His run there may have been disappointing but at least he redeemed himself in Noah afterwards. His matches with Misawa & Kobashi are definitely worth tracking down.
Mostly All Japan just before the NOAH exodus, but yes. Vader was booked as the foreign monster heel that could only be taken out by the great Misawa. Those matches are prototypical AJPW: Stiff, dramatic, fantastic.
During Shawn's tantrum you can see Vader mouth "I'm sorry" as he gets his head stomped, and it broke my heart. Leon was apparently a really sweet guy in real life, he deserved better.
@@PlayStopRewindFilms Yeah, Vader wasn't exactly a saint by any means. I have no idea why so many revisionists claim that Vader was hurt by Hogan and Michaels, when anyone watching at the time could easily point the finger at something else. Too many people read Death of WCW and take it as the gospel truth. Michaels was indeed pissed during their match and reacted. But to treat this as something that is exclusive to Shawn is ridiculous when Vader himself threw a fit when Shamrock was being reckless with some kicks and suckerpunched Shamrock. Wait...did I say reckless? I meant "snug". You know that word people use about Vader while claiming that Shawn was being a primadonna about not wanting to lose an ear like Foley. God forbid that Vader..ya know lighten up. I guess working "snug" is the reputation of Vaderbombing dozens of people in a way that injures their backs or causes them to go unconscious on impact. What a pussy Shawn is! As far as Vader not getting a bigger push or the plan changing following SummerSlam, one thing that wasn't noted was quite honestly that Vader wasn't over the way he should have been. Honestly Camp Cornette was pretty bland despite the talent involved. I genuinely don't see what the problem was with the switch to Sid. Shawn wasn't cutting it as champ, Vader wasn't seen as major, but you had Sid getting these insane reactions. Seems like the right move to me.
There is an interview with Vader where explains the Kuwait situation. He claims the shows producers came to them and asked them to do that. They gave them a list of questions. The last one being "Is wrestling fake?". At which point they wanted them to react to the host. The catch being that nobody from the show told the host that his was going to happen. So what you were getting was his genuine reaction. Afterwards the host went a filed charges against Vader. Vader explained between the cops and show producers that it was staged and the let Vader out of jail but due to it being a holiday the paperwork couldn't get processed until after the holiday. Vader ended up staying in a really nice resort with all of his stuff getting paid for by the Kuwaitis.
@@earlusmcdivett Search for video titled "Vader - When I Threatened Kuwait TV Host on WWF Tour & Got Arrested" on the Title Match Wrestling TH-cam channel. Do a little research before calling someone a liar, buddy.
I meet Vader at New Jacks retirement, he was one of the sweetest individuals I’ve ever meet, he was literally a giant teddy bear. He was a victim of Vince hates WCW booking, look at Dusty Rhodes, The Big Show, the list goes on, and on. So sad for fans that only know him from WWE. The Stan Hansen vs Vader match you mentioned from New Japan is a must see, his best match might of been with the Great Muta in New Japan.
@@ryanwebb5082 I think they're referring to the first several years pf Show. He didn't get popular with WWE booking to the point of titles until late 2000s etc etc
It seems like almost every career has a decline when they run into Hulk Hogan brother! You either do the job now or ya do the job later, but remember brother ya gonna do the job brother!
@@smittywerbenjagermanjensen4737 He DID say ALMOST every career. Rock was okay, and Shawn recovered. It took Bret almost a year to start recovering his career after what Hogan pulled at WM9.
I've always heard Vader was told by a producer to act like that, but didn't want the host to know to make it look more real. Then the producer denied it to keep his own job after the cops were called. That's why undertaker never flinched
Perhaps but Vader would have been smarter to not go along with it, Far too many things could go wrong leading to the host being badly injured. And attacking a non-wrestler whose not trained to take hits safely can never be a good idea IMO.
I laughed so hard when WWE announced that "mask vs mask" match. My friends all looked at each other, and one of us finally spoke up, "sooo...Vader is going to lose that one, right?". Lol
But by 97 Shawn wasn't bending over the right way anymore. But in seriousness, Shawn was far too talented to get rid of and the only guy at the time aside form Bret Hart that was worthy of being the top guy plus there was WCW breathing down WWF's neck. That's why Vince was so lenient with him.
It's amazing how many people who have zero connection to any of this still believe this insane "Vince and Shawn were fuck buddies" silliness. Nobody has ever suggested that either of them were gay, but it's 2020, so why let facts get in the way of people's conspiracy fantasies 😂
Ya Boy Guzma 🤣 I know it’s a chance that’s actually how life works but could you imagine for a sec that one night time just totally freezes for a sec then all the problems are gone? 🤣
Vader was used the same way every monster heel is used in WWE: A constant threat for maineventers but never a real maineventer himself. He went the same way like Yokozuna, Kane, Umaga or recently Samoa Joe. They were attractions for themselves and never needed big titles to be remembered. Could be worse. Dungeon of Doom and jobbing for Hogan for example.
Vader was an amazing heel. His career in the WWF once and for all proved that Vince and company were not in fact geniuses, Vader had so much potential and quality. WWF dropped the ball big time.
Agreed, but part of it is Vader's fault, I heard he was a very stiff worker and guys like HBK at the time didn't want anything to do with that style so he never worked in the main event save for SS 1996 and that was it, he'd been sliding ever since then.
