REST IN PEACE MITSUHARU MISAWA: It is with great sadness that we announce the unfortunate passing of a true legend. Mitsuharu Misawa, one of the greatest professional wrestlers to ever step foot on the squared circle has tragically lost his life on June 13rd 2009 following an apparent heart attack after a back suplex. The report reads "Mitsuharu Misawa, one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all-time, was declared dead at 10:10 p.m. Saturday night at a hospital in Hiroshima from an apparent heart attack after being being given a back suplex in a tag team title match. Misawa would have turned 47 on June 18th. Misawa, the president of Pro Wrestling NOAH, was teaming with Go Shiozaki in a match challenging Bison Smith & Akitoshi Saito for the GHC tag team championship in Hiroshima. Misawa was given the move at about 8:45 p.m. and knocked unconscious. They were about 27 minutes into the match when the referee immediately stopped the match seeing what had happened." Source. Click here to watch the news report from Japanese television. Our condolences to his beloved ones from everyone here at BigVanVader.com .

MACHO MADNESS THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION: We are glad that WWE has finally released a Randy Savage best of match compilation. Check it out folks, definitely worth it.

VADER TIME PROMOTIONS: Leon Whiter¢s promotion, Vader Time, has shows on July 1st and August 2nd in Tokyo, Japan using Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch as the top foreign tag team. We will try to get our hands on photos form the shows.

LATEST VADER RADIO APPEARANCE 29 APRIL 2009: Another one, In Your Head Wrestling Radio live tonight @8:05 PM EST. Number for live questions is 1-508-644-8503. Source

WWE GREATEST STARS OF THE 90''S DVD: Well, it's been released in the past several times but it never gets boring. Vader vs Michaels match from Summerslam 1996. Plus a great battle with Sting from Slamboree 1994!

VADER IN SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 VIDEO GAME: Yes, finally he is available in smackdown vs raw 2009 via a new content pack (ordered online for PS3 and Xbox 360 owners). Accompanying Vader in the content pack are Bushwacker Butch, Bushwacker Luke, Doink the Clown, and Earthquake. In the press release, THQ senior creative manager Corey Ledesma said: "We are pleased to deliver a new downloadable content package for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009. The addition of new playable Superstars to our roster is one of our most frequent requests from fans worldwide, and we are excited to expand the gameplay experience with talent from key moments in WWE history." The content pack is available now for $4.99 on PlayStation Network and 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live. Source

VADER RADIO APPEARANCE 22 APRIL 2009: Vader made another guest radio appearance a few days ago, here. It's good that the big man is more visible more and more in the USA recently.

VADER RADIO APPEARANCE MARCH 2009: Vader was a guest last month on False Count Radio where he explained his current business operations (Vader Time Promotions) and discussed several things including a contract offer he made to the late Andrew "Test" Martin. Click here for the official press release.

NEW VADER MARCH 2009 SHOOT INTERVIEW: With great pleasure I announce that after many years Leon has returned for a great shoot interview conducted by Kayfabe Commentaries. As expected, it is really interesting and covers some never-before mentioned topics. Entitled "Ringside with Vader", it can be bought here. Expect a review from bigvanvader.com soon. If any of you has interesting review and wants it published here at bigvanvader.com, send it to us.

ARCHIVE + CONTACT US: We know there was some confusion about the mail addresses provided here but the problem has finally been resolved. Click here or here to reach us. Also some useful bigvanvader.com archives have recently been retrieved and will be edited and added soon.

VADER DVDS +WWE 24/7: More Vader dvds (produced by wwe) out. Summerslam Collection featuring Vader vs Michaels for the Heavyweight Championship (already in sale) and Starrcade The Essential Collection featuring his excellent matches with Sting and Flair, true classics (coming soon). Pal formatted. Also don't forget to check wwe.com for some good matches from his wcw days at the 24/7 section.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER: Ric Flair finally sat down for a 13-hour (!) shoot with highspots, discussing a whole variety of topics concerning his career. Some interesting comments on Vader as well. Worth buying. here

NEW VIDEO GAME, VADER MISSING FROM IT: YUKE's Future Media Creators and THQ are preparing a new wrestling game about Wreslemania legends, scheduled for release in March 2009. Vader, although in a Legends contract with WWE, is NOT included in the rumoured roster so far. Randy Savage and Mick Foley were pulled out too by Mr. McMahon personally, much to the developpers' (and fans') disappointment. We can't say we didn't see that coming, especially for Savage. Too bad.

UPDATE 10/04/2008: Added some new photos, fixed broken links.

BIGVANVADER.COM OWNERSHIP CHANGE: MR. BRIAN COOPER, THE CREATOR OF BIGVANVADER.COM HAS STEPPED DOWN FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SITE. WE WISH HIM THE BEST OF LUCK IN HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS. His last statement was the following: "It's been an amazing five years. If anyone remembers the early days of the site and the horrendous design right up until the current layout from 2004 onwards. This site has grown to where it hit over a million hits per month at it's peak, survived the WWE legal dispute of late 2005 and has regularly been the best independent pro-wrestler website. Thank you for all your correspondence and support for the past few years but as evident from the past few months; my time and motivation for the site is at an all-time low. Rest assured that this isn't the end of BigVanVader.com. Check back soon for updates from the new owner...".

FLAIR NAMECHECKS VADER: Just shy of perhaps his last pro-wrestling match at WrestleMania XXIV, Ric Flair namechecked Vader in an interview with the Boston NOW website. The article can be found here.

NEW VADER DVD: Silvervision are set to release yet another of their Tagged Classics series in May of this year. In Your House 23 & 24 includes two far-from-classics against Mark Henry and JBL. Pre-order the DVD here (disc available in Europe only.

FOUR NEW YOUTUBE VIDEOS: Big Van Vader takes on Shinya Hashimoto in the inaugural Hustle show, Scott Norton from the glory days of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Dan Maff in a JAPW beatdown alongside Mike Awesome, plus super dodgy camcorder footage from a 2008 Vader signing! Click here to watch the 30 Big Van Vader videos from New Japan, All Japan and NOAH. Click here to subscribe to the videos...

STING DVD CANCELLED: Thanks to Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

NEW VADER MERCHANDISE: Available in Japan, firstly a large size tee shirt (pictured) celebrating twentieth anniversary of Vader time in Japan, and secondly a one-track CD of Vader's NOAH theme tune.

NEW VADER DVD'S *UPDATE*: Three new Vader DVD's this month! The first ~ The Best of Raw - 15th Anniversary 3 disc extravaganza includes Leon beating the crap out of Gorilla Monsoon. The second ~ In Your House 17 & 18 double discage is available in Europe only and includes Vader and The Patriot vs. Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith. Finally ~ In Your House 19 & 20 (also Europe only) includes Kane vs. Vader.

VADER HAS HIP OPERATION: Leon White recently underwent hip replacement surgery and is expected to make a full recovery in early 2008. Vader is all but retired now as a pro-wrestler (he waited til he was all but retired before undergoing surgery) and is expected to only make sporadic independent and Japanese appearances in 2008. Leon also works full-time as a car salesman in his native Colorado.

LINK TO BIGVANVADER.COM: You can link to the Big Van Vader site by using the image below...