Big Van Vader or simply Vader was one of the toughest and strongest competitors during his time. He was heavily built and was billed at 450 lb.
Vader was known for the various aerial moves that he had in his repertoire and performed with considerable ease, something that is rare for a man his size.
His diving moonsault was voted the “Best Wrestling Maneuver” of 1993 by Wrestling Observer Newsletter readers. In his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) stint, Vader won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on three occasions. He also won the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship once.
Across the various promotions he had wrestled in, the big man became a world champion on 13 instances. Before becoming a professional wrestler, he was a professional football player. Vader had many notable feuds with the top wrestlers in his time. The likes of Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Kane, and many more had memorable rivalry and matches with the man who was trained by Brad Rheingans. Vader passed away at the age of 63 on June 18, 2018, in Denver, Colorado.
Big Van Vader in the WWE Hall of Fame
Big Van Vader was officially inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2022.
Vader’s son Jesse accompanied by his mother, Debra, came to the ring during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 1. Jesse inducted his father into the Hall of Fame and said that if there was a Hall of Fame for being a father, Vader would have been in it a long time back.
The other names who were inducted into the Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2022 were Queen Sharmell, The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner), and The Undertaker. Shad Gaspard was posthumously awarded the Warrior Award.
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