In the months before his death, ex-WWE star Vader received routine visits and phone calls from one of his old wrestling pals … Sting — and Vader’s family says the relationship is nothing short of a blessing. TMZ Sports spoke with Jesse…
Showing posts with label Vader. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vader. Show all posts
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Vader Dies; WWE Legend Was 63
Leon White, who rose to fame inside the squared circle of professional wrestling under the name “Vader,” died on Monday after a two-year battle with congestive heart failure.
He was 63 years old.
This sad piece of news was made public by Vader’s son, who wrote the following on his famous father’s Twitter account:
“It is with a heavy heart to inform everyone that my father, Leon White, passed away on Monday night (6/18/18) at approximately 7:25pm.
“Around a month ago my father was diagnosed with a severe case of Pneumonia. He fought extremely hard and clinically was making progress.
“Unfortunately, on Monday night his heart had enough and it was his time.”
According to TMZ, Vader had undergone open heart surgery this past March and he appeared to be doing well.
However, his health took a turn for the worse over the past few weeks and he was unable to recover.
Prior to breaking into the wrestling industy, Vader was a star football player at the University of Colorado, twice earning All-American honors as an offensive lineman.
The big man was even drafted by the Rams in the thirrd round of the 1978 NFL Draft and played in Super Bowl XIV against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As a professional grapper, Vader was a major attraction around the globe, becoming a three-time WCW heavyweight champ and battling such legends as The Undertaker and Kane in the WWE.
Vader even made television appearances on shows such as Baywatch and Boy Meets World.
Nicknamed The Mastodon, Vader was considered by many to be the best, most versatile wrestler of his size in WWE history.
His heart condition was discovered after he visited two doctors because he was knocked unconscious for over half an hour following a car accident.
In April of 2017, he passed out during a match in Japan due to a head injury and had not wrestled since.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Leon White, better known to WWE audiences as Vader, passed away Monday night at the age of 63,” Tweeted the company after news of Vader’s death went viral.
WWE Diva Paige, meanwhile, simply wrote “RIP Vader” on Twitter, while Bubba Ray Dudley added “RIP BIG MAN.”
Our condolences go out to Vader’s friends, family members and loved ones.
This death comes about two months after the tragic passing of Bruno Sammartino, another WWE legend.
We’ve rundown a number of sad and notable wrestling deaths in the gallery above
May they all rest in peace.
WWE Legend Vader Dies From Heart Complications
Ex-WWE superstar Vader has died … after a two-year battle with congestive heart failure. He was 63. Vader’s son broke the news on social media saying, “Around a month ago my father was diagnosed with a severe case of Pneumonia. He fought…
Monday, April 16, 2018
WWE Legend Vader Shows Off Gnarly Open-Heart Surgery Scar
Ex-WWE superstar Vader is doing so well after his open-heart surgery in March, he’s showing off the scar … and even cracking jokes about it! Vader — real name Leon White — had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure back in 2016 and…
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Totally Awesome Father Awakens Son as Darth Vader
The father featured in the following video has given an entirely new meaning to The Force Awakens.
He opens the footage by explaining that the house is asleep and that his plan is to wake up his son the following morning… while dressed as the epitome of evil.
Darth Vader.
What does he need to accomplish this hilarious goal?
Black pants. Black shoes. Black gloves. A black cape. A black long sleeve shirt. And shin guards.
Oh, also a shoulder pad. An imperial jock strap. A two-piece helmet. And a light saber.
And his wife"s permission, of course. That"s the most important thing of all.
Seriously, this guy is NOT messing around.
How does little son Sebastian react upon being awoken by Darth Vader?
He"s confused at first. But it doesn"t take him long to grab his own light saber and begin to fight…
… until he then grabs a couple books and insists on just sitting and reading with Darth Vader.
Which we guess it"s pretty brave when you think about it. And definitely adorable.
This is easily one of our favorite videos ever.
There"s a reason why it"s been viewed well over one million times.
See for yourself now:
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