@Se Se I don't know if he tried to correct it, I don't remember hearing that any where, your sources? I agree with everything you said about Michaels, I don't know if Shawn had him "wrapped around his finger" at the time but he certainly was in Vince's ear at the time. Shawn was the champion and Vince catered to him because of that, remember business was down when Shawn was Champion and at the time Shawn could always play the WCW card, and he did at one point or he tried to. I heard that Vince talked him out of it. Any way I'm sure he got special treatment being Vince's Champion and main draw at the time. I think it was deserved no? Vader was a newcomer in the WWF and as I said Shawn had busted his ass to get to where he was at. Yeah I heard from Bret that Vader was a big teddy bear on the inside and you could hurt his feelings easily. I wonder if he deserves sympathy, there is the Kuwait incident which he (Leon) claims was a work, and Vader was a pro by the time he came to the WWE, so you think he'd have learned full well how to work and he shouldn't have had to "correct" anything, I don't expect perfection but he should have known how to work to the point where he wasn't hurting or injuring anyone or being "stiff", something Bret, prided himself on.
One of my all time favorites. Total freak of nature. He gave hope to fat kids everywhere. I remember being proud when my JV football teammates called me Vader when assigning wrestler identities to guys on our team. Shame he didn't work out in WWF/E.
My mind is officially blown.. hearing Paul orndoff had one good arm is insane since I once had found an Paul orndoff rubber wrestler figure missing an arm!
Fun fact! My first ever WWE event was the night before taboo Tuesday 2005 haha, I got to see Vader trip up close and personal being in the front row. Best night of my childhood
Nah, man, the Mask Match still makes sense. You said it yourself, a masked wrestler's mask is a big deal - it is a major part of the identity, and losing it is a big blow to the Character. Even if we could already see most of Vader's face, his willingness to put the mask on the line still means something. In addition, this is a type of match that only Vader and Kane could have, and his reaction after the loss feels real - like a man that bet everything and then LOST everything. Although, I'll agree, they should have made him use a different Mask afterwards.
He tried working with pneumonia?? I’ve had pneumonia and I was incapacitated for 10 days and in hospital for 7 of those days on oxygen!! Sometimes you just have to say no and do what’s best for your health.
These videos are definitely my favourite of yours, Brian. I love learning about these wrestlers that I've only ever heard of and have never really seen. Thanks.
Back in the Day when i started the wrestling training, my coaches said: "When you want to work Big Man Style, watch everything what Vader has done." In my opinion he was one of the Best Big Man who ever worked in the squared circle, but his WWF run was just a big disappointment. Rest in Peace
Real Josh AJ has alot of juice in the tank and WWE gives him stuff to do. Even though he made his name in Japan, the Independent Circuit and Impact, Styles gets top star treatment every week and Vince admits he’s fantastic even for a guy who’s 5’10
One of the best parts of my week is coming home from work on Wednesday and sitting back to watch the new Brian Zane video while I unwind. Thanks for what you do man!
He was a Hall of Famer before he ever stepped foot in WWF. And he did have some great moments: attacking Monsoon, Final Four, shooting against the Kuwait reporter (which I thought was awesome).
Vader was a victim of HBK and VKM in my eyes. Vince didn't like he wouldn't rename himself to Mastodon because Vince's moto was We don't hire Superstars, we Create them. Also HBK was HBK.. his politicking selfish self at the max at that point. What really pisses me off about this is as much of a Sham the WWE Hall of Fame is, Vince refuses to put Vader in it even after learning Vader was more or less going to die in a few years even despite Mick Foley pushing for it. Ohhh but he allowed Vader to induct Stan Hansen.
I think it's a good thing he's not in the WWE hall of fame because that shit is a pathetic joke, much like how the WWE cares about it's family, as seen in this recent disaster
@Mean Bob There are a lot of people who deserve to be there if they consider it an honor. However due to VKM being VKM they never will be or not till after they die which makes you wonder about Vince's ability to forgive, more so when things were his fault.. like all the wrestlers involved in the Concussion Law suit Vs WWE. Demolition and One Man Gang come to mind. You know OMG lost his house to a massive hurricane sometime back and not a peep from WWE about it? Someone mentioned it on Squared circle on Reddit and his family started a donation site for it.. the good news is They raised enough money to deal with the problem.. but it still pisses me off WWE didn't step up to help him.
@@PapaBear816 lmao…Why should Vince McMahon and the WWE help out OMG when he lost his home? Just because he USE to work for them? That’s not how it works, they paid him very well while he actually did work for them and they DON’T own OMG or any other past wrestlers a dime. Sounds harsh I know, but the WWE is NOT a charity, they’re a FOR PROFIT company. I use to work for Walmart, if I lost my home, I doubt they would help me, even though they’re a company that makes billions and I’ve worked for them for years, but I don’t work for them now, so they ain’t going to help. So again why should WWE be expected to help? Sorry mark, that’s not how the world works. Would it have been nice of them to help? Of course, but in no way are they obligated to do so, sorry to play “Devil’s advocate,” but sometimes that’s the role you play when you can perfectly understand the world isn’t nice.
