Big Van Vader was arrested in Kuwait for assaulting a TV host during WWE’s tour to the middle east back in 1997.
Big Van Vader was a dominant force to be reckoned with. His sheer size and athleticism in the ring made him a star in the WWE/WWF in the 90s. The wrestling legend also had a career in football before he turned to pro wrestling. During his stint in the company, Vader had iconic feuds with superstars like The Undertaker, Kane, Mankind, and many more.
The master of the “Vader Bomb” once landed himself in a soup during a TV interview in Kuwait. In April 1997, Then-WWE Champion The Undertaker and The masked behemoth Vader appeared as guests on Good Morning Kuwait during WWE’s Middle east tour.
The host Bassam Al Othman made the mistake of asking the question that pro wrestlers hate addressing. Right after the three men took their seats, Bassam said, “In Kuwait, they say this wrestling is not for real… do you act?”
Since the question was directed to The Undertaker, he took a moment and said, “Well, let’s put it this way… if what we do is acting, we take a normal man and break him in half.
“It’s such an unoriginal question to ask… wrestling is one of the finest athletic endeavors that you will ever see.
“Let me assure you, it’s the most physical you would ever do in your life.”
The Undertaker defended the business with a sensible reply while keeping calm. However, when the interviewer proceeded to ask the next question, Vader took offense and said that he’d like to answer the former question as he wasn’t given a chance to opine on the matter. On getting the chance to respond to the question, Vader stated,“My astute colleague – the heavyweight champion of the world – is a very diplomatic individual.
“I’m perhaps not so diplomatic – in fact, I find your question insulting to what I do.”
The very next moment, The Mastodon flipped the table and grabbed the interviewer by the tie, and shouted- “Does that feel f*cking fake, huh?
That escalated quickly! This act had the interviewer shaking and he sat quietly without so much as a word. Vader further invited Othman to come down to the show in the evening and he’s get his “Ass Kicked” before The Undertaker gets his. The Undertaker remained as calm as a clamshell watching the action ensue while sitting back relaxed.
Was this a work or shoot?
According to Vader, the interviewer was not in on what the interview was going to entail and claimed that the WWE producer filled Taker and Vader in on what the question will be beforehand. Vader was technically following a script that required him to make a stink. This act backfired heavily as the cops arrived and Vader was indicted for assault and shouting obscenities on national TV. Vader was released after 10 days of house arrest and was fined $166.
Wrestling was then banned from Kuwait for a decade following the incident.
