Scariest of All-Time: Luna Vachon

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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The first time I saw Luna Vachon was on the pages of an Apter mag back in the late 1980s. She was the manager of the Blackhearts at the time.  They wore masks and cloaks and wrestled on the independent circuit. 

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.  

In 1993 she arrived in WWE to manage Shawn Michaels. That relationship didn't last long and she ended up with Bam Bam Bigelow to feud with Doink and Dink. An odd combination but the fearlessness of Luna shined through. She eventually would receive a championship opportunity against Alundra Blayze but never won the gold.

She did strike some form of gold years later with Goldust. This was my favorite incarnation of Luna. She would go on to feud with Sable and eventually turn good and become part of the Oddities. Luna would also wrestle against Jeff Jarrett for the Intercontinental Championship as well.

Luna's appearance, voice, and willingness to get in the ring against men and women made her one of the scariest of all-time. She is sorely missed today as we recently marked the 10 year anniversary of her death. 

Scariest of All-Time: Kamala

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Day 11 of the Scariest of All-Time blogs and it's the Ugandan Giant, Kamala. I cannot tell you how much I loved this guy. He is one of my all-time favorite gimmicks. I remember as a kid seeing the vignettes for Kamala on World Class Championship Wrestling. I have no idea how long it took me to realize that this man was not really a beast from Africa.

I think that's the beauty of the gimmick and the talent that James Harris had. He made me and many others believe that he was some sort of monster from the jungle. Kamala was a fierce competitor wrestling everyone from Andre the Giant (even bodyslamming him) to Hulk Hogan to the Von Erichs. He was never a world champion but he got in there and helped make each of his opponents look even stronger.

 It wasn't until much later in his life that he actually spoke and that never happened on TV. I was fortunate enough to do a podcast with him years ago when he was promoting the sale of his book, Kamala Speaks.

Sadly, Kamala died earlier this year. He will be sorely missed but his legacy will live on. RIP Mr. Harris and thanks for all the great memories. 

Scariest of All-Time: Wraith

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's day 10 of the countdown and another member of the Stride Pro Wrestling roster to talk about, Wraith. He appeared in January 2018 decked out in black and a mask covering his face. He entered the ring in darkness and made quick work of his opponent, eventually carrying the young man's lifeless body from the ring.

Wraith quickly became established as one of the top wrestlers on the Stride roster, winning both the Stride Cup and the Legacy Championship in one night. His ghoulish behavior continued as he recruited other disciples to join his path of destruction, most notably Ryzer. Wraith dominated most of the year before eventually fading away in 2019.

The word wraith means a ghost or ghostlike image of someone, especially one seen shortly before or after their death.  Who says wrestling doesn't teach you anything... 

Scariest of All-Time: The Brood

  

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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When it comes to impressive ring entrances, it's hard to argue that the Brood isn't among the best. I loved the music and the rising from the arena floor. Gangrel, Edge, and Christian were portrayed as three vampires ready to take a bite out of the WWF.

They did too. Adding to the scariness of the gimmick, Gangrel would drink from a goblet of blood. While I thought he played the role very well, I never really bought into Edge and Christian as vampires. I think maybe they were supposed to be more goth than vamps.  I don't know the exact etiquette here.  But obviously, the two of them evolved through the years, and each became world champion.   

The Brood also ended up joining forces with the Undertaker and his Ministry of Darkness. Gangrel would separate from Edge and Christian and teamed briefly with Viscera.  But he never enjoyed the same success his Brood brethren did in WWE, but he's still active to this day. And let's not even bring up the New Brood... 

Scariest of All-Tme: Abyss

 

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Admittedly, I don't know much about the career of Abyss before he arrives in TNA. But when he arrived on the scene, we learned quickly he was a dangerous man who needed to be taken seriously. Some compared his look to the love-child of Kane and Mankind. I'd say that's a pretty fair comparison.

Like those two Superstars, Abyss was a tough competitor, putting himself and his opponents through hell in the ring. He's been in there against many greats, including Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, and Christian Cage. Abyss had a reputation as a hardcore guy but proved himself time and time again. His loyalty and longevity with Impact earned him a spot in the company's Hall of Fame. 

In recent years, Abyss has traveled to our neck of the woods in southern Illinois and southeast Missouri to wrestle in Monster's Ball matches. Those encounters involved a variety of weapons. It was at a show for Stride in August 2018 that I met the monster in person. Despite his exterior, the man behind the Abyss character is quite nice. In fact, he gave me some tips for my audition with Impact a month later.

Now he's an agent with WWE and is occasionally on-screen as Joseph Park. While we'll likely never see him as Abyss in a WWE ring, it's nice to see a man who gave so much to the business get a bit of the bigger spotlight. 

Scariest of All-Time: Jake 'The Snake' Roberts

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Jake 'The Snake' Roberts is one of the greatest legends in pro wrestling. He's also one of the scariest to slither into the ring. Between his promos, the DDT, and his pet snake, Damian, Jake proved to be a dangerous force to reckon with. 

From his early days in MidSouth and World Class to his time in WWE and even now in AEW, Jake remains one of the best on the mic. He never screamed at the camera. Instead, he lowered his voice and forced all of us to stop what we were doing and listen. It's an effective skill that many wrestlers could learn from.

My favorite 'scary' Jake moment is the infamous cobra attack on 'Macho Man' Randy Savage. It was the perfect way to wrap up the face run he had had for many years in the WWF. He proved to us all his ability to get over as both a heel and face, something many wrestlers fail at doing. 

Scariest of All-Time: Demolition

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Ax and Smash, collectively known as Demolition, was the most dominant tag team in the WWF in the late 1980s. When the duo first appeared in the company in 1987, the instilled fear in their opponents and fans' hearts. Some criticized Ax and Smash for being a cheap imitation of the Road Warriors. However, Demolition was not a rip off of Hawk and Animal and instead created their own legacy in wrestling.

I loved most of the run the two had. I loved them as good guys and bad guys. They just clicked and never really changed their ways; they just refocused who they were beating up. 

It wasn't until the summer of 1990 that the team lost its luster for me when they added Crush to the mix. No offense to Crush, but it was like bringing in a younger co-star for a TV show that's losing its appeal. For me, the three-man version just didn't work. When the team dissolved in 1991, it turns out