Vader has provided another update on his condition after undergoing open-heart surgery.
The former WWE, WCW, NJPW, and AJPW star hasn’t been in the best of heath in recent years. He is coming off open-heart surgery. The surgery was a success, but Vader admitted he was in a great deal of pain.
A few days later, Vader is still dealing with pain but he is grateful. Check out his latest tweet below:
5 days since my surgery & it has been some the worst pain I have ever endured. The Hospital staff has been excellent and my surgeon was fantastic. I am greatful for the life I've had & the opportunitny to continue to live. THANK YOU JESUS. https://t.co/vA6VyYDrHZ
— Big Van Vader (@itsvadertime) March 31, 2018
Vader has accomplished more than most ever will in professional wrestling. He’s a three-time WCW champion, three-time IWGP Heavyweight champion, and a two-time Triple Crown Heavyweight champion under the AJPW banner.
In 1993, the big man earned “Wrestler of the Year” honors from both the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Pro Wrestling Illustrated. That year, his attention shifted solely to WCW.
He joined the WWE in 1996. Vader made an immediate impact, taking out on-camera WWE president Gorilla Monsoon. He never won any titles in the promotion, but he did take home a Slammy award for “Crime of the Century” due to his attack of Monsoon. “The Mastodon” challenged Shawn Michaels for the WWE title, but was unsuccessful.
His run in AJPW was the last time he was viewed as a true threat in wrestling. His feud with the late Mitsuharu Misawa as well as his past work in Japan helped him along the way.