Gertrude Elizabeth Vachon ( / vʌˈʃɒn / ; 12 de enero de 1962 - 27 de agosto de 2010) fue una luchadora profesional estadounidense-canadiense , más conocida como Luna Vachon . [ 3 ] [4] [5] [6] [ 7] A lo largo de sus 22 años de carrera, luchó para promociones como la World Wrestling Federation (ahora WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling , la American Wrestling Association y la World Championship Wrestling . Fue incluida póstumamente en el Salón de la Fama de la WWE , el Salón de la Fama de la Lucha Libre Profesional y el Salón de la Fama de la Lucha Libre Femenina .
Cuando era niña, Gertrude Vachon quería continuar con el legado de lucha libre de su familia . [7] Asistía a eventos de lucha libre y solía jugar en el ring, lo que a menudo resultaba en entrenamiento con varias estrellas de la World Wide Wrestling Federation . Su familia se opuso a que ingresara al negocio de la lucha libre y trató de disuadirla, ya que consideraban que la vida de un luchador en ese momento era demasiado dura para una mujer. [6] [7] André the Giant , con quien era cercana y que la llevó de viaje a París en 1974, también trató de disuadirla. [7] Alrededor de los dieciséis años, comenzó a entrenar con su tía Vivian y luego con The Fabulous Moolah . [6]
Gertrude comenzó su carrera profesional luchando para la escuela de lucha libre profesional femenina de Moolah en Columbia, Carolina del Sur. [6] Luego se mudó a Florida y, compitiendo bajo el nombre de ring Angelle Vachon, se convirtió en miembro de un grupo de lucha libre de cuatro mujeres liderado por Mad Maxine .
En 1985, debutó en Florida Championship Wrestling , como una joven reportera de voz suave llamada Trudy Herd, que le estaba dando un premio a Kendall Windham . Se produjo una pelea y Kevin Sullivan la abofeteó dos veces . [8] El ángulo la volvió loca por el trato de Sullivan y terminó uniéndose al establo Army of Darkness de Sullivan bajo el nuevo nombre de ring, Luna Vachon. [9] Como parte de su truco, se afeitó la mitad de la cabeza, que fue el primer paso hacia su característico peinado Mohawk, se cubrió la cara con pintura corporal y se burló continuamente. [6] [9] Mirando hacia atrás, Vachon expresó su inquietud por algunos elementos de este ángulo. [10]
Durante su tiempo en Florida, Luna se asoció con The Lock como Daughters of Darkness , una parte del Ejército de Sullivan. [6] El dúo también proporcionó coros para la banda de thrash metal Nasty Savage . [7] A principios de 1987, Luna y Lock aparecieron en la Continental Wrestling Association . [11] Durante los siguientes tres años, Luna también viajó a Japón, donde su padre Butcher Vachon actuó como su manager, [6] así como a Puerto Rico. [9] También luchó en Powerful Women of Wrestling (POWW) de David McLane y, durante la alianza de POWW con la American Wrestling Association (AWA), participó en el único evento de pago por visión de esta última , SuperClash I II en diciembre de 1988, compitiendo en una Battle Royal . [12]
A principios de los noventa se hizo cargo de la gestión de The Blackhearts, un equipo de lucha enmascarada que surgió de Stampede Wrestling de Stu Hart . El equipo estaba formado por Tom Nash, un amigo de la infancia de Luna y su entonces marido, y David Heath , su futuro marido, bajo los nombres de "Apocalypse" y "Destruction", respectivamente. Luna trabajó con ellos en Tri-State Wrestling de Joel Goodhart, en Universal Wrestling Federation de Herb Abrams y, finalmente, en All-Japan de Giant Baba , donde el equipo se separó. Luna también trabajó en Wild Women of Wrestling , como competidora, comentarista y booker. [13] [14]
En 1992, mientras luchaba en Puerto Rico , intentó conseguirle a David Heath un trabajo en la World Wrestling Federation (WWF), lo que resultó en que la WWF se interesara por ella. La contrataron, pero no sin algunas complicaciones. Nadie sabía exactamente dónde estaba; incluso su padre solo sabía que se estaba quedando en Florida. La WWF de hecho contrató a un investigador privado para encontrarla. Cuando la encontraron, estaba trabajando como camarera en un restaurante. [6] [10]
La primera aparición de Luna en la WWF fue en abril de 1993 en WrestleMania IX , acompañando al Campeón Intercontinental Shawn Michaels en su combate contra Tatanka , quien estuvo acompañado por la ex valet de Michaels, Sensational Sherri . Después del combate, Luna atacó a Sensational Sherri en el ringside, y luego nuevamente en el área de primeros auxilios. Fue arrestada por seguridad, lo que inició una feroz disputa entre los dos.
