15 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Vader
6. Why He Soured On Hulk Hogan
On paper, Big Van Vader should've been a dream rival for Hulk Hogan. Leon was exactly the kind of big monster that Hulk earned millions slaying over in the WWF during his peak in the 1980s, but the pair never really saw eye to eye. However, they were willing to do business together until one precise moment changed White's relationship with Hogan.
Vader was told to plant Hogan with a powerbomb in the middle of the ring during a Clash Of The Champions angle pre-SuperBrawl 1995, then stand over him looking dominant, but Hulk no sold the move and got back to his feet instantly. Vader said in 1998: “This is how these guys get over. They backstab you”. He wasn’t happy about it, and the word "they" suggests he wasn't chuffed with Randy Savage's involvement in the booking either.
Debra's comments during the show hint that she knew her husband didn’t care for Hogan, so this must’ve been a regular topic of conversation at home. Then, there's Jim Ross. He says it was all ego on both sides, which is something he's certainly well versed to speak on after years of working as the head of Talent Relations in the WWF/WWE.
Behind the scenes, by 1995, Vader's time in WCW was coming to a natural end. An incident at the old Power Plant with Paul Orndorff brought everything to a head. The pair brawled, Orndorff came out on top, and Leon's dominant aura was dulled. That's when he jumped to the WWF in early-1996 for a run that proved to be underwhelming.
Did Hogan push him out of WCW? Not completely, but it's true that Vader didn't enjoy working with the company's new meal ticket.