Vader as WWF Champion

[Pure Fusion Jesse Walsh]

I’ve been rewatching SummerSlam ‘96 this week and it got me thinking what Vader’s title reign would’ve been like had the original plan stuck. How long does he hold the title? Who does he feud with? Does he drop it back to Shawn eventually?

[tirtefaa]

It would have been bad. I never bought into Vader as WWF champion.

Yes, he worked in WCW very well. But his presence just never felt right in WWF. Maybe if he joined the company a year earlier, it may have been good. But by 1996? You have a lot of fresh talent that was just far more interesting...and I'm not speaking in hindsight. Mankind, Goldust, even Austin if they didn't go the route they decided to go.

Vader being paired with Jim Cornette along with Owen and Bulldog, who were all super stale in their roles. Vader was also sloppy, missed multiple spots and I don't recall a single promo where he didn't flub his lines even just a little bit around this time. This was almost always a bathroom break whenever any of them came out in 1996.

I don't blame the office for getting cold on Vader. He was a weak choice at a time when WWF looked awful next to WCW. I desperately wanted Shawn to drop the belt, and dropping it to Sid was the right move. He just never should have won it back.

[fg]

I thought Vader would have been a good dominant champ from SSlam 96 to RR 97.

But having said that, Shawn vetoing a Vader win (which he shouldn’t have done) did lead to Sycho Sid turning “heel” (and I used that term loosely since the crowd no sold the turn, Sid still slapped the fans hands and still fought heels almost as much as faces) and becoming champ and that belt looked AWESOME on him.

[Mozenrath]

I love Vader, but if the choice is him or Sid, I actually think Sid was the way to go.

[Eddie Brock]

After the HBK nonsense at SummerSlam '96, how about Vader as IC Champion in 1997? I guess he could've been the transition champion to get the belt from Rock to Austin in early '97 instead of Owen. I don't ever recall him wrestling for it.

[msc]

Aug 5, 2023 7:15:06 GMT -5 Eddie Brock said:

After the HBK nonsense at SummerSlam '96, how about Vader as IC Champion in 1997? I guess he could've been the transition champion to get the belt from Rock to Austin in early '97 instead of Owen. I don't ever recall him wrestling for it.

Him and Owen had a non-title match at One Night Only, though that might have been when Austin had the belt but before it went back to Owen to lose to Austin post-neck injury, I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact timeline.

Worth mentioning anyway, as Vader/Owen was a banger of a match. Properly enjoyable 15 minute big guy/smaller guy match with Owen enjoying the rare chance to play babyface underdog.

Whenever I rebook old WrestleManias (we all do that, surely?) I often slip Vader into the title holder spot for Mania 13.

[Celexa Bliss]

Aug 5, 2023 11:02:50 GMT -5 msc said:

Aug 5, 2023 7:15:06 GMT -5 Eddie Brock said:

After the HBK nonsense at SummerSlam '96, how about Vader as IC Champion in 1997? I guess he could've been the transition champion to get the belt from Rock to Austin in early '97 instead of Owen. I don't ever recall him wrestling for it.

Him and Owen had a non-title match at One Night Only, though that might have been when Austin had the belt but before it went back to Owen to lose to Austin post-neck injury, I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact timeline.

Worth mentioning anyway, as Vader/Owen was a banger of a match. Properly enjoyable 15 minute big guy/smaller guy match with Owen enjoying the rare chance to play babyface underdog.

Whenever I rebook old WrestleManias (we all do that, surely?) I often slip Vader into the title holder spot for Mania 13.

I think that was during the time they were holding the tournament to crown the new Champion after Austin's injury.

[chazraps]

What people forget about Vader's 1996-1997 is that he never fully healed from his shoulder injury in 1995 when he attempted a shooting star press and thankfully didn't kill himself. Whether the call was he himself rushing back when there was a spot or WWF pressuring him - the man's health never got a change to his beyond maybe 80% and he was never quite the same physically he was during the end of his WCW run until he finally took the time post-WWF and was putting on elite level main event bangers in Japan in 99-2000.

