POST Wrestling has compiled a new audio special covering the career of the late Leon White, aka: Vader, who passed away Monday evening after a battle with severe pneumonia. The audio documentary features comments from Jim Ross, Bret Hart, Japanese wrestling historian & author Chris Charlton, and Jordan Breen of Between Rounds Radio. Below are some quotes as well as the link to the full audio:
JR on bringing Vader into the WWF:
“I was very excited to bring Leon to the WWF with the talent relations team. Leon was perceived as a ‘good get’. He was a big, rugged heel and easy to cast in a scenario. He had Cornette as his manager, that’s like Brock Lesnar having Paul Heyman, it was a match made in wrestling hell. It was great”.
“His body was starting to break down. He played football, strong style in Japan, he was not a finesse guy. Leon’s injuries started catching up to him. We had issues with his weight, with Yokozuna as well and got to the point that we couldn’t get them licensed”.
“I remember sending Leon and Yokozuna to the Duke Weight Loss Clinic at Duke University in North Carolina. I got the first report and they had only been there a week and they had gained weight. We found out they were sneaking out at night and going to get chicken”.
Bret Hart on Vader’s wrestling style and locker room demeanor:
“Leon was one of the biggest wrestlers I could think of. For his size, he was extremely agile, an incredible talent. He was more famous in Japan, but he was always a solid, hardworking wrestler”.
“He had a good run with me back in the Hart Foundation era in 1997 when I was bashing the Americans pretty good. We had some pretty good matches and I remember his style, you were always limping back to the dressing room after working with Leon. He was no picnic out there when it came to punishment, but you always had a lot of respect for him as a performer, as a wrestler just for what he did bring to the ring”.
“He was always very friendly, in a good mood, a calm and easy force. He wasn’t the same in the locker room as he was in the ring. He was a very good guy and most wrestlers got along with him. He had a temper, but it only came out when he really got angry”.
You can listen to the entire audio special by going here.
