Super Vader, Big Van Vader, or simply Vader, call him as you want, but the fact is that Leon White had a magnificent career. His powerhouse style was fantastic and he was a truly remarkable wrestler.
Throughout his career, Vader had many electrifying rivalries. Wrestling legends such as Sting, Ric Flair, Keiji Muto, and Shawn Michaels crossed Vader's path and that led to several excellent matches, full of violence and intensity. Some of those matches were so good that today, almost 30 years later, they are worth remembering.
10 Vs. Hiroshi Hase & Keiji Mutoh (NJPW Explosion Tour 1992 – Day 14)
Big Van Vader and Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow made an absolutely powerful and destructive team, which was capable of crushing any opponent. In fact, on March 1, 1992, they won the IWGP Tag Team Title after defeating Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Muto at NJPW Big Fight Series (day one), but Hase and Mutoh got their rematch two months later.
Tag Team Champions Big Van Vader and Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow managed to retain their titles. This match was really good, and no wonder, since at the time Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh were extremely talented wrestlers despite their youth.
9 Vs. Shawn Michaels (SummerSlam 1996)
The Mastodon and the Heartbreak Kid faced each other in the main event of SummerSlam 1996. Supposedly, WWE's original plan for this match was for Vader to defeat Shawn Michaels and win the WWE Championship. However, HBK didn’t agree and the plans were changed. Despite this, Vader’s performance was awesome, reflecting his professionalism.
It was a very interesting and exciting match. There was good chemistry between Vader’s power and Shawn Michaels’ technique. Michaels got himself disqualified after attacking Vader with a tennis racket, but Jim Cornette demanded that the match be restarted. After 19 minutes, Michaels hit Vader with a Moonsault to win the match.
8 Vs. Sting (The Great American Bash 1992)
On July 12, 1992, at The Great American Bash, Big Van Vader faced Sting with the purpose of taking the WCW World Heavyweight Title from him.
This was a classic hard-hitting match, in which both Sting and Big Van Vader did their best to entertain the fans, and boy did they do it. The Mastodon defeated Sting to win his first WCW Championship. Big Van Vader received boos, as the heel prevailed over the babyface, but beyond that, people loved this match.
7 Vs. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker (In Your House 13)
On February 16, 1997, at In Your House 13, Vader, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, and The Undertaker collided in a battle royal for the WWE Title. Obviously, the match was amazing, and it’s not surprising considering that there was too much talent in the ring.
Vader was eliminated by The Undertaker after 23 and a half minutes, but his performance wasn’t bad at all. It was Bret Hart who stole the show, as he eliminated Stone Cold and The Undertaker to obtain the title.
6 Vs. Sting (SuperBrawl III)
Despite having a ridiculous name like "White Castle of Fear" and an even worse mini-movie, this strap match was really epic and unforgettable.
The bout was very intense and bloody. Big Van Vader and Sting put their physical integrity at risk and put on an incredible show. After 20 exciting minutes, The Mastodon managed to defeat Sting. They did a masterful job with their storyline and with their matches as well.
5 Vs. Stan Hansen (NJPW Super Fight In Tokyo Dome)
This clash between Big Van Vader and Stan Hansen was one of the most violent and brutal in wrestling history, they took things to another level.
In this match, Big Van Vader showed that he had a will of steel and that he was capable of doing anything to entertain the fans. Hansen accidentally poked Vader's eye out and Vader, instead of calling for the match to be stopped, asked for medical help who decided to put his eye back in, which kept the match going. Really impressive, isn’t it?
4 Vs. Sting (Starrcade 1992)
Sting was arguably Vader's best rival in his entire career, they delivered some mind-blowing matches, so it's no wonder Sting is mentioned again on this list. Technically, this match was amazing, flawless, everything went perfectly.
The Icon displayed extraordinary offense and it was precisely that which allowed him to win the match and receive a standing ovation from the fans. As for Vader, there is nothing to criticize, despite the defeat he put on a great show and sold each of Sting's moves excellently to make him look amazing.
3 Vs. Keiji Mutoh (NJPW G1 Climax 1991)
On August 9, 1991, Big Van Vader faced Keiji Muto in the NJPW G1 Climax tournament. This match received a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer for a reason, it was absolutely spectacular.
The bout lasted just under 14 minutes and was really electrifying from start to finish. As usual, Keiji Mutoh showed his great talent with his technical wrestling style, but with enough strength to defeat a monster like Vader. Mutoh advanced to the final but lost against Masahiro Chono.
2 Vs. Cactus Jack (Halloween Havoc 1993)
For the main event of WCW Halloween Havoc 1993, The Mastodon faced off against Cactus Jack in a Texas Deathmatch, which was completely insane, there was brutality everywhere.
A hard-hitting match at its finest in which both wrestlers gave their best. The match was very even, both Big Van Vader and Cactus Jack fell a couple of times each until Harley Race attacked Jack with a stun gun to make Vader the winner.
1 Vs. Ric Flair (Starrcade 1993)
This list would be incomplete if this match is not mentioned. On December 27, 1993, at Starrcade, Big Van Vader had to defend his World Heavyweight Title against none other than "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Unfortunately for Vader, his 285-day title reign came to an end that night.
The match was fantastic, truly exceptional. Ric Flair's performance was memorable, he did everything excellently. Vader, despite the loss, was great, this time the fans seem to have forgotten that he was a heel and simply enjoyed his great performance.