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Luna Vachon

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Luna Vachon
File:LunaVachon.jpg
Born(1962-01-12)January 12, 1962 [1]
Montreal, Quebec, Canada[2]
DiedAugust 27, 2010(2010-08-27) (aged 48)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Luna Vachon[1]
Daughter of Darkness[1]
Princess Luna (used with The Oddities)
Angel Baby[3]
Billed height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1]
Billed weight140 lb (64 kg)[1]
Billed fromThe Other Side of Darkness
Trained byPaul Vachon[1]
Vivian Vachon[1]
The Fabulous Moolah[1]
Debut1985[1]
RetiredDecember 2007[4]

Gertrude Vachon (January 12, 1962 – August 27, 2010) was a Canadian professional wrestler better known by the ring name Luna Vachon.[4]

Career

Early career

As a child, Gertrude Vachon wanted to continue her family's wrestling legacy.[4] Attending wrestling events she used to play in the ring, which often resulted in "unofficial training" with various World Wide Wrestling Federation stars. Her family objected to her entering the wrestling business and tried to dissuade her,[4] as a female wrestler's life at that time was harsh.[1] Around the age sixteen, she began training under her aunt Vivian and then The Fabulous Moolah.[1] Gertrude started her professional career wrestling for Moolah's all-women's promotion.[1]

In 1985, Luna debuted in Florida Championship Wrestling, as a part of Kevin Sullivan's Army of Darkness stable.[2] As part of her gimmick, she shaved one half of her head, which was the first step to her trademark Mohawk hairstyle, covered her face in bodypaint, and continuously sneered.[1][2] She later began teaming with The Lock as the Daughters of Darkness, a part of Sullivan's Army.[1] Looking back, she has expressed her uneasiness about some elements of the Satanism angle.[6] During this time in Florida, Luna first wrestled Madusa Miceli, beginning a long-lasting in-ring rivalry. She also traveled to Japan with her father, Butcher Vachon, who managed her, and stayed there for about three years.[1] She also spent time in Puerto Rico.[2]

In the early nineties she took over management of The Blackhearts, a masked tag team coming out of Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling. The team consisted of Tom Nash—a childhood friend of Luna and her then-husband—and David Heath, her future husband, under the names "Apocalypse" and "Destruction", respectively. Luna worked with them in Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling, in Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, and finally Giant Baba's All-Japan, where the team split up.

World Wrestling Federation (1992–1994)

In 1992, while wrestling in Puerto Rico, she tried to get David Heath a job with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which resulted in the WWF developing an interest in her. They hired her, but not without some complications. No one actually knew exactly where she was; even her father only knew that she was staying in Florida. The WWF actually hired a private investigator to find her. When she was found, she was working as a waitress at a restaurant.[1][6]

Luna's first WWF appearance was in April 1993 at WrestleMania IX, accompanying Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels in his match against Tatanka, who was accompanied by Michaels' former valet Sensational Sherri. After the match, Luna attacked Sensational Sherri at ringside and later in the first aid area, starting a vicious feud between the two.

At the same time Luna and Sherri were at odds, Bam Bam Bigelow had a confrontation with Sherri. This led to him being attacked by Tatanka and the two of them feuding. Soon after, Bam Bam (kayfabe) announced that he had fallen in love and presented Luna as his "main squeeze".[5] He also endearingly called her his "Tick", which fans combined with her name to the chant "Luna-tic". From then, Bam Bam was seen blowing kisses to Luna at the end of matches, and in her honor even included the Moonsault, redubbed Lunasault, into his repertoire. A mixed tag team match between the two pairs was planned for SummerSlam in 1993, but had to be canceled because Luna legitimately injured her arm and then Sherri left the WWF. Instead, Bigelow and The Headshrinkers fought and lost to Tatanka and The Smokin' Gunns in a six-man tag team match. In the autumn of 1993, Bam Bam and Luna ran afoul of some practical jokes from Doink the Clown, leading to a Survivor Series style match at the 1993 event of the same name pitting Bam Bam, The Headshrinkers, and Bastion Booger against four Doinks (actually Men on a Mission and The Bushwhackers in clown makeup). During this time Luna was the cause of dissension between Bam Bam and his part-time tag team partner Bastion Booger, who had also (kayfabe) fallen in love with her. At WrestleMania X, Bam Bam and Luna finally got their revenge on Doink by beating the Clown and his midget side-kick Dink in a mixed tag team match.[1]

When the WWF's women's division was revived, Luna's old rival Madusa, who had entered the WWF under the name Alundra Blayze, won the Women's Championship. Luna set her eyes on the title and had a series of matches with Alundra, all resulting in victories for Blayze. It was during this time the relationship between Luna and Bam Bam first showed cracks after interference in a match backfired. In the summer, Luna sold Bam Bam's contract to "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who was beginning to build his "Million Dollar Corporation".[2] Luna then picked Japanese wrestler Bull Nakano to win the Women's title from Blayze, which she eventually did.[2] Luna, however, left the WWF shortly after this title match.

Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling (1994–1997)

After leaving the WWF, Luna wrestled on the independent circuit. Upon the recommendation of Kevin Sullivan's wife Nancy, she entered Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). She was brought as Tommy Dreamer's new valet in his long running feud with Raven. Luna and Raven (as Johnny Polo) had worked in the WWF simultaneously and Dreamer announced Luna as "someone out of your past". While in ECW Luna would stand with Tommy, feuding with Raven and his lackeys, which included Stevie Richards, and even her husband The Vampire Warrior (who, in kayfabe, had become jealous of the time she was spending with Dreamer). She had more than a few physical confrontations with Richards, including a steel cage match, which she won.[1] After a brief hiatus from wrestling, she returned to ECW in a storyline involving her husband The Vampire Warrior.[1]

In early 1997, Luna had a short run with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), again going after her rival Madusa. Luna interfered in Madusa's matches against WCW Women's Champion Akira Hokuto, preventing a title win by Madusa. Luna and Madusa met each other in a series of matches, including a match at the 1997 Slamboree. Although Luna dominated the matches, Madusa managed to get the pinfall every time.

World Wrestling Federation (1997–2000)

Later in 1997, Luna returned to the WWF, first as Goldust's manager, helping him to reinvent himself as "The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust". The pair sported a variety of different outfits and roles, including a dominatrix, a slave, a "New Year Baby", and his nurse. Their first feud was against Vader. Luna's first appearance had her wheeling the allegedly paralyzed Goldust to the ring and then blinding Vader with some "medical fluid". Later when Goldust, dressed like a Christmas tree, recited poems in the ring, he was attacked by Santa Claus, who turned out to be Vader. Vader eventually defeated Goldust at the 1998 Royal Rumble. The Goldust/Luna pairing also took to imitating other wrestler's gimmicks, often those of Goldust's opponents. At one point Goldust and Luna impersonated European Champion Triple H and Chyna in a title match against Owen Hart. What Triple H had intended as a "joke" resulted in Owen beating Goldust and Commissioner Slaughter awarding the title to Hart, considering Goldust to be a legit replacement.

At this time, Goldust also teamed up with Marc Mero, which led to another feud, as Luna and Mero's valet Sable started to fight outside of the ring. The feud culminated in a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania XIV, pitting the two couples against each other.[4] After this, Luna challenged Sable to an Evening Gown match at Unforgiven and scored the victory by stripping her opponent down to her underwear. The animosity between Luna and Sable was not entirely kayfabe. As Sable's popularity increased, she adopted a presumptuous attitude towards other competitors. According to Luna, as the two trained in the preparation for their WrestleMania match, Sable refused to learn how to "take bumps", while Luna was threatened by WWF officials that hurting her opponent in the ring would put her job in jeopardy.[4] Sable also annoyed Luna with bragging about being promised the Women's Championship, a goal that had hitherto eluded the veteran Canadian. Luna was also hurt after she had carried Sable in their match, as Sable was universally congratulated while Luna was only consoled by Owen Hart.[5] Still, Luna described the match as a highlight in her career.[5]

In August 1998, Luna had apparently patched up her differences with Sable, as the latter, now split from Marc Mero, introduced her as the newest member of the Human Oddities stable. Luna attacked Marc Mero's new valet Jacqueline. Luna scored a pinfall victory in August, but lost a rematch in September. In December, Sable, who had won the reinstated WWF Women's Championship, was attacked by the masked "Spider Lady", who turned out to be Luna. She justified attacking her partner with the words: "It's about me, it's about what I deserve." In this feud against Sable, Shane McMahon personally supported Luna's efforts to win the championship after taking personal offense to Sable's attitude towards him and booked a Leather Strap match at the Royal Rumble. Leading up to that event, in the storyline, Luna was repeatedly attacked by an obsessed Sable fan. At the Royal Rumble, Sable successfully retained the title thanks to the interference of that fan, who now entered WWF competition as Tori. During the weeks prior to the Royal Rumble, Luna also defeated Gillberg, a WWF parody of World Championship Wrestling's star Goldberg. Luna was due to challenge Sable for another title shot several weeks later at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, but the match was canceled due to Luna's suspension for fighting with Sable backstage.[1]

Six months later, Luna returned at SummerSlam, chasing then Women's Champion Ivory backstage after a successful title defense against Tori. This started a feud between the two with Luna even scoring a pinfall victory during an impromptu, non-title match. At Unforgiven, however, she lost to Ivory in a Hardcore Rules match. During that feud, Luna also answered a challenge from then Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett and defeated him via disqualification, thanks to Ivory's interference.

