21 Wrestlers Who Died In 2018

After being hospitalised for a month with pneumonia, Leon 'Vader' White died on 18 June at the age of 63. He had been beset by health problems for many of the previous years.

Throughout the '90s, Vader gained many admirers from the hardcore sect of the wrestling fandom for his immense credibility in a sea of cartoonish North American wrestling. His stiff series of matches in WCW with Sting, Ric Flair and in particular, Cactus Jack, built Vader's reputation - but it was in Japan where he was immortalised.

The immense gaijin was an instant star in the Far East, excelling in both AJPW and NJPW, as well as the country's numerous fringe shoot promotions. As legitimate though his offence was, Vader understood the pantomime of the business just as well, grasping each aspect with both of his considerable gloved hands.

Though unanimously regarded as one of the industry's greatest ever big men, Vader was unusually unable to crack the WWF - a league where wrestlers of his stature were usually guaranteed a success. In his later life, White aired regrets at refusing to change his name to appease Vince McMahon's whims, pointing it out as the key factor in his Stamford failure. His ultra-stiff style - much to the chagrin of champ Shawn Michaels - didn't help his cause.

Despite suffering with multiple health issues after his top-level run ended, Vader continued to make sporadic independent appearances up to the year before his death.

An inverse of the old adage that the greatest wrestlers are extensions of their real selves, Vader was widely regarded in the industry as a soft, generous man. His passing left a sizeable hole in the industry.