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Vader Time: Story of a Modern Day Gladiator
Leon White grew up on the tough streets of Compton, before taking on the world. His impressive college football days led him to the NFL culminating at the Super Bowl. After reinventing himself, he debuted as a wrestler battling monsters like Bruiser Brody and Jerry Blackwell. Then, on a Japanese tour, he was given a new gimmick as "Big Van Vader." He beat the undefeated Antonio Inoki for the IWGP title and had his eyeball literally pulled out of his skull by Stan Hansen, initiating his own legendary monster status. After winning titles around the world with every major promotion (wrestling names like Sting, Mick Foley, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan) this mastodon became "the greatest super heavyweight of all time," while also being a father. Read how his reign of terror continued even after getting an expiration date; a diagnosis of only "two years to live." This is the story of his life...and a legacy that will last forever. This is Vader time.
- GenresNonfiction
472 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 24, 2021
It's Vader Time is the biography of professional wrestler Big Van Vader.
I'm a wrestling fan from way back and Vader was the biggest monster of them all for me for a long time. I even had my picture taken with him about a year before he died.
Anyway, this was on my radar for a while and my wife bought it for me using slow shipping rewards points from Amazan.
Leon White, the boy would become Vader, was born in Compton, CA, two months early weighing in at an impressive 11 pounds. Leon grew up fatherless and wound up playing football with older boys because of his size, eventually gravitating toward wrestling after his NFL career was over.
Leon was wrestling as Baby Bull Leon White by the 11% mark, a positive in my book. The book takes Leon from the AWA to the CWA in Germany to New Japan, WCW, the WWF, and all the rest of the places he wrestled.
Vader comes off as surprisingly humble considering everything he accomplished in wrestling and what a legit bad ass he's presented as. He covers the good times and the bad, like working with Inoki, traveling with Harley Race, eye witness accounts of the Arn Anderson-Sid Vicious fight, and the fight he had with Paul Orndorff that led to his exit from WCW. There are some good road stories, most involving Harley Race. Vader gives his side of the infamous Stan Hansen match that had his eye hanging out of his head and various other incidents from overseas.
Unlike a lot of other wrestlers, Vader doesn't talk himself up all that much, admitting that he was a sensitive teddy bear at times and giving other wrestlers their due. He also doesn't shy away from talking about how Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan shut him out of the main event scene in WCW during their respective reigns of terror. He's also open about his drug and alcohol abuse.
The last couple chapters were hard to read as Vader's body broke down on him, leading to having his knees replaced three different times to a forty-day coma and eventually his death due to pneumonia and congestive heart failure.
Like a lot of wrestling biographies, I wish there were more road stories. I also wish I would have appreciated Vader more when I was younger and still watching wrestling on a regular basis.
It's Vader Time is one of the better wrestling books out there. Four out of five power bombs.
I'm a wrestling fan from way back and Vader was the biggest monster of them all for me for a long time. I even had my picture taken with him about a year before he died.
Anyway, this was on my radar for a while and my wife bought it for me using slow shipping rewards points from Amazan.
Leon White, the boy would become Vader, was born in Compton, CA, two months early weighing in at an impressive 11 pounds. Leon grew up fatherless and wound up playing football with older boys because of his size, eventually gravitating toward wrestling after his NFL career was over.
Leon was wrestling as Baby Bull Leon White by the 11% mark, a positive in my book. The book takes Leon from the AWA to the CWA in Germany to New Japan, WCW, the WWF, and all the rest of the places he wrestled.
Vader comes off as surprisingly humble considering everything he accomplished in wrestling and what a legit bad ass he's presented as. He covers the good times and the bad, like working with Inoki, traveling with Harley Race, eye witness accounts of the Arn Anderson-Sid Vicious fight, and the fight he had with Paul Orndorff that led to his exit from WCW. There are some good road stories, most involving Harley Race. Vader gives his side of the infamous Stan Hansen match that had his eye hanging out of his head and various other incidents from overseas.
