10 More Superstars Who Had Better Careers Outside WWE

3. Vader/Big Van Vader

Leon White, a.k.a. Vader, is one of the best big men in wrestling history. Standing at 6€™5 and weighing between 400 and 450 lbs., Vader was able to brawl with the best of them, while at the same time being able to perform impressive aerial moves, including his Vadersault diving Moonsault. Think about that: a 450lbs. mammoth of a human being capable of doing a diving backflip in midair and landing on top of his opponents. Vader was a big star in both Japan and in the United States. He held the WCW Championship on 3 separate occasions, New Japan Pro Wrestling€™s IWGP Championship 3 times, and All Japan Pro Wrestling€™s Triple Crown Championship twice. Each one of those is a considerable accomplishment. Given his star power, coupled with his sheer size and maneuverability, Vader should have been a top star in the WWF. He fit the bill almost perfectly; though not overly muscular, he was strong and a capable worker. So why was his career so lackluster? According to Jim Cornette, it was due to backstage politics. He was meant to have a world title run, but he ran afoul Shawn Michaels and his Clique, and his main event push was over. There was also the Kuwait incident, where Vader physically threatened a Kuwaiti TV show host, after calling wrestling fake in front of both Vader and the Undertaker. That particular fiasco would lead to Vader being arrested and fined. Finally, there was also the issue of his weight. 300 lbs. is already heavy, even by WWE standards; being over 400 lbs. is never a good thing. The WWE at the time reportedly tried to get him to lose weight (just like they tried with Yokozuna, who was tipping the scales at over 600 lbs.), but he refused to go along with it. This weight issue is also what led WWE to release other heavyset stars like Big Daddy V and Rikishi, whose respective weights were reaching unhealthy levels. Ultimately, Vader€™s WWF run was characterized by a feud with the Undertaker, a spot on the Canada vs. USA traditional Survivor Series team at Survivor Series 1997, a Mask vs. Mask match against Kane, and a Slammy Award for attacking Gorilla Monsoon. Considering how good he can be in the ring, that kind of a career does a great disservice to what he could have done inside a WWF ring. It is a real shame that Vader was not used properly in WWF. He had everything Vince needed in a big star. Then again, he was a very accomplished star in Japan as well, where the fans respect ability over character. Maybe Vader should€™ve stayed in Japan the whole time, instead of going to work for Vince McMahon.