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After examining both Mick Foley and Ludvig Borga , VICE's popular 'Dark Side Of The Ring' series decided it was 'Vader Time' for the show's latest episode. Leon White, known to wrestling fans as both Big Van Vader and just plain ol' Vader, was a complex human being. Comments from his son Jesse and ex-wife Debra lift the lid on just how complicated Leon was when he wasn't terrifying the business as one of the greatest working big men in history throughout the 1980s and 90s.
At home, things flitted between loving and hellish. 'Dark Side's' producers sprinted through an awful lot of content in one hour here. They briefly explored Leon's upbringing, how one dying dream birthed another, his careers in both WCW and WWF/ WWE , and his sad demise in 2018.
Other talking heads like Jim Ross and Jim Cornette (both of whom worked closely with Vader in different capacities) added great context when reminiscing about stories good and bad. Hardcore Vader fans might not find a lot they didn't already know here, but the big 'Mastodon' was a fascinating case study for VICE's filmmakers anyway. He was honestly a must at some stage, if only for the alarming Joe Thurman story from his WCW days and for the added insight to his life away from the ring.
Learning why Vader soured on Hulk Hogan, what words Vince McMahon put into his mouth towards the end of a disappointing WWF run, and what the original vision for his gimmick was proved captivating. Here's everything you need to know from another thrill ride through the shadowy side of wrestling. 15.
He Was Around A Lot Violence As A Kid VICE did a neat job of showing off some childhood pictures of a young Leon White during the earliest minutes of the doc. They depicted his journey from smiling young lad to still-smiling but also slightly damaged adult. Whilst those pics played on screen, Leon's son Jesse explained that his father saw his fair share of violence when growing up.
A lot of that "revolved around alcohol" too. Meanwhile, White's ex-wife Debra said he had to grow up fast and learn to take care of his family. Summing it up, she said: "He had a rough one".
Leon was forced to fight "pretty much every day" at school, and then he was also exposed to some violence at home too. That was a toxic mix, so it's actually quite a surprise that he survived it at all. Throughout 'Dark Side, Jesse repeatedly states that his dad was a loving father who was just flawed and more of a menace to himself than anything else.
There was always a burning desire to succeed and prove others wrong; this wasn't the same as the relentless, slightly militant need to be loved and adored that Ludvig Borga from last week's episode had , but Leon definitely enjoyed the spotlight and the success that came with it. One remarkable story early on in the show perhaps sums up why Leon had such a casual relationship with violence and intimidation. Some talking heads tried to palm this off as a 'different era', but it really is shocking and isn't something he should've been expected to do.
Ready? You might not be..
