15 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Vader

It's weirdly ignored that Vince McMahon debuted new monster Vader at the 1996 Royal Rumble despite the fact Leon needed surgery. McMahon wanted his new hire on screen ASAP, so Vader appeared in the Rumble match then got kayfabe suspended for attacking beloved authority figure Gorilla on Raw the next night. It was an auspicious, albeit newsworthy start for the big man.

A subsequent summertime feud with poster boy Shawn Michaels failed to reap the results the WWF wanted. At SummerSlam '96, Vader either didn't hear HBK telling him to move before an elbow drop, or he forgot the spot. Furious, Michaels landed on his feet, viciously stomped Leon hard on the face, and screamed at him. For that, Jim Cornette still thinks Shawn is "an unprofessional f***ing a**hole".

Never one to tell people his true opinion, is Jim.

Seriously though, it's easy to see both sides of the coin with this one. Sure, Shawn was known for his diva-esque behaviour and histrionics at the time. He was also feeling the pressure as WWF Champion, so it's believable that he'd go over the top. However, Cornette himself relented that Vader was dangerous, super stiff and had injured several wrestlers during matches for real stretching back to his days in Japan.

So, can HBK really be blamed for not wanting to be roughed up by Leon?! Michaels was the WWF Champ, and he didn't want to get hurt. What was the alternative? Get pummelled for real every night just to prove he was tough and bow to Vader's mega-stiff style without saying anything?

That was never going to happen, but it's interesting that 'Dark Side' portrays Shawn as the bad guy in all of this.