@@Musiclover19 Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Conservative thinking Fort Width. A man who gave like the Gang did to WWE, and why should the multi billion dollar company he gave heart and soul to, Help him with 30k to get his house fixed. Yea, Such a kind soul you are. Keeping in mind WWE has done more for other superstars in the name of being " Good " You see that road over there, it leads to Fuck off Ville, can you go all the way down there and fuck all the way off? Thanks :)
Yay!!! I’ve been waiting for this one!! Hopefully he’s able to do: Legion of Doom 2000 Chavo Guerrero (2005 until his WWE departure) Mr. Kennedy WWF in 1995 Top 8 worst guest hosts The mishandling of JR Sin Cara The Rise and Fall of Rusev Shinsuke Nakamura
Underrated Vader moment was when he Started fighting kane during Kanes inferno match with the Undertaker. That Undertaker top rope leap over the ropes and fire and landing on Kane and Vader is still one a my favorite spots.
The amazing thing was the second he left WWF, he was putting on 4+ star classics in AJPW with Kobashi/Kawada/Misawa/Akiyama, and he had a great match with Inoki too in 99-00 area
@@RoyStantz yeah I think that if it wasn't because he teamed up with Road dogg or Chuck palumbo he would had been released after parting ways from Bart Gunn
Yeah, I've heard Cornette and Ross talk about how he wouldn't wash his tights. There's a funny story out there about how his wife gave him shit over it, too.
NBR. It’s not new at all. It’s been very well documented by other wrestlers that he had poor hygiene. Bam Bam Bigelow is often accused of it as well. His mask was infamously smelly as well.
Holy shit finally a long form video. I honestly only watch this and classical ppv reviews. I could care less about current wrestling. Thank you, your comedy has been missed.
Vader was one of the most scariest heels. I remember when he splashed Gorilla Monsoon, I wanted to see him beaten badly for that, and it was then I realized he was a phenomenal heel. I really feel bad for how things went down for him in the WWF. It’s interesting, reading through a lot of the comments that people posted about him, he seemed like a very nice likable guy outside the ring.
To be fair to Shawn (just barely since this is 1996 HBK we're talking about), Bret Hart also hated working with Vader because of how stiff he was. He was really better suited for Japan than North American wrestling. It's a shame things didn't work out in the Federation for him, but he still has his legacy intact despite this lackluster run.
Shawn has been a massive douche for his whole career but I don't think 'Can you not stiff me?' is exactly politicking or particularly unreasonable. A lot of that whole thing has been blown up by Corny, bless the guy, who tends to decry things done by guys he hates but lauds them when they're done by guys he likes. Bruiser Brody acts unprofessional, shows the fans he's there but doesn't wanna work to show his displeasure with the producer? Hahaha, classic Brody! Shawn Michaels does the same basic thing but in the back stage? Unprofessional douchebag. So when the stories of Vader being politicked out of a good career in WWF are hitting the rounds, take it with a grain of salt. It's likely! It's very believable, and probably true, but if the reason he was 'politicked' out of a good career is 'refusing to NOT stiff top stars'... well. No one's ever praised Bob Holly or JBL for it either.
As a guy from Bremen, My older brother told me all about the stories of Vaders (at that time called Bull Power) time in Otto Wanz's CWA. He together with Fit Finlay and Jushin Thunder Liger would walk the streets constantly and sign autographs to anyone who asks. Bremen was kinda like the New York of Germany in the 80s and early 90s, as there was no bigger crowd for Wrestling in this country and we could also be considered a bit smarky. Too bad everything went to shit by the late 90s. But in any case, Vader will always be my favorite big man of all time.
I watched an old interview with him and he said guys complained about his style. The two guys he hinted at were Taker and Shawn Michaels. I’m curious who it was .
@@wrestlingwithart And was on a house show. WCW DID ban at least parts of a Worldwide match though in that same year (1994), for it being too violent for TV. Perhaps you may be thinking of that.
That issue was entirely WCW's fault. Because they forgot something even local indies know: You need a ring crew. You can't just hire randoms with no experience to set up your ring and expect things to go right.
That makes zero sense...if they wanted to reference it, they could have created a massive angle out of it. When in wrestling could you have found a feud where one guy legitimately deformed another guy, who could then get revenge? That's pure gold.
Imagine had they booked him well in 1996, Vader would've been one of the biggest heel in the company by 1998. An Austin vs. Vader program in 1998 would be so great to watch.
The new editing/editor is so dope, definitely breathing life into this new season
Well the old editing was nothing more than basic cuts
@@chabbab6698 Fair enough 😅, but a little flair goes a long way
Thanks, I agree!
@@ghostiegoogoo Is it better than Wondershare? That's what I use to make videos.
I kinda miss Windows Movie Maker. :(
@@WrestlingWithWregret YEAH Dude! You need to keep this style! It's perfect..
His run there may have been disappointing but at least he redeemed himself in Noah afterwards.
His matches with Misawa & Kobashi are definitely worth tracking down.
Mostly All Japan just before the NOAH exodus, but yes. Vader was booked as the foreign monster heel that could only be taken out by the great Misawa.
Those matches are prototypical AJPW: Stiff, dramatic, fantastic.
The lesson to take here seems to be to avoid wrestling for Vince if you became famous somewhere else
Ryan Parreno AJ Styles debuted at the Royal Rumble in 2016 and he’s doing good stuff since
Danny Blxck2 one of very few.
Danny Blxck2 Because AJ is too good to be held down. It didn’t look good early on,remember they kept comparing him to a pitbull cause he was short.
