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WWE: Big Van Vader ‘Is A Scumbag,’ MMA Legend Says

By Aric Mitchell
Published on: 03:48 PST, Dec 3, 2016

Big Van Vader may have millions of fans and less than two years to live from health complications, but “known gangster” and MMA legend Chael Sonnen is not impressed.

The one-time Big Van Vader fan tore into the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion on the most recent episode of his You’re Welcome podcast after Vader (real name Leon White) failed to call into the podcast without explanation.

There was “a reason” Chael was so angry that he teased for most of the hourlong episode because he wanted to give a late White enough time to call in and save face.

“If Vader doesn’t call in, this will not be a good day for Leon,” Sonnen said. “This is the biggest podcast in MMA, and at the end of the day, he’s just Vader. I have to spend an hour educating my audience on exactly who the hell this guy is. This is an opportunity for Vader, and this is not going to end well if he doesn’t call in.”

He didn’t call in, but before that mistake became final, Sonnen had a lot more to say about White, noting that the opportunity was set up through a mutual friend Sonnen respected, and that it was initiated by Big Van Vader himself.

Chael continued.

“He’s 16 minutes late. He’s dropped off on text messages, and the text messages have not been wonderful. It’s not that he’s been rude, but it has bordered on illiterate. I already know the way this story ends. The fans don’t have enough info at this point why this will p*** me off, but by the end of the show, I will share with them why this is going to p*** me off.”

At one point Sonnen tried Vader’s voice-mail only to find that the former pro wrestler had not even set it up. “Hey dumb-dumb, it’s Chael. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be waiting here a while.”

Sonnen said he was not trying to be “a condescending prick,” but he did not appreciate the fact he had done a favor for Big Van Vader first and that he appeared to be reneging on their “deal.”

“He puts me together like a carnie. At the last minute he needs something and he needs me to go first. We have a deal, and I did it. That’s thievery. There is no way around it. If you take something and don’t pay for it, that’s theft. I just knew this guy was going to be a flake man, from the jump.”

Sonnen continued to rip on Big Van Vader throughout the podcast, speculating that he would try a “scumbag move” like coming back and feigning miscommunication as to why he missed their call, but that wasn’t going to work because “it’s in writing,” referring to their texting exchange.

“There is no, ‘I thought you said this or that.’ It’s in writing, and he’s a crook. Do you have a better story for Leon White?” he said to his cohost.

In the end, Sonnen declared Big Van Vader as not professional, remarking there is “nothing more important in business than to do what you say you’ll do at the time you say you’ll do it at the price you set it for.”

“When you scumbag a guy like me, a known gangster, you’re doing it to people all over town. If he’s out doing that, I guarantee you a dirtbag like that will say something like, ‘I was in the hospital and these guys buried me on their podcast,'” Sonnen said.

That could be Vader’s approach, but to his credit, he has yet to remark on the incident.

Big Van Vader was recently diagnosed with heart issues and told his Twitter followers his doctor said he had “less than two years” to live.

Still, there was no sympathy coming from Chael. “I can’t kick his a** right now. He’s a dinosaur for one, and he’s in Las Vegas, so I’m just going to vent my frustrations.”

What do you think of Sonnen’s reaction?

Is Big Van Vader a “scumbag” as Sonnen has said, or do you think there may be more serious health issues at play? Sound off in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by WWE]

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