found out about the diagnosis after being involved in a roll-over car accident, which left him unconscious for 35 minutes. In December 2016, he explained to Hannibal TV:
“I was in the medical center and I was seeing my doctor, who is actually an MD, and heart specialists came into my room. They said ‘We’ve been looking at your heart’ and I said ‘Who are you?’ I didn’t recognize the guy. He said ‘You have two years to live. We’ve been looking at your heart, and that’s the deal.’
“It wasn’t much longer than that when he came back in the room — cause he left and obviously I had a bunch of questions and I’m in the process of answering those questions at this point. So for me to start talking would probably be premature at this point.
“I’ve been in the gym, I feel okay, I’ve been feeling pretty good actually. I don’t know exactly what he’s talking about or if something will show itself up in weeks to come, but right now I’m still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on.”
“I really kind of regret tweeting it out. In other words when I got diagnosed and was told, “Leon, you have a bad heart and you have congestive heart failure and we feel your time is limited and you have maybe a couple of years left… two years or less to live.
“I remember getting very angry and said this has gotta be bulls–t because I don’t feel bad and I remember getting extremely angry. Since that time and when I got the news I left the hospital and went right to the gym and rode the bike for a half hour. Hard. As hard as I could and when I got off the bike and got on the treadmill and walked for another 15 minutes pretty hard and I was exhausted but my heart felt fine so how can I do that if my heart is going to give out?
“The doctor in some of the ongoing appointments that I had with him explained to me that when you are tipping the scales at 400 and 420-25 pounds that a man that size and that heavy isn’t supposed to be able to push himself in a cardiovascular endeavor no matter what it is much past 2 or 3 minutes.”
Vader went on to say that he will continue to wrestle and that if the tests are proven to be true, he would like to die in the ring. However, in April, he passed out after a match in Japan due to a head injury. He apparently hasn’t wrestled since then.
Mick Foley recently appeared on X-Pac 12360, and continued his push for Vader & Chyna to go into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“We could go around and around because obviously there are dozens of people who are deserving and it’s a pretty subjective Hall. It’s not like the Baseball Hall of Fame, it’s based on statistics and you know things that are very objective. But, I think when you look at the contributions Leon (Vader) made you know; with WWE being probably the least impressive run he had. But, I think that’s only because people were in his ear and it was pre-Attitude Era, where he wasn’t really allowed to be the Vader that had struck fear into the hearts of enhancement workers around the country. And I thought he was a dominant performer who drew more money than just about anybody in his era around the world. And the thing is, it would mean so much to him. He just had an operation on his heart and I mentioned it to Vince (McMahon) last year that I wished he’d consider it sooner rather than later, because I know how much it would mean to him (Vader). For Joanie (Chyna), I love the fact that she is mentioned on WWE, that they show her in videos and I hope it’s a sign that one day she’ll be in.”
Vader sent out a tweet over the weekend that seemed to suggest that he was retiring. The former WCW World Champion replied to his own tweet, saying that he hasn’t wrestled his last match. He seemed to get kick out of the attention his tweet garnered, adding, “Love it when u got them guessing.” He is advertised for WLW’s event on June 17th in Troy, MO, as well as AML Wrestling’s show in Hickory, NC on June 25th.
With Great Sorrow I leave my first born my greatest love of All for a chance to exist inthe same plain of existance of my Gr Ch yet to exist
WWE and WCW legend Big Van Vader apparently announced his retirement from professional wrestling over the weekend on Twitter. In the post, Vader expressed sadness of leaving his “greatest love of all” for a chance to see his grandchildren some day.
With Great Sorrow I leave my first born my greatest love of All for a chance to exist inthe same plain of existance of my Gr Ch yet to exist
If this is indeed a retirement announcement, we have Vader last working in a six-man tag team match with Keiji Muto & AKIRA against Fujinami, Riki Choshu & Shiro Koshinaka at Korakuen Hall in Japan back in April. Vader passed out after the match due to an apparent head injury he suffered during the bout.
Vader announced on Twitter last November he only had two years to live due to suffering from congestive heart failure. He later expressed regret for making the tweets.
Vader’s career began in the American Wrestling Association in the mid-1980s and he won the IWGP Heavyweight title at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s first Tokyo Dome show on April 24, 1989. Vader came to WCW in 1990 but was used sparingly as he was still working on Japan. He first won the WCW Heavyweight Championship in 1992 when he beat Sting at the Great American Bash.
Vader debuted with WWE (then WWF) at Royal Rumble 1996, where he worked until 1998. He was rejuvenated in Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah until 2002. Since then, he’s made sporadic appearances including with TNA in 2003 and 2015 and with WWE in 2005, 2012 and 2016.
If Vader’s career is over, his resume includes being a two-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion (All Japan Pro Wrestling), three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion (New Japan Pro Wrestling), three-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, among many other titles and accolades. In 1993, Pro Wrestling Illustrated named him “Wrestler of the Year.”
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