Oh, it’s time. It’s time. It’s hall of fame time for Big Van Vader.
Billed at 6-foot-5 and 450 pounds, the late masked pro-wrestling monster — known outside the squared circle as Leon White — will be posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1 in Dallas during WrestleMania week, the company announced Monday. He is the second person named to the 2022 class along with The Undertaker.
Bleacher Report first reported the story.
Vader’s pro-wrestling career spanned 30-plus years where he was a star in both Japan and the United States. In New Japan Pro Wrestling, he became the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the IWGP heavyweight championship, a belt he claimed on three separate occasions. He also won the world title in World Championship Wrestling three separate times in the ’90s, feuding with stars such as Sting and Ric Flair.
White was an offensive lineman at the University of Colorado from 1973-77 where he lettered at guard, tackle and center. According to CUBuffs.com, he is believed to be the only player in Big Eight history to accomplish the feat. He was selected by the Rams in the third round of the 1978 NFL draft, but his career was short-lived after injury issues forced him into retirement.
White died on June 20, 2018 from complications due to pneumonia. He was 63.
“Leon was such a unique personality,” former teammate Dave Logan said in 2018. “A good guy, and the kind of guy that once you became his friend, you were his friend forever. He was a real talented athlete, the only guy I can remember who was all-conference at all three positions. Just a really big, strong young athletically talented big man for a 270-pound lineman in the mid-70s.”
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