During Shawn's tantrum you can see Vader mouth "I'm sorry" as he gets his head stomped, and it broke my heart. Leon was apparently a really sweet guy in real life, he deserved better.
Can't say i can say the same. He often made bookings to independent wrestling promotions and made them pay for it in advance and no showed.
Where are you getting that false info. He was am asshole who kept injuring everyone with his reckless style
He purposely tried to hurt enhancement talent sweet guy my ass
Orlando Perez Steiners as well but are you bitching about that?
@@PlayStopRewindFilms
Yeah, Vader wasn't exactly a saint by any means. I have no idea why so many revisionists claim that Vader was hurt by Hogan and Michaels, when anyone watching at the time could easily point the finger at something else. Too many people read Death of WCW and take it as the gospel truth.
Michaels was indeed pissed during their match and reacted. But to treat this as something that is exclusive to Shawn is ridiculous when Vader himself threw a fit when Shamrock was being reckless with some kicks and suckerpunched Shamrock.
Wait...did I say reckless? I meant "snug". You know that word people use about Vader while claiming that Shawn was being a primadonna about not wanting to lose an ear like Foley. God forbid that Vader..ya know lighten up. I guess working "snug" is the reputation of Vaderbombing dozens of people in a way that injures their backs or causes them to go unconscious on impact. What a pussy Shawn is!
As far as Vader not getting a bigger push or the plan changing following SummerSlam, one thing that wasn't noted was quite honestly that Vader wasn't over the way he should have been. Honestly Camp Cornette was pretty bland despite the talent involved. I genuinely don't see what the problem was with the switch to Sid. Shawn wasn't cutting it as champ, Vader wasn't seen as major, but you had Sid getting these insane reactions. Seems like the right move to me.
Glad he got honored in the Hall Of Fame this year. He deserves to be praised.
There is an interview with Vader where explains the Kuwait situation. He claims the shows producers came to them and asked them to do that. They gave them a list of questions. The last one being "Is wrestling fake?". At which point they wanted them to react to the host. The catch being that nobody from the show told the host that his was going to happen. So what you were getting was his genuine reaction. Afterwards the host went a filed charges against Vader. Vader explained between the cops and show producers that it was staged and the let Vader out of jail but due to it being a holiday the paperwork couldn't get processed until after the holiday. Vader ended up staying in a really nice resort with all of his stuff getting paid for by the Kuwaitis.
Huh the more you know i guess
Well at least he got a decent vacation out of it
If that's true it just makes his public dressing down even worse because he didn't actually do anything wrong
This is not true. You completely made this up.
@@earlusmcdivett Search for video titled "Vader - When I Threatened Kuwait TV Host on WWF Tour & Got Arrested" on the Title Match Wrestling TH-cam channel.
Do a little research before calling someone a liar, buddy.
"Who kicks someone's ass wearing flip-flops?"
Chael Sonnen: *I can't let you get get close!!!*
Mr wonderful paul freaking orndoaurf
I meet Vader at New Jacks retirement, he was one of the sweetest individuals I’ve ever meet, he was literally a giant teddy bear. He was a victim of Vince hates WCW booking, look at Dusty Rhodes, The Big Show, the list goes on, and on. So sad for fans that only know him from WWE. The Stan Hansen vs Vader match you mentioned from New Japan is a must see, his best match might of been with the Great Muta in New Japan.
His feuds with Sting are legendary, top 10 feud of all time.
@@ryanwebb5082 I think they're referring to the first several years pf Show. He didn't get popular with WWE booking to the point of titles until late 2000s etc etc
The Chappelle reference was next level. This whole video was incredible!
WU-TANG!
*scrappy dog barking noises* 😂
It seems like almost every career has a decline when they run into Hulk Hogan brother! You either do the job now or ya do the job later, but remember brother ya gonna do the job brother!
Flow_ Easy the rock was okay after
And when that bell rings brother ohhhhhhh brother!!!
@@smittywerbenjagermanjensen4737 He DID say ALMOST every career. Rock was okay, and Shawn recovered. It took Bret almost a year to start recovering his career after what Hogan pulled at WM9.
Brock lesnar did just fine
Did Hogan get his win back from Angle after he made him tap at KOTR 2002?
Can't remember if he did.
I've always heard Vader was told by a producer to act like that, but didn't want the host to know to make it look more real. Then the producer denied it to keep his own job after the cops were called. That's why undertaker never flinched
Perhaps but Vader would have been smarter to not go along with it, Far too many things could go wrong leading to the host being badly injured. And attacking a non-wrestler whose not trained to take hits safely can never be a good idea IMO.
It's a shame that WWE didn't put Vader in the HOF when he was alive so he could enjoy it. It made no sense.
So is our president... Such a joke
@@vastexpanse8606 yeah Biden is a complete Tool.
It's all politics, brother.
Fun fact: Vader was born in the same neighborhood as Weird Al Yankovic.