Al mismo tiempo que Luna y Sherri estaban en desacuerdo, Bam Bam Bigelow tuvo un enfrentamiento con Sherri. Esto llevó a que Tatanka lo atacara y los dos se pelearan. Poco después, Bam Bam (kayfabe) anunció que se había enamorado y presentó a Luna como su "amor principal". [15] También la llamó cariñosamente su "Tick", que los fanáticos combinaron con su nombre para cantar "Luna-tic". A partir de entonces, Bam Bam fue visto lanzando besos a Luna al final de los combates, y en su honor incluso incluyó el Moonsault , rebautizado como Lunasault , en su repertorio. Se planeó un combate en equipos mixtos entre las dos parejas para SummerSlam en 1993, pero tuvo que cancelarse porque Luna (legítimamente) se lesionó el brazo y luego Sherri dejó la WWF. En cambio, Bigelow y The Headshrinkers lucharon y perdieron ante Tatanka y The Smokin' Gunns en un combate en equipos de seis hombres. En el otoño de 1993, Bam Bam y Luna se enfrentaron a algunas bromas de Doink the Clown , lo que llevó a una lucha al estilo Survivor Series en el evento de 1993 del mismo nombre que enfrentó a Bam Bam, The Headshrinkers y Bastion Booger contra cuatro Doinks (en realidad Men on a Mission y The Bushwhackers con maquillaje de payaso). Durante este tiempo, Luna fue la causa de la disensión entre Bam Bam y su compañero de equipo a tiempo parcial Bastion Booger, quien también se había enamorado de ella. En WrestleMania X , Bam Bam y Luna finalmente se vengaron de Doink al vencer a The Clown y su compañero enano Dink en una lucha por equipos mixtos. [6]
Cuando la división femenina de la WWF fue revivida, la antigua rival de Luna , Madusa , que había entrado a la WWF bajo el nombre de Alundra Blayze, ganó el Campeonato Femenino . Luna puso sus ojos en el título y tuvo una serie de combates con Alundra, todos resultando en victorias para Blayze. Fue durante este tiempo que la relación entre Luna y Bam Bam mostró grietas por primera vez después de que una interferencia en un combate saliera mal. En el verano, Luna vendió el contrato de Bam Bam a Ted DiBiase , quien estaba empezando a construir su " Million Dollar Corporation ". [9] Luna luego eligió a la luchadora japonesa Bull Nakano para ganar el título femenino de Blayze, lo que finalmente hizo. [9] Luna, sin embargo, dejó la WWF poco después de este combate por el título.
En 1994, Luna fue la primera mujer en aparecer en un videojuego de la WWF , cuando –a pesar de objeciones previas [7] – fue incluida en WWF Raw .
Después de dejar la WWF, Luna luchó en el circuito independiente . Por recomendación de la esposa de Kevin Sullivan , Nancy , entró en la Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Fue contratada como la nueva valet de Tommy Dreamer en su larga disputa con Raven (Scott Levy). Dreamer presentó a Luna como "alguien de tu pasado", ya que Luna había sido compañera de casa de Levy en sus días en Florida y ambos habían trabajado simultáneamente en la WWF. Mientras estaba en la ECW, Luna estaría del lado de Tommy, peleándose con Raven y sus lacayos, que incluían a Stevie Richards , e incluso su esposo The Vampire Warrior (quien, en kayfabe , se había puesto celoso del tiempo que pasaba con Dreamer). Tuvo más de unos pocos enfrentamientos físicos con Richards, incluido un steel cage match , que ganó. [6]
Ese mismo año, ocupó el puesto número 306 en el PWI 500 [16] [17] , siendo la segunda mujer en ser incluida en esa lista después de Miss Texas .
En 1996/97, compitió en Puerto Rico para el Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre y la Federación Americana de Lucha Libre , utilizando el nombre de Angel Baby , [12] y la IWA Mid-South . [18] [19] [20] [21]
A principios de 1997, Luna tuvo una corta carrera con World Championship Wrestling (WCW), nuevamente persiguiendo a su rival Madusa . Luna interfirió en los combates de Madusa contra la Campeona Femenina de WCW Akira Hokuto , evitando que Madusa ganara el título. Luna y Madusa se enfrentaron en una serie de combates, incluido un combate en Slamboree de 1997. Aunque Luna dominó los combates, Madusa logró obtener el pinfall cada vez.
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.[7] 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.[7] Sable also annoyed Luna with bragging about being promised the Women's Championship, a goal that had eluded Vachon. 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.[15] Still, Luna described the match as a highlight in her career.[15]
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, the former Miss Texas. 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 her heel turn and attack towards 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.[6]
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.[9]
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 legit dissatisfaction with the "sexualization" of the WWF'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 German suplex. 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 Gangrel defeated Moore and her partner Prince Albert. She was later released from the WWF in early 2000 due to another outburst backstage.[6][9]
After leaving the WWF, Luna continued to manage Gangrel during her independent tours all over the world, as well as wrestling on her own. Venues included the IWA Puerto Rico in 2000,[22][23] the Australian World Wrestling All-Stars in 2001,[24][25] the German EWP in 2003,[26][27] the British ASW in 2006[28][29] and WSU in 2007.[30][31]
Whilst touring the UK with WWA in 2001 she was defeated by her husband Gangrel in a Black Wedding Match.
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.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Charles Henry Wilkerson, a hotel owner and Rebecca "Van" Pierce,[32] Luna's biological father Charles Wilkerson committed suicide in his hotel in Atlanta in 1966. Paul "Butcher" Vachon, who was staying at the hotel that night, took care of a devastated Van while she was grieving in the hotel and married her, his second wife. He also adopted the four-year old Luna and continued to raise her as his daughter after the marriage split.[4] By virtue of the adoption, Luna is also the niece of "Mad Dog" Vachon and Vivian Vachon.[4][7] She was also close to André the Giant.[7]
Luna was married three times, first to Dan Hurd, with whom she had two sons, Joshua (born 1980) and Vincent "Van" (born 1982), who competed on Seasons 6 and 17 of Fox's reality cooking show Hell's Kitchen, hosted by Gordon Ramsay.[33] After breaking up, she dated Dick Slater for a while until Slater began physically abusing her. She then married childhood friend Tom Nash.[14] After Nash and Vachon split, David Heath, Nash's tag team partner in The Blackhearts, and Vachon married on October 31, 1994.[34] During this marriage, she was stepmother to David's sons, David Jr. and Donavan.[35] The two divorced in 2006 but, according to Heath, remained best of friends.[34] She had three grandchildren, Lauren, Austin and Neila.[32][33]She was featured in both Playboy and Hustler.[7]
Luna was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[7] She became a born again Christian in 2004, after attending an Athletes International Ministry conference.[15] She was baptized by fellow wrestler Nikita Koloff along with her then-husband David Heath.[15][36] In 2007, she worked as a tow truck operator in Port Richey, Florida.[7][15]
Luna was honored in April 2009 at the 44th annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion, given the "Ladies Wrestling Award" in Las Vegas, Nevada.[37] One of her fondest memories about the wrestling business was being able to visit children as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[7] After her retirement, Luna took an interest in fellow Canadian wrestlers and especially monitored the career of Nattie Neidhart, the daughter of fellow wrestler and friend Jim Neidhart.[7]
Around Christmas 2009, Vachon's house was destroyed by a fire in which she lost her wrestling-related memorabilia and other possessions.[38] After the fire, she stayed at her mother's home[4] and joined her father and his third wife Dee on a cruise in February 2010.[39] The fire prompted a call from fellow wrestler and friend Mick Foley (and others) to fans to send Luna-related memorabilia to Vachon's post office box.[40] Foley also suggested that TNA bring her in to manage Tommy Dreamer at the Hardcore Justice pay-per-view in August 2010, but Vachon turned down the offer, stating that she had retired.[41]
On the morning of August 27, 2010, she was found dead by her mother at her home in Pasco County, Florida.[4][5][42] She was 48 years old. According to the District Six Medical Examiner's Office in Florida, she died from an "overdose of oxycodone and benzodiazepine". Investigators had previously found crushed pill residue and snorting straws at multiple locations inside Vachon's house.[43] Vachon had become addicted to medication at some point and underwent rehabilitation, paid for by WWE, which she completed in June 2009.[42]
On April 7, 2015, The Mountain Goats released a pro wrestling concept album called Beat the Champ where one song, Luna, is named after Vachon.
She was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame's legacy wing (class of 2019),[44] into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020,[45] and into the Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2023.
Vice TV's docuseries Dark Side of the Ring aired an episode about Vachon on October 14, 2021.
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