Unlike a lot of other wrestlers, Vader doesn't talk himself up all that much, admitting that he was a sensitive teddy bear at times and giving other wrestlers their due. He also doesn't shy away from talking about how Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan shut him out of the main event scene in WCW during their respective reigns of terror. He's also open about his drug and alcohol abuse.
The last couple chapters were hard to read as Vader's body broke down on him, leading to having his knees replaced three different times to a forty-day coma and eventually his death due to pneumonia and congestive heart failure.
Like a lot of wrestling biographies, I wish there were more road stories. I also wish I would have appreciated Vader more when I was younger and still watching wrestling on a regular basis.
It's Vader Time is one of the better wrestling books out there. Four out of five power bombs.
September 11, 2026
I did not expect to get so emotional reading Vader’s book, but one of wrestling’s best big men of all time has written a powerful memoir with the help of Kenny Casanova. I know I say this with every Kenny Casanova book, but there are factual mistakes here and there along with grammar errors. For example, they write about how Dusty Rhodes was no longer the booker for WCW and Ric Flair took over because Dusty was going to the WWF in the early 90s. Dusty was with WCW from 1991 until 1999 at this point, so it doesn’t match up timeline-wise. I know I’m being a stickler, but things like this bother me as they are simple to fix. Overall, once you look past those mistakes/errors, you get to the heart of the story.
Vader talks about almost everything in his career: Japan, AWA, Germany, Mexico, WCW, and of course, the WWF. I was disappointed he didn’t go into more detail regarding his infamous SummerSlam ‘96 match with Shawn Michaels. He overlooked a significant moment in his WWF career that he never fully recovered from. I know it was covered on Dark Side of the Ring, but I was hoping to hear Vader’s perspective on it. Instead, he just writes it off as forgetting the spot, not how Shawn Michaels humiliated him and Vince lost faith in him after that.
I also would’ve loved it if he discussed his 2016 match with Will Ospreay. He mentioned the circumstances surrounding it, but he didn’t talk about the actual match at all. I realize this might sound like a very negative review of a book that I really enjoyed, but I have to point these things out. What makes Vader’s book stand out so much is the heart behind the story. This was a man who truly loved professional wrestling, and he gave his body and his life to the sport. The most revealing chapters come near the end of the book when he discusses his many health problems and his multiple surgeries. I did get very teary-eyed hearing about how he and his son reconnected near the end of his life. This is a very raw and emotional Vader here. The book is almost 400 pages long, and he covers his football career and just about every major milestone or moment (the Stan Hansen match, the Cactus Jack ear match, and his backstage fight with Paul Orndorff).
Vader came into the business the hard way, learning under the tutelage of Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody, and there are a ton of great stories about those two legends in this book. Vader was one of the biggest names in the wrestling business during the 80s and 90s, yet I still don’t feel like he ever really got his due for all he accomplished and how innovative it was to see a man his size doing what he was doing in the ring. He chalks it up to not knowing how to play politics behind the scenes like Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and Hulk Hogan, and I agree with him on that.
This book allows wrestling fans, new and old, to learn a ton of interesting tidbits, fascinating anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes insights into what made Vader so unique and special. My only regret is that he didn’t live to see himself inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This book is a must-read for hardcore wrestling fans.
Vader talks about almost everything in his career: Japan, AWA, Germany, Mexico, WCW, and of course, the WWF. I was disappointed he didn’t go into more detail regarding his infamous SummerSlam ‘96 match with Shawn Michaels. He overlooked a significant moment in his WWF career that he never fully recovered from. I know it was covered on Dark Side of the Ring, but I was hoping to hear Vader’s perspective on it. Instead, he just writes it off as forgetting the spot, not how Shawn Michaels humiliated him and Vince lost faith in him after that.
