For the most part, WWE Hall of Famer and former Triple Crown, WCW, and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Vader is a well regarded wrestler, considered by many to be one of the greatest big men in the history of the business. At the same time, Vader was also known as a performer who worked stiff, with Arn Anderson comparing his style to "being in a bar fight," which not only got him heat with certain performers, but is believed to have contributed to his lack of push during his time in WWE.
What also may have contributed, at least according to Bruce Prichard, is that he came into a locker room that didn't want him there. On the latest "Something to Wrestle," Prichard was discussing Vader's arrival into WWE, which was only made possible by Vader's acrimonious departure from WCW that saw him lose a legitimate fight to future WWE Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff. The way that Prichard told the story, it seemed many within WWE were more than happy to celebrate Vader getting beaten down.
"Look, Leon [Vader] was not a popular guy in the dressing room," Prichard said. "And for anybody that worked with him, he would bully them and he would take liberties and things of that nature. So he wasn't...it wasn't like 'Oh hey, poor Leon got beat up.' There was nobody making excuses. The story was 'Hey, Orndorff kicked his ass wearing flipflops. And was kicking him with his feet in flipflops and stuff.' So that story went through, because it was kind of the feeling of the big bully getting his comeuppance."
If you use any quotes in this article, please credit "Something To Wrestle" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
