In the lore of professional wrestling, the distinction between a “tough guy” and a “shooter” is often debated. A tough guy looks the part; a shooter can inflict legitimate bodily harm. In 1995, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) employed Leon White, known as Big Van Vader, a 450-pound behemoth who was widely considered the stiffest, most intimidating performer in the industry. He was a “tough guy” by trade, a former offensive lineman who broke opponents’ noses and orbital bones with reckless abandon. However, on August 30, 1995, inside the cramped hallways of Center Stage in Atlanta, Vader discovered the difference between playing a monster and fighting a man who had nothing left to lose. Paul Orndorff, a retired legend working as a road agent, suffering from a severely atrophied arm and w

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