Raise your hand if you've ever been personally victimized by The Kliq *Everyone in the Mid 90's WWF raises their hand*
*Shane Douglas raises both hands*
PCO, Bam Bam Bigelow, Mo, Chris Candido, Bryan Clark, Bob Holly, Barry Horitiz
That's why BSK was made. They were the anti kliq kliq
Enter the Undertaker and his *taped fists.*
@@1992geop don't forget Jean-Pierre Lafitte
I laughed so hard when WWE announced that "mask vs mask" match. My friends all looked at each other, and one of us finally spoke up, "sooo...Vader is going to lose that one, right?". Lol
That had to be the most predictable match ever besides any Hulk Hogan match
Lmaooo
I believe Vince macmahon was in love with Shawn Micheals in the mid 90's. He would do anything to make Micheals "keep his smile"
I really think they had a sexual relationship going on.. Shawn did what he wanted to do when he felt like it without no consequences..
They were definitely “in a relationship” so many people have come out to speak about it.
I heard that about Hogan,Austin,and Cena
But by 97 Shawn wasn't bending over the right way anymore. But in seriousness, Shawn was far too talented to get rid of and the only guy at the time aside form Bret Hart that was worthy of being the top guy plus there was WCW breathing down WWF's neck. That's why Vince was so lenient with him.
It's amazing how many people who have zero connection to any of this still believe this insane "Vince and Shawn were fuck buddies" silliness. Nobody has ever suggested that either of them were gay, but it's 2020, so why let facts get in the way of people's conspiracy fantasies 😂
When I was a kid I thought Vader was really scary and then I saw Kane beat him up and then Kane replaced him as the scariest wrestler
Such a heartfelt story lol. Thank you for giving me a good laugh 😎
Vader was done for good in WWF once Kane hit the scene.
@@MrM-u3h What a tag team those two would have made. Two masked giants, both agile.
Before I watch.. something something Shawn Michaels something something politics?
Thats every story of misused talent during 1997
You aren't wrong lol
It's true! Shawn will tell you himself in so many words..
Harieth Velasco also he was too THICC
Vader was a big baby from what I heard.He could dish it out but couldn’t take it
I've heard Yokozuna was put on a forklift because they couldn't get him on a stretcher, not to mock him.
Cue mst3k song
I’m pretty sure he hit 550 lbs before he left the wwe and then hit 600 lbs at the match with jake roberts
Then y do the angle....y not injure an arm or some other body part....nah...they did that on purpose to embarrass him into losing the weight
@@Madeyoulook123 Yoko was over 650 lbs when he left wwf. At the time of the match with Jake he was over 700 lbs
Yoko wasn’t actually hurt. So obviously it was to mock him.
I really appreciate the fact you called cactus Jack Mr Bang Bang because that's what he was better known as 😉
It's Time
It's Time
It's Vader time on Wrestling with Wregret
Apparently the name “Baby Bull” caught on because that’s the name of a character in the MDickie games
Love the MDickie games. The parody names are great
TheMehgend love it
Yeah I remember. Baby Bull is a wrestler on Federation Online....... I never realised the name was actually used by Vader
Braden S they suck
@@LS-kk3yu welcome to the incorrect opinion saloon. Do you have any other opinions you would like to share with the guys?
God, I hope that "we're in August already" joke ages badly. Please, please, please!
Can we just get to 2021 already
@@jonmarrie8093 Can we get to 2030 already.
Can whoever made the simulation take out the cartridge and blow into it? Please?!
Ya Boy Guzma 🤣 I know it’s a chance that’s actually how life works but could you imagine for a sec that one night time just totally freezes for a sec then all the problems are gone? 🤣
TakerKaneanite619 No thanks! I ain’t trying to be 42 yet.
Love the "when keeping it real goes wrong" spot
Vader was used the same way every monster heel is used in WWE: A constant threat for maineventers but never a real maineventer himself. He went the same way like Yokozuna, Kane, Umaga or recently Samoa Joe. They were attractions for themselves and never needed big titles to be remembered. Could be worse.
Dungeon of Doom and jobbing for Hogan for example.
Nothing could of been worse than what I just watched
Eventually, Zane's hair and beard will take over this channel.
The invasion we wanted
He looks cool with it.
The quarantine beard is a look.
Sadly as of November its gone
The comically huge wrench was the same one Kurt Angle would later use on the Undertaker at Fully Loaded 2000.
Whoa, beard. I must have been away from this channel for a while.
No matter what WWE say about virtually everyone, Vader was a guy whose agility and speed was terrifying for his size.
MB Guttersnipe They had a match in 1989 for the IWGP Title. With Antonio Inoki as the special referee. :P
Who beats people up while wearing flip-flops? Ask the undefeated Chael Sonnen.
*I CANT LET YOU GET CLOSE*
"Wu-Tang!"
Legit spit-take from me. Kudos
THE WRESTLER REVIEW WHEN
Sorry I’m being impatient, I am glad Vader is getting his due on this channel
Brain Zane is my favorite professional wrestling TH-camr ! !
Vader was an amazing heel. His career in the WWF once and for all proved that Vince and company were not in fact geniuses, Vader had so much potential and quality. WWF dropped the ball big time.
Shawn Michaels. The answer is Shawn Michaels.
The starting joke is even funnier now that it's actually August
I love Brian’s beard progression during the pandemic. in a few weeks you can try out for ZZ Top
WWF squandered Vader, but as did Eric Bischoff. Vader's badass days were b4 Easy Es run as boss
Favorite part of the Summer Slam match is when Shawn forgets to kick out and the ref stops the count at 2 while Shawn fixes his hair
What happened to Vader in WWF. You thank Shawn Michaels for that
Wwf completely misused Vader. He was a made star. Atleast he had a great match against Taker.
did you even watch the video?
