10 Wrestling Gimmicks Originally Designed For Other Wrestlers
8. Big Van Vader – Sid/Warrior
When the Big Van Vader character was created by New Japan Pro Wrestling in the late 1980s, the success achieved by Leon White as the colossal, dominating juggernaut made him an instant hit with the wrestling world. With such resounding success, it’s hard to imagine anyone else under the mask of Vader; however, it may surprise some to hear that Leon White was not first choice.
A product of Japanese folklore, Big Van Vader was designed to be an unstoppable warrior from the very get go. With such a description, it’s unsurprising that one of the men considered for the role was none other than the Ultimate Warrior himself, Jim Hellwig. However, then wrestling as the Dingo Warrior in World Class Championship Wrestling, Hellwig would soon wind up in the World Wrestling Federation and go on to forge a Hall of Fame career in his own right.
Undeterred, New Japan would move their attention to Sid Vicious who was also strongly considered for the role; however, Antonio Inoki and co ultimately opted for Leon White at the suggestion of Brad Rheingans. White made his debut as Big Van Vader in December of 1987 by defeating Japanese legend Antonio Inoki in just three minutes and “The Mastadon” never looked back.