Image: World Wrestling Entertainment
Professional wrestler Leon White, more popularly known as “Vader,” passed away on the evening of June 18.
White’s death appears to have been caused by a severe case of pneumonia. A tweet posted on June 20 by the wrestler’s son on White’s Twitter account said he was diagnosed around a month ago. Despite making progress to recover since then, White’s heart eventually gave out at around 7:25 p.m. on June 18.
Image: Twitter/@itsvadertime
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE) paid tribute to the fallen legend with a statement that summarized his career in the world of sports-entertainment.
Leon “Vader” White entered the world of professional wrestling in the mid-1980s after retiring from the National Football League (NFL) due to injury. He started out in Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association where he steadily earned prominence. He would later join New Japan Pro Wrestling and be reborn as the masked Big Van Vader. He became one of the biggest stars during his time.
Vader then moved to World Championship Wrestling where he became a three-time WCW World Champion. Fans would be reminded of his rivalry with fellow pro wrestlers Sting and Ron Simmons.
Vader would later join WWE in 1996 to square off with pro wrestling superstars such as The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
WWE commentator and former pro wrestler Mick Foley dedicated a long Facebook post today to his departed friend. In it Foley reiterated the foreword he wrote for Vader’s upcoming book.
“It was almost impossible not to feel a sense of sympathy for an opponent of Leon White during his career as Vader. To me, he was the most believable, most talented “monster” wrestler of his generation. No one was better at being the immovable object, that inpenetrable wall than Leon White,” wrote Foley.
In 2016, Foley also campaigned for Vader to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by 2017. In the same year, Foley also learned that Vader had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Doctors gave Vader less than two years left to live. Looking back at this and Vader’s long career in pro wrestling, Foley wondered why his friend has yet to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Image: Facebook/Mick Foley
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