It was a mix of himself and Shawn. This, just like Kennedy, was one of the times Vince WANTED to push the guy, but things got in the way.
Should have just gone back to NJPW after WCW at least he knew they would use him properly.
Agreed, but part of it is Vader's fault, I heard he was a very stiff worker and guys like HBK at the time didn't want anything to do with that style so he never worked in the main event save for SS 1996 and that was it, he'd been sliding ever since then.
@Se Se I don't know if he tried to correct it, I don't remember hearing that any where, your sources? I agree with everything you said about Michaels, I don't know if Shawn had him "wrapped around his finger" at the time but he certainly was in Vince's ear at the time. Shawn was the champion and Vince catered to him because of that, remember business was down when Shawn was Champion and at the time Shawn could always play the WCW card, and he did at one point or he tried to. I heard that Vince talked him out of it. Any way I'm sure he got special treatment being Vince's Champion and main draw at the time.
I think it was deserved no? Vader was a newcomer in the WWF and as I said Shawn had busted his ass to get to where he was at.
Yeah I heard from Bret that Vader was a big teddy bear on the inside and you could hurt his feelings easily. I wonder if he deserves sympathy, there is the Kuwait incident which he (Leon) claims was a work, and Vader was a pro by the time he came to the WWE, so you think he'd have learned full well how to work and he shouldn't have had to "correct" anything, I don't expect perfection but he should have known how to work to the point where he wasn't hurting or injuring anyone or being "stiff", something Bret, prided himself on.
One of my all time favorites. Total freak of nature. He gave hope to fat kids everywhere. I remember being proud when my JV football teammates called me Vader when assigning wrestler identities to guys on our team. Shame he didn't work out in WWF/E.
I appreciate your steady presence these days, Z-Man
Charlie Griner very much so, getting the TH-cam notification puts a smile on my face
My mind is officially blown.. hearing Paul orndoff had one good arm is insane since I once had found an Paul orndoff rubber wrestler figure missing an arm!
Fun fact! My first ever WWE event was the night before taboo Tuesday 2005 haha, I got to see Vader trip up close and personal being in the front row. Best night of my childhood
It’s so weird seeing Undertaker with a headband BEFORE his biker gimmick, or even the Attitude Era
RIP to Danny Havoc. When I used to watch Deathmatch wrestling he was one of my favorites. Vader is the best big man to ever lace up the boots.
I don't know. Bam Bam Bigelow was pretty close
That intro made me feel like I was watching America's most wanted 🤣🤣
Nah, man, the Mask Match still makes sense. You said it yourself, a masked wrestler's mask is a big deal - it is a major part of the identity, and losing it is a big blow to the Character.
Even if we could already see most of Vader's face, his willingness to put the mask on the line still means something. In addition, this is a type of match that only Vader and Kane could have, and his reaction after the loss feels real - like a man that bet everything and then LOST everything.
Although, I'll agree, they should have made him use a different Mask afterwards.
He tried working with pneumonia?? I’ve had pneumonia and I was incapacitated for 10 days and in hospital for 7 of those days on oxygen!! Sometimes you just have to say no and do what’s best for your health.
6:49
This is the song written for the angle.
This is the match: Leon and Rod.
THEY TRIED TO MOVE HIM WITH A FORKLIFT!
Nothing better then finding an episode you havnt seen yet during the break!
These videos are definitely my favourite of yours, Brian. I love learning about these wrestlers that I've only ever heard of and have never really seen. Thanks.
Back in the Day when i started the wrestling training, my coaches said: "When you want to work Big Man Style, watch everything what Vader has done." In my opinion he was one of the Best Big Man who ever worked in the squared circle, but his WWF run was just a big disappointment.
Rest in Peace
Don't forget Bam Bam Bigelow, one of the best SuperHeavy wrestler and very underrated.
Yeah, Bam Bam was great, but Vaders Matches with Foley and Hansen were something else
Dont forget about Keith Lee hes a beast whos a Super Heavyweight that moves like a man half his size
U mean to tell me WWE ruined a big star that was made in an another promotion. 😲😲
How shocking, this can't be true
AJ Styles says hi
Thomas Agar is that a shock
Being a star in ring of honor or TNA means nothing. Hell being a star in New Japan means nothing.
Real Josh AJ has alot of juice in the tank and WWE gives him stuff to do. Even though he made his name in Japan, the Independent Circuit and Impact, Styles gets top star treatment every week and Vince admits he’s fantastic even for a guy who’s 5’10
16:46 IT’S BEARER TIME!
One of the best parts of my week is coming home from work on Wednesday and sitting back to watch the new Brian Zane video while I unwind. Thanks for what you do man!
He was a Hall of Famer before he ever stepped foot in WWF. And he did have some great moments: attacking Monsoon, Final Four, shooting against the Kuwait reporter (which I thought was awesome).
Thank you for the Saban reference. Instant smile
Vader was a victim of HBK and VKM in my eyes. Vince didn't like he wouldn't rename himself to Mastodon because Vince's moto was We don't hire Superstars, we Create them. Also HBK was HBK.. his politicking selfish self at the max at that point. What really pisses me off about this is as much of a Sham the WWE Hall of Fame is, Vince refuses to put Vader in it even after learning Vader was more or less going to die in a few years even despite Mick Foley pushing for it. Ohhh but he allowed Vader to induct Stan Hansen.
