1. Was Supposed To Beat Shawn Michaels At SummerSlam '96
Story: At SummerSlam 1996, Vader faced Shawn Michaels for the WWF Heavyweight Title. Michaels had earlier won the belt from Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII, and the feud with Vader seemed designed to paint him as more of a tough guy than he had been before. Nonetheless, the story goes that Vader was originally designed to win the strap from Michaels at the event. That wouldn't end up happening, and Shawn retained. There's a rumour that had Vader won the title, he would have dropped it back to Michaels at Survivor Series. Vader would never win the WWF Title, but he would have several more matches contesting it. Why People Believe It: The story going into the match between Vader and Shawn Michaels was very much 'David vs. Goliath'. Vader was a monster, and Michaels would have to do something very special to beat him. It's entirely believable that the WWF would have booked their new main event talent to defeat Michaels, giving the babyface hero something to chase. Should We Believe It: Communication wasn't great between both men. According to Jim Cornette, Shawn didn't enjoy working with Vader, due to his stiff style in the ring. There's a chance that Vader was originally booked to bag the belt, but maybe Michaels persuaded Vince McMahon to change the plans during their rivalry. What other Vader urban legends do you know? Did you know about any of the ones on this list? Let us know what you think down in the comments section!
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.