From then on, Luna reassumed her role as manager for her husband, now working for the WWF under the name Gangrel, participating in several mixed tag team matches and helping Gangrel beat his opponents.[2]

At Survivor Series in 1999, she joined forces with her former rivals Ivory, Jacqueline, and Terri Runnels, against Tori, Debra, The Fabulous Moolah, and Mae Young. Luna's team was defeated when Moolah pinned Ivory. At the Royal Rumble in 2000, she participated in the Swim Suit Contest, though in protest against the whole event she refused to take off her gown. This angle reflected Luna's legitimate dissatisfaction with the "sexualization" of the WWE's women's division. Vachon then became involved in a brief feud with Jacqueline after the latter had pinned Harvey Wippleman to capture the Women's title. She was the first person to challenge Jacqueline on the February 7 edition of "Raw", but failed following a DDT. Gangrel, who accompanied her to ringside, responded by executing his Impaler DDT on the champion. This led to a mixed tag on the following episode of SmackDown, in which Vachon and Heath defeated Moore and her partner Prince Albert. She was later released from the WWF in early 2000 due to another outburst backstage.[1][2]

Independent circuit

After leaving the WWF, Luna continued to manage Gangrel during her independent tours all over the world, as well as wrestling on her own.

On June 9, 2007, Luna became the first Great Lakes Championship Wrestling's Ladies champion defeating Traci Brooks. On December 5, 2007, Luna Vachon announced her retirement; her last match took place on December 7 for Great Lakes Championship Wrestling in Milwaukee. She successfully defended her GLCW Ladies Championship against Traci Brooks and then retired as champion.

Events since 2008

Luna was honored in 2009 at the 44th annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion, given the "Ladies Wrestling Award" in Las Vegas, Nevada.[7][8]

Personal life

She was the daughter of Butcher Vachon and the niece of "Mad Dog" Vachon and Vivian Vachon.[4] Her unofficial godfather was André the Giant.[4] Gertrude herself was a mentor for fellow Canadian wrestler Nattie Neidhart.[4]

Luna was married three times: First to Dan Hurd,[9] with whom she had two sons, Joshua (1980) and Van (1982), who competed on the sixth season of Fox's reality cooking show Hell's Kitchen.[10] After breaking up, she dated Dick Slater for a while and then after Slater began being physical abusive,[11] she later married childhood friend Tom Nash.[12] After Nash and Vachon called it quits, the other half of the wrestling tag team, The Blackhearts,[13]David Heath, took Nash's place, and in 1994, Vachon married Heath on October 31.[14][15] During this marriage, she was stepmother to David's sons, David Jr. and Donavan.[16] The two divorced in 2006 but, according to Heath, remained best of friends.[15] She was also a grandmother to Van's daughter, Lauren.[9]

She has been featured in both Playboy and Hustler, as well as other magazines.[4] She also sang back-up vocals for a band known as Nasty Savage.[4]

Luna was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[4] She became a born again Christian in 2004, after attending an Athletes International Ministry conference.[5] She was baptized not long after by fellow wrestler Nikita Koloff along with her then-husband David Heath.[5][17] She worked as a tow truck operator in Port Richey, Florida.[5][4] One of her fondest memories about the wrestling business was being able to visit children as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[4] Her house burned down in 2010, and she had lost many of her wrestling-related memorabilia.

Death

On August 27, 2010, it was announced that Vachon was found dead at her mother's home. She had been staying there of late as her home burned down recently and she lost all her possessions. [18] Vachon is survived by her two sons.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

  • American Wrestling Federation
    • AWF Women's Championship (1 time)
  • Great Lakes Championship Wrestling
    • GLCW Ladies Championship (1 time)
  • Ladies' Major League of Wrestling
    • LMLW Women's Championship (1 time)
  • Sunshine Wrestling Federation
    • SWF Ladies' Championship (1 time)
  • Wild Women of Wrestling
    • WWOW Television Championship (1 time)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Oliver, Greg. "Canadian Hall of Fame: Luna Vachon". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Alumni: Luna Vachon". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Luna Vachon". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Johns, Fred (August 7, 2008). "A visit to Luna's 'little land of lunacy'". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Hoffman, Brett (March 14, 2007). "Catching up with Luna Vachon". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  6. ^ a b Feinstein video Shoot interview, Summary at TheSmartMarks.com.
  7. ^ http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/reunion-news/2009-reunion-archives/2009-honorees/
  8. ^ http://onlineworldofwrestling.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3022
  9. ^ a b "Into The Fire Hell's Kitchen contestant has ties to Terrell". TERRELLTRIBUNE.com. 2009-08-19. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
  10. ^ Aldren, Mike (2009-07-26). "Daily wrestling news & gossip". The Sun. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  11. ^ http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2009/10/18/11441471.html
  12. ^ http://www.howardbrody.com/
  13. ^ http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2009/09/20/11009621.html
  14. ^ Fact list referencing her Halloween marriage
  15. ^ a b AdultFYI – Conversations with Gangrel; Gangrel on "Prince of Porn" Evan Stone: It's the Little Man Complex
  16. ^ RAW Magazine, February 2000.
  17. ^ http://www.athletesinternational.com/images/image/2005/42-19A_2.jpg
  18. ^ http://www.wrestling-radio.com/feed_news-16559-BREAKING_NEWS%3A_Former_WWE_Diva_Luna_Vachon_Dead_Ag.php
  19. ^ a b c World Championship Wrestling (1997-05-18). "Luna Vachon Vs Madusa". WCW Slamboree.
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