I think it's a good thing he's not in the WWE hall of fame because that shit is a pathetic joke, much like how the WWE cares about it's family, as seen in this recent disaster
Damn that Voodoo Kin Mafia.
@Mean Bob There are a lot of people who deserve to be there if they consider it an honor. However due to VKM being VKM they never will be or not till after they die which makes you wonder about Vince's ability to forgive, more so when things were his fault.. like all the wrestlers involved in the Concussion Law suit Vs WWE.
Demolition and One Man Gang come to mind. You know OMG lost his house to a massive hurricane sometime back and not a peep from WWE about it? Someone mentioned it on Squared circle on Reddit and his family started a donation site for it.. the good news is They raised enough money to deal with the problem.. but it still pisses me off WWE didn't step up to help him.
@@PapaBear816 lmao…Why should Vince McMahon and the WWE help out OMG when he lost his home? Just because he USE to work for them? That’s not how it works, they paid him very well while he actually did work for them and they DON’T own OMG or any other past wrestlers a dime. Sounds harsh I know, but the WWE is NOT a charity, they’re a FOR PROFIT company. I use to work for Walmart, if I lost my home, I doubt they would help me, even though they’re a company that makes billions and I’ve worked for them for years, but I don’t work for them now, so they ain’t going to help. So again why should WWE be expected to help? Sorry mark, that’s not how the world works. Would it have been nice of them to help? Of course, but in no way are they obligated to do so, sorry to play “Devil’s advocate,” but sometimes that’s the role you play when you can perfectly understand the world isn’t nice.
@@Musiclover19 Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Conservative thinking Fort Width. A man who gave like the Gang did to WWE, and why should the multi billion dollar company he gave heart and soul to, Help him with 30k to get his house fixed. Yea, Such a kind soul you are. Keeping in mind WWE has done more for other superstars in the name of being " Good " You see that road over there, it leads to Fuck off Ville, can you go all the way down there and fuck all the way off? Thanks :)
Shawn was Vince’s personal “boy toy” which is why he was able to get away with so much shit backstage.
Please stop projecting your silly sexual fantasies onto people you don't like 😂
Oh it's true, it's damn true.
Why would Vince show favouritism to a cash cow over an older and at the time out of shape wrestler?
Yay!!! I’ve been waiting for this one!!
Hopefully he’s able to do:
Legion of Doom 2000
Chavo Guerrero (2005 until his WWE departure)
Mr. Kennedy
WWF in 1995
Top 8 worst guest hosts
The mishandling of JR
Sin Cara
The Rise and Fall of Rusev
Shinsuke Nakamura
Shawn Michaels’s Diva Days
Shane Hill yes!!!! Or Backstage politics: Kliq vs Hulk Hogan?
Mr. America?
And CHRISTIAN! CHRISTIAN AT LAST HE UNDERATED
And Christian
I havent watched any of your new vids in a while.
You went from Padawan Kenobi to Master Kenobi with the beard lol
Underrated Vader moment was when he Started fighting kane during Kanes inferno match with the Undertaker. That Undertaker top rope leap over the ropes and fire and landing on Kane and Vader is still one a my favorite spots.
Always cracks me up how chill Taker is when Vader grabs the reporter.
Stan Hansen: *exists*
Vader's eye: IGHT IMMA HEAD OUT
Vader: No you ain't.
@@napalmblaziken Vader's eye socket was all like *_schloop_*
@@ivanvukasovic1371 LOL
12:27 omg its the American Badass’ true Debut
Thats just Mark Calloway in general
But I appreciate the joke
He’s cool as can be.
The amazing thing was the second he left WWF, he was putting on 4+ star classics in AJPW with Kobashi/Kawada/Misawa/Akiyama, and he had a great match with Inoki too in 99-00 area
Honestly as a long term fan of your content this is some of your top tier work
16:06-16:15; 18:15-18:18
*LOL* / *Another rare f bomb by Brian Zane*
The beard is slowing taking over....
2:16 this man is the inspiration for Joey Wheeler's "creepy chin" in Yugi-Oh.
"Who kicks someone's ass while wearing flip flops?" Chael P Sonnen has entered the chat!
That "Keeping It Real" reference caught me completely off guard😂
You should review the billionaire Ted Sketchs
That's a very great idea.
In fact, Zane should review *ALL* of Billy Gunn's failed singles pushes in both WWE and TNA.
@@RoyStantz yeah I think that if it wasn't because he teamed up with Road dogg or Chuck palumbo he would had been released after parting ways from Bart Gunn
Billionaire Ted could be part of a larger review taking a look at WWF and WCW’s potshots at each other during the Monday Night Wars.
Brian you really got to do a video on Shawn Michaels and Hogan political pull
yeahhh would be a good one
When he said who the hell gets there ass kicked by somebody with flip flops on, I died laughing lol
It’s interesting how different each era of wrestling is. It really does evolve with the each generation.
"famously poor hygiene"
Huh? That's a new one
Vader was known to not wash his gear and he smelled like shit in the ring
Yeah, I've heard Cornette and Ross talk about how he wouldn't wash his tights. There's a funny story out there about how his wife gave him shit over it, too.
Not to anybody that had to work with him...
Guys were complaining that he wasnt washing his tights
NBR. It’s not new at all. It’s been very well documented by other wrestlers that he had poor hygiene. Bam Bam Bigelow is often accused of it as well.
