MAJOR Wrestling Stars Who Jumped Ship (...And FLOPPED!)
2. Vader (WCW > WWF)
When: 1996
Why He Flopped: Leon White wasn't the same romping, stomping monster he'd been in Japan or in WCW when he landed on the WWF's doorstep in early-1996. Looking back, folks like Bruce Prichard and Jim Ross believe Big Van Vader's confidence had taken a knock following a backstage fight with Paul Orndorff before jumping.
Being fair, Vader was hampered by injuries too when Vince McMahon decided to debut him at the '96 Royal Rumble anyway. The big man asked to wait, but bosses wanted some return on their investment ASAP. A thumping angle with then-on screen authority figure Gorilla Monsoon wrote the new heel off TV 24 hours later.
It was all downhill from there.
Vader struggled to jive with resident poster boy Shawn Michaels during their World Title feud, and he was also finding it hard to keep his weight in check. The WWF acted by sending Leon to a clinic, but it didn't work. His entire two-year stint was rife with missed opportunities, wasted potential and a lack of true faith from higher-ups.