I also would’ve loved it if he discussed his 2016 match with Will Ospreay. He mentioned the circumstances surrounding it, but he didn’t talk about the actual match at all. I realize this might sound like a very negative review of a book that I really enjoyed, but I have to point these things out. What makes Vader’s book stand out so much is the heart behind the story. This was a man who truly loved professional wrestling, and he gave his body and his life to the sport. The most revealing chapters come near the end of the book when he discusses his many health problems and his multiple surgeries. I did get very teary-eyed hearing about how he and his son reconnected near the end of his life. This is a very raw and emotional Vader here. The book is almost 400 pages long, and he covers his football career and just about every major milestone or moment (the Stan Hansen match, the Cactus Jack ear match, and his backstage fight with Paul Orndorff).
Vader came into the business the hard way, learning under the tutelage of Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody, and there are a ton of great stories about those two legends in this book. Vader was one of the biggest names in the wrestling business during the 80s and 90s, yet I still don’t feel like he ever really got his due for all he accomplished and how innovative it was to see a man his size doing what he was doing in the ring. He chalks it up to not knowing how to play politics behind the scenes like Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and Hulk Hogan, and I agree with him on that.
This book allows wrestling fans, new and old, to learn a ton of interesting tidbits, fascinating anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes insights into what made Vader so unique and special. My only regret is that he didn’t live to see himself inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This book is a must-read for hardcore wrestling fans.
June 24, 2019
I was a huge fan of Vader back in the day so as soon as I saw this I had to buy it and read it.
Vader died last year and was one of the best and arguably very underrated, he was also quite a character that was involved in a lot of trouble as well as being around in certain iconic moments in wrestling history.
I would highly recommend this too any 90s wrestling fan and although not as good as Bret Harts or Nitro this is one of the better wrestling biographies out there.
However I do feel that a lot of the problems and incidents regarding Vader’s temper were missed out, the editing for the book is also quite poor at times and it does jump around a lot and I feel the ghost writer should have done a better job with this.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would suggest that if you can find a copy to give this a go.
Vader died last year and was one of the best and arguably very underrated, he was also quite a character that was involved in a lot of trouble as well as being around in certain iconic moments in wrestling history.
I would highly recommend this too any 90s wrestling fan and although not as good as Bret Harts or Nitro this is one of the better wrestling biographies out there.
However I do feel that a lot of the problems and incidents regarding Vader’s temper were missed out, the editing for the book is also quite poor at times and it does jump around a lot and I feel the ghost writer should have done a better job with this.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would suggest that if you can find a copy to give this a go.
April 16, 2019
This was the book that I was waiting for the most and it did NOT disappoint! If you are a wrestling fan, or a Boy Meets World fan, then you want to read this book about Vader! A great understanding of Leon White's life through Kenny Casanova's writing.
January 5, 2025
While short of the standard set by Bret Hart and Mick Foley with their autobiographies, this is essential reading for wrestling fans. Vader's autobiography has a great mix of in-ring detail, character development, business, backstage politics, and stories from the locker room & the road. His first face-to-face meeting with Bruiser Brody is told with great suspense. The infamous eyeball match with Stan Hansen is told with gruesome detail.
That's not to say the book is flawless. While not as bad as the Barry Horowitz autobiography, there is some shoddy editing in this book. More than that, though, is the issue of credibility. Vader claims Dusty Rhodes left WCW for the WWF right before Starrcade 1993--this is false. He claims the overseas tour where Mick Foley lost his ear in 1994 was the same tour Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious has their infamous scissors fight--this is false. As such, can Vader's version of other events be trusted? In particular, Vader's telling of his backstage fight with Paul Orndorff seems to have serious problems. Supposedly Orndorff's punches "didn't even hurt" and it was like "blocking punches from a girl." Yet he contradicts himself a few pages later by writing Orndorff's punches "did much more damage" than what Vader did against Orndorff. So which is it? Tony Schiavone's account of the fight doesn't back up Vader's "didn't even hurt" version.
If you rate this based on getting straight unbiased facts, you're looking at a 2- or 3-star rating. Since I found Vader to be a great storyteller, found this book hard to put down, and was a fan of Vader's, I give it four stars.
