My Take
Vader is one of those wrestlers who genuinely makes you question the laws of physics — the man was 6'4" and built like a cement mixer, yet he'd launch himself off the top rope like it was nothing. Leon White came up through college football at Colorado before reinventing himself as one of the most feared big men in the history of professional wrestling, tearing through New Japan, WCW, and beyond with that helmet, the steam shooting out of his mask, and that terrifying combination of raw power and surprising agility. What always got me was how over he was in Japan — American wrestlers earning that level of respect from Japanese crowds is rare, and Vader earned every bit of it. His WWF run never quite did him justice, but his legacy in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame tells the real story. Gone in 2018, but that crushing body splash lives forever.
Overview
Leon Allen White (May 14, 1955 – June 18, 2018), better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and professional football player. During his career, he performed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Catch Wrestling Association (CWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), and Pro Wrestling Noah durin…
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Leon Allen White
- Name (Japanese)
- ビッグバン・ベイダー
- Reading
- びっぐばん・べいだー
- Born
- May 14, 1955 – June 18, 2018
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Goat
- Origin
- Lynwood, California, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 196 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / professional wrestler / television actor / film actor / American football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Bell High School
- University
- University of Colorado Boulder
Awards & achievements
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.