A Talk Show Meltdown Resulted In Vader Being Arrested And Detained In Kuwait
In professional wrestling, there exists a long and complicated history between performers and TV hosts. From Jerry Lawler unexpectedly attacking Andy Kaufman on David Letterman's "Late Night," and the infamous slap from David "Dr. Death" Schultz to reporter John Stossel. It's fair to say that wrestlers aren't shy about being themselves on national television, especially when it comes to preserving the reality of pro wrestling in the eyes of the public.
One incident that today's fans might not know about is the April 1997 interview of Vader and The Undertaker on "Good Morning Kuwait," as per The Sun. Both wrestlers were in Kuwait to promote WWE's Middle East tour, and things immediately got off to a rough start as host Bassam Al Othman asked the imposing duo about the idea of wrestling being fake. While The Undertaker — though clearly annoyed — gave a somewhat lengthy but relatively polite response, the late, great Vader was not so forgiving.
Vader interrupted Othman in the middle of his next question with a verbose but threatening response. "My astute colleague -– the heavyweight champion of the world -– is a very diplomatic individual. I'm perhaps not quite so diplomatic," Vader said. "In fact, I find your question, and your remarks, insulting to what I do." It was at this point that things escalated.
Vader is detained for 10 days
After a few more words, Vader stood up, knocked over the coffee table in front of him, and grabbed Bassam Al Othman by his tie. "Does that f***ing feel fake? Huh? Does that feel fake?" Vader asked the uncomfortable Othman. "Why don't you come down tonight and, before I kick his ass, I'll kick your ass."
Vader would later maintain in an interview with PW Mania that the show's producer planned this altercation but that Othman did not know about it. Police were called to the studio and Vader was placed under arrest. While Vader was detained in Kuwait, he was kept in a luxury hotel rather than a jail. However, he was forced to stay there for nearly two weeks before he was allowed to return home, and there wouldn't be another wrestling show in Kuwait for nearly a decade following the incident.
WWE would later acknowledge the confrontation and Vader's arrest on-screen, using it to showcase Vader's toughness. Jim Ross interviewed Vader and asked if he had any remorse or shame about what occurred. In response, the future Hall of Famer told Ross and the crowd that he went over there and did his job; his job, of course, was to "beat up people."