That's not to say the book is flawless. While not as bad as the Barry Horowitz autobiography, there is some shoddy editing in this book. More than that, though, is the issue of credibility. Vader claims Dusty Rhodes left WCW for the WWF right before Starrcade 1993--this is false. He claims the overseas tour where Mick Foley lost his ear in 1994 was the same tour Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious has their infamous scissors fight--this is false. As such, can Vader's version of other events be trusted? In particular, Vader's telling of his backstage fight with Paul Orndorff seems to have serious problems. Supposedly Orndorff's punches "didn't even hurt" and it was like "blocking punches from a girl." Yet he contradicts himself a few pages later by writing Orndorff's punches "did much more damage" than what Vader did against Orndorff. So which is it? Tony Schiavone's account of the fight doesn't back up Vader's "didn't even hurt" version.
If you rate this based on getting straight unbiased facts, you're looking at a 2- or 3-star rating. Since I found Vader to be a great storyteller, found this book hard to put down, and was a fan of Vader's, I give it four stars.
April 16, 2019
It's time... It's time... It's time to read VADER TIME!
January 5, 2025
The title of this book could have been. Vader: Tough and Gross. It's a series of anecdotes telling of a 300-500 pound man punching and getting punched by people. Along the way he gets his eyeball gouged out by Stan Hansen, rips off Mick Foley's ear and gets stabbed a bunch of times in the legs by the yakuza. He gets in car accidents, dazed by pyrotechnics, has a number of falls, even more surgeries. Dude has congestive heart failure, diabetes, four knee replacements AND a drug problem. The guy literally dies in his own autobiography. His kid has to write the last chapter after he's in the ground.
My favorite parts were the shitting stories. There's one about Mr Perfect giving Yokozuna an ExLax chocolate bar causing him to have to dump out on the floor of an airplane mid-flight because he couldn't fit in the bathroom. There's another one about how Andre the Giant would deuce in the bathtub (or sometimes right on the bed) of his Japanese hotel rooms because the commodes weren't spacious enough to accommodate his epic girth.
My favorite parts were the shitting stories. There's one about Mr Perfect giving Yokozuna an ExLax chocolate bar causing him to have to dump out on the floor of an airplane mid-flight because he couldn't fit in the bathroom. There's another one about how Andre the Giant would deuce in the bathtub (or sometimes right on the bed) of his Japanese hotel rooms because the commodes weren't spacious enough to accommodate his epic girth.
June 21, 2019
I was not a Big Van Vader fan in wrestling. I followed him from the AWA through his WWE career, but he just did not connect with me, especially in WCW being a huge Sting fan. This book is filled with wrestling tales, along with emotional backdrops along with way with numerous health issues that eventually led to his 2018 death. The book covers his career in wrestling, football , and acting. Some of the numerous enjoyable tales involve Sting, Harley Race, Ron Simmons, Mick Foley, Bruiser Brody, and Stan Hansen. There are politics from the locker room with Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan.
A great, and informative part, is how the character of Vader was created in Japan, along with the other wrestlers who were considered to take the role.
For an in depth review, visit my site at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/201...
A great, and informative part, is how the character of Vader was created in Japan, along with the other wrestlers who were considered to take the role.
For an in depth review, visit my site at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/201...
June 23, 2024
What a ride!
Who knew Vader was such a riot? In the 'ha-ha' way, not just the smashing things way.
From his tough childhood, to working his way to a college and a brief NFL run to a much longer wrestling career than I remembered, White kept a lightness about everything and Kenny kept the story moving.
I'm too often surprised at reading that some hugely successful person like Vader has so many of the same insecurities and self-doubt as the rest of us. But then I have to remind myself that we're all basically just human.
After hearing so many stories about Vader from other perspectives, I was glad to finally hear a lot of those same stories from the man himself. I really enjoyed this book. It is a real shame he wasn't around for his victory lap.
Every WOHW book I read is better than the last.
