Top 10 Vader Times: A Big Van Vader mini retrospective

With the one-night return of Vader to WWE on last night’s Monday Night Raw, I feel the need to dig up 10 of the biggest moments (for one reason or another) in the career of Big Van Vader, one of the best big men in the history of pro wrestling and a wrestler after whom many super-heavyweights should work to model themselves. Vader is at least 50 percent responsible for a number of my favorite matches in pro wrestling, two of which are listed below.

Vader’s eye pops out in a match with Stan Hansen, from All Japan:

Vader wins the WCW World Title from Sting, at the Great American Bash 1992:

More with Sting and Vader: Promos for the Superbrawl III White Castle of Fear match…

… and Part 1 of the good match that followed:

Vader powerbombs Cactus Jack on the cement, April 1993 WCW Saturday Night…

… and the grudge match, a Texas Death Match, from WCW Halloween Havoc 1993 (one of my all-time faves):

Vader vs. Ric Flair, WCW World Title vs. Flair’s career, WCW Starrcade 1993 (another all-time fave):

Vader makes, well, a splash in his WWF Monday Night Raw debut, January 1996:

Vader vs. Shawn Michaels, Summerslam 1996:

Vince Russo is a genius: Vader calls himself a “big piece of shit”:

We didn’t see a whole lot of Vader after that promo, until last night. In the 14 years since that moment, I’ve personally dreamed of pro wrestling seeing another super-heavyweight as monstrous, agile, evil and believable as Big Van Vader, but it’s highly unlikely we ever will. -Eric

One Response to “Top 10 Vader Times: A Big Van Vader mini retrospective”

  1. ohhhhh yeah 2012-06-13 at 1:49 am #

    Fantasic vader all time list. I would have to say that vader vs ric flair was my personal favorite as well. If watching wrestling for years has taught me anything is that the big, monster, super heavyweight heel ALWAYS works.

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