4. Left WCW Because Hulk Hogan Didn't Want To Work With Him
Story: One of Hulk Hogan's first big opponents (after Ric Flair) in WCW was Big Van Vader. In the Summer of 1995, the pair met in a Steel Cage Match to headline the now-annual Bash At The Beach Pay-Per-View. During the bout, Vader stiffed Hulk on more than one occasion. This didn't sit well with the Hulkster, who immediately side-stepped the idea of working opposite Vader ever again. This would be Leon White's last WCW Pay-Per-View appearance. Even though he was included in the opening video package of the first episode of Monday Nitro, he joined the WWF shortly afterwards. Why People Believe It: It's believable that Hulk Hogan wouldn't be interested in taking a legitimate pasting from Vader during matches. Vader's in-ring style has always been hard-hitting, and many fans believe Hulk wasn't up for that at this point in his career. Should We Believe It: No, it's not accurate to say that matches with Hulk Hogan directly led to Vader leaving World Championship Wrestling. On the contrary, Vader was initially scheduled to be part of the big 'War Games' match involving Hulk at Fall Brawl 1995.
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.