Really goes to show you have to take care of yourself and make sure that your talent is taking care of themselves, and that's much more important longterm than the immediate short-term gain.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Aug 5, 2023 13:55:34 GMT -5 chazraps said:

What people forget about Vader's 1996-1997 is that he never fully healed from his shoulder injury in 1995 when he attempted a shooting star press and thankfully didn't kill himself. Whether the call was he himself rushing back when there was a spot or WWF pressuring him - the man's health never got a change to his beyond maybe 80% and he was never quite the same physically he was during the end of his WCW run until he finally took the time post-WWF and was putting on elite level main event bangers in Japan in 99-2000.

Really goes to show you have to take care of yourself and make sure that your talent is taking care of themselves, and that's much more important longterm than the immediate short-term gain.

What now??? Is there video of this?? I don’t think I ever knew that.

[Renslayer]

Aug 5, 2023 13:55:34 GMT -5 chazraps said:

What people forget about Vader's 1996-1997 is that he never fully healed from his shoulder injury in 1995 when he attempted a shooting star press and thankfully didn't kill himself. Whether the call was he himself rushing back when there was a spot or WWF pressuring him - the man's health never got a change to his beyond maybe 80% and he was never quite the same physically he was during the end of his WCW run until he finally took the time post-WWF and was putting on elite level main event bangers in Japan in 99-2000.

Really goes to show you have to take care of yourself and make sure that your talent is taking care of themselves, and that's much more important longterm than the immediate short-term gain.

He WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?

[thegame415]

Vader in WWF as heel champion wouldn't have worked. I liked him more as a mid-upper card face.

[johnnyk9]

It was going to happen but Shawn played his whining card

[tafkaga]

WWF Vader never had that aura to be a good champion. At best he could have been transitional.

WCW Vader was portrayed as American Godzilla in Japan who brought his reign of dominance home to the USA. WWF Vader was just a big bully who beat up officials and talk show hosts but basically acted like every other cowardly heel.

[An Dog On An Skateboard]

Aug 5, 2023 13:55:34 GMT -5 chazraps said:

What people forget about Vader's 1996-1997 is that he never fully healed from his shoulder injury in 1995 when he attempted a shooting star press and thankfully didn't kill himself. Whether the call was he himself rushing back when there was a spot or WWF pressuring him - the man's health never got a change to his beyond maybe 80% and he was never quite the same physically he was during the end of his WCW run until he finally took the time post-WWF and was putting on elite level main event bangers in Japan in 99-2000.

Really goes to show you have to take care of yourself and make sure that your talent is taking care of themselves, and that's much more important longterm than the immediate short-term gain.

Linked to this, I want to say he was also drinking heavily and taking a lot of pills around this time too, combining all of this with the politics he just seemed physically and mentally checked out during his WWF run.

[Saiyanic Panic]

Aug 5, 2023 18:04:21 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Aug 5, 2023 13:55:34 GMT -5 chazraps said:

What people forget about Vader's 1996-1997 is that he never fully healed from his shoulder injury in 1995 when he attempted a shooting star press and thankfully didn't kill himself. Whether the call was he himself rushing back when there was a spot or WWF pressuring him - the man's health never got a change to his beyond maybe 80% and he was never quite the same physically he was during the end of his WCW run until he finally took the time post-WWF and was putting on elite level main event bangers in Japan in 99-2000.

Really goes to show you have to take care of yourself and make sure that your talent is taking care of themselves, and that's much more important longterm than the immediate short-term gain.

What now??? Is there video of this?? I don’t think I ever knew that.

Bash at the Beach 1995, cage match vs. Hogan. He's on the top rope, goes for it, realizes Hulk isn't positioned how he wants and tries to adjust to a senton and just wrecks himself slamming down on his shoulder.

i.imgur.com/6E8iZIB.mp4

[Citizen Snips]

Aug 7, 2023 12:24:16 GMT -5 Saiyanic Panic said:

Aug 5, 2023 18:04:21 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

What now??? Is there video of this?? I don’t think I ever knew that.

Bash at the Beach 1995, cage match vs. Hogan. He's on the top rope, goes for it, realizes Hulk isn't positioned how he wants and tries to adjust to a senton and just wrecks himself slamming down on his shoulder.

i.imgur.com/6E8iZIB.mp4

JESUS. A messed-up shoulder is actually better than if he actually went for the SSP because it looked like he was probably going to come down right on his head.