His mask was infamously smelly as well.
Holy shit finally a long form video. I honestly only watch this and classical ppv reviews. I could care less about current wrestling. Thank you, your comedy has been missed.
Vader is one of many of wrestlers that were booked strong before coming into the WWE to be practically neutered for that exact reason.
Vader was one of the most scariest heels. I remember when he splashed Gorilla Monsoon, I wanted to see him beaten badly for that, and it was then I realized he was a phenomenal heel. I really feel bad for how things went down for him in the WWF. It’s interesting, reading through a lot of the comments that people posted about him, he seemed like a very nice likable guy outside the ring.
Man so many wrestlers dying this year. RIP Danny Havoc.
What.....?
@@Isaac-cm7zg Besides of Danny Havoc former WWE wrestler Shad Gaspar and Stardom wrestler Hana Kimura have already died this year.
Thats what I said when I saw the tribute
To be fair to Shawn (just barely since this is 1996 HBK we're talking about), Bret Hart also hated working with Vader because of how stiff he was. He was really better suited for Japan than North American wrestling.
It's a shame things didn't work out in the Federation for him, but he still has his legacy intact despite this lackluster run.
Shawn has been a massive douche for his whole career but I don't think 'Can you not stiff me?' is exactly politicking or particularly unreasonable. A lot of that whole thing has been blown up by Corny, bless the guy, who tends to decry things done by guys he hates but lauds them when they're done by guys he likes. Bruiser Brody acts unprofessional, shows the fans he's there but doesn't wanna work to show his displeasure with the producer? Hahaha, classic Brody! Shawn Michaels does the same basic thing but in the back stage? Unprofessional douchebag.
So when the stories of Vader being politicked out of a good career in WWF are hitting the rounds, take it with a grain of salt. It's likely! It's very believable, and probably true, but if the reason he was 'politicked' out of a good career is 'refusing to NOT stiff top stars'... well. No one's ever praised Bob Holly or JBL for it either.
Vader crushing the basketball on Baywatch is one of my favorite gifs
6:30 "on the nose", probably the right expression talking about 1999 Jake Roberts.
WCW knew how to use Vader
WWE didn't know what to do with him
ECW well 🤔🤔 we'll never know
I wouldn’t have minded seeing him in ecw
@@ryankeefe6222 yeah, especially since he's known for his brutal matches
Braden S i could see him a role like Sid was when he was there
I think Heyman had an idea to have him put Taz over. But seeing how Bam Bam looked in ECW, who knows man.
@@ryankeefe6222 that would be interesting
Look the only person who tore Shawn Michaels apart was Vince McMahon
The graphic for the passing of my friend Danny Havoc touched me. Thank you for doing that ..
As a guy from Bremen, My older brother told me all about the stories of Vaders (at that time called Bull Power) time in Otto Wanz's CWA. He together with Fit Finlay and Jushin Thunder Liger would walk the streets constantly and sign autographs to anyone who asks. Bremen was kinda like the New York of Germany in the 80s and early 90s, as there was no bigger crowd for Wrestling in this country and we could also be considered a bit smarky. Too bad everything went to shit by the late 90s.
But in any case, Vader will always be my favorite big man of all time.
I watched an old interview with him and he said guys complained about his style. The two guys he hinted at were Taker and Shawn Michaels. I’m curious who it was .
Vader was a legit world champion, holding world titles in Germany and japan and Mexico simultaneously. Has anyone else even come close?
The dave chappelle wu tang with the vader mask....priceless
They should have made Kane v Vader a Mask Versuse Helmet match. Imagine Kane walking out in the Vader helmet for the rest of his career
I think wwe banned a Mick foley vs Vader match because in their last match Foley lost an Ear
That was long before they were in wwe. It was a match in Germany.
@@wrestlingwithart And was on a house show. WCW DID ban at least parts of a Worldwide match though in that same year (1994), for it being too violent for TV. Perhaps you may be thinking of that.
That issue was entirely WCW's fault.
Because they forgot something even local indies know: You need a ring crew. You can't just hire randoms with no experience to set up your ring and expect things to go right.
That makes zero sense...if they wanted to reference it, they could have created a massive angle out of it. When in wrestling could you have found a feud where one guy legitimately deformed another guy, who could then get revenge? That's pure gold.
@@gst013 that's why some Bookers are terrible at there jobs.. That was a payday waiting to get collected and they didn't capitalize on it.. SMH!
I feel like Samoa Joe is going to have a similar route minus the politic stuff
Joe’s doing fine even if he’s getting injury prone
Joe is going to be an announcer.Joe was never as stiff as VaderS
"I'm so BIIIGGG!" That cracked me up. Thanks for the laughs in these difficult times BZ
"Who kicks someone's ass wearing flip flops?!"
Chael P. Sonnen would like a word
I CAN'T LET YOU GET CLOSE
Huh... Interested to see how the video will be longer than 3 seconds.
*Video starts*
"Shawn Michaels is a prick."
*Video ends*
Brian Zane beard been growing since then what u use for your beard to grow fast
Its called no barbers are open cream
Time
"Wu-tang!" I fucking lost it!
Imagine had they booked him well in 1996, Vader would've been one of the biggest heel in the company by 1998. An Austin vs. Vader program in 1998 would be so great to watch.