Who knew Vader was such a riot? In the 'ha-ha' way, not just the smashing things way.
From his tough childhood, to working his way to a college and a brief NFL run to a much longer wrestling career than I remembered, White kept a lightness about everything and Kenny kept the story moving.
I'm too often surprised at reading that some hugely successful person like Vader has so many of the same insecurities and self-doubt as the rest of us. But then I have to remind myself that we're all basically just human.
After hearing so many stories about Vader from other perspectives, I was glad to finally hear a lot of those same stories from the man himself. I really enjoyed this book. It is a real shame he wasn't around for his victory lap.
Every WOHW book I read is better than the last.
September 2, 2023
As with many wrestling autobios, it is not the best written book. But, hey, It’s Vader Time. Vader, one of the great wrestlers ever, and one of the biggest and strongest, toughest and craziest. This guy, 6’4”, 400+lbs, could bench press 600 lbs, squat 1,000 lbs, and as a twenty year-old he could do a standing backflip. What a freak. He doesn’t go too far into the shit talking/road stories stuff that wrestling books are all about, but he gets his side of things out there, talks a lot about his time in Japan (including where his awesome gimmick came from) which is fun, and has a good head on his shoulders for a massive man with quite the temper. His son’s epilogue is very sad and sweet. Vader, like so many, died too young. I miss the big guy! And I only watched him on tv.
June 22, 2024
This hit way harder than I expected. In the last few chapters he knows he’s going to die soon, given two years to live by doctors. He says he’s scared, he’s not ready, but he’s lived the lives of ten men and doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him. And then the epilogue is written by his son about the final weeks. Pretty intense. There’s also quite a bit about surgeries and drug addictions at the end too that I hadn’t heard.
The story of Vader’s overall career is awesome though. One of my favorites of all time. He goes into detail about everything, shines a harsh light on himself when he should. One of the better books in the genre.
The story of Vader’s overall career is awesome though. One of my favorites of all time. He goes into detail about everything, shines a harsh light on himself when he should. One of the better books in the genre.
July 15, 2022
Great Read for True Fans
Lots of great stories from Leon, are they all 100% true? I hope so but wouldn't be surprised to find some embellishment. There were some really weird editing issues but wonder if those happened in converting to an ebook. Anyway, highly enjoyable read for some who followed his entire career. Give it a try.
Lots of great stories from Leon, are they all 100% true? I hope so but wouldn't be surprised to find some embellishment. There were some really weird editing issues but wonder if those happened in converting to an ebook. Anyway, highly enjoyable read for some who followed his entire career. Give it a try.
October 29, 2023
Very sloppily written and basically just transcripts of conflicting stories. Definitely have a lower opinion on Vader after reading this and my opinion wasn't great before!
July 16, 2022
This was a fun, easy read. Unfortunately, the ending not so much. I knew going in Leon had passed, but the way it happened was sad. That part I didn't know about.
January 29, 2020
seems a bit rushed, but there's more vader detail here than anyone could possibly hope for (and it lines up fairly consistently with vader's extensive "shoot" interviews on youtube). check out my ringer obit for leon white, if you're so inclined:
https://www.theringer.com/2018/6/20/1...
https://www.theringer.com/2018/6/20/1...
May 26, 2019
Great book for a wrestling fan. Even the stories about college and the NFL were entertaining. A lot of time was spent in Japan and was great to read. Helped me understand NJPW, AJPW, NOAH, etc.
Probably not ideal for a non-wrestling fan.
Probably not ideal for a non-wrestling fan.
September 23, 2019
Not great
Some interesting stuff as there’s not a lot of English language books on this time frame of wrestling in Japan. However, a poorly written book with numerous errors and a weird habit of comparing things to bowel movements.
Some interesting stuff as there’s not a lot of English language books on this time frame of wrestling in Japan. However, a poorly written book with numerous errors and a weird habit of comparing things to bowel movements.
May 10, 2021
Try it and you will like it!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews