Freak of the Week: Luna Vachon

Courtesy: wwe.com

This post is meant as a tribute, not a slam at the late, great Luna Vachon.  The second generation star died a couple of months ago.  She was only 48.  It appears Luna died from an accidental overdose of painkillers and anti-anxiety medication.  I know the last couple of years had been rough for her.  May she rest in peace.

I remember the first time I saw Luna Vachon.  It was in a wrestling magazine.  Pro Wrestling Illustrated.  I used to buy a new copy each month when I was growing up.  Luna was managing the Blackhearts at the  time.  They wore masks and cloaks and wrestled on the independent circuit.  They were bizarre.  All three of them.  And until just now, I never realized Gangrel (Luna's eventual husband) was one of the Blackhearts.

But Luna had been involved in wrestling long before that article brought her to my attention.  Wrestling was in her blood.  She's the daughter of Butcher Vachon and the niece of Mad Dog Vachon.  Her Godfather was Andre the Giant.  Her ashes are actually scattered on the ranch Andre once lived on.  

From what I've read Luna started off in the business soft spoken and not quite so "freaky."  It was an angle with Kevin Sullivan that turned her into the character we all remember.  Her first main stream exposure came in 1993 when she showed up at Wrestlemania 9 as Shawn Michaels' valet.  Shawn and Sherri Martel had just "broken up" and HBK needed someone to have his back.  It was an odd pairing and it didn't last very long.

She soon took a shining to Bam Bam Bigelow.  The two were a match made in hell with all their tattoos and crazy markings.  They feuded with Doink the Clown and his little sidekick Dink.  The inter gender duo beat the clowns at Wrestlemania 10.  Luna also had a go with women's champion Alundra Blayze.  She never won that title.  

Luna left the WWF, but would eventually return.  She managed Goldust and the two had some very unusual costumes.  One that sticks out was when Goldie had pink or purple hair and wore some sort of wet suit and had a ball gag in his mouth.  Bizarre.  Around this same time I believe Luna was feuding with Sable.  

The two actually feuded a couple of times, as Luna eventually turned face and managed the Oddities.  No explanation needed there.   Sable played the snotty b*tch and Luna was the freak.  Classic high school conflict that everyone can relate to, whether you're the stuck up one or the freaky one.

Somewhere along the way too, she challenged Jeff Jarrett for the intercontinental title and beat him by disqualification.  Luna left the WWF and hit the indy scene again. Of course I glossing over some of her accomplishments and writing most of this from memory.  Some of it with the help of the "magic box."

Luna had recently lost everything in a house fire, so I'm sure that added to her stress and anxiety levels.  Again, may she rest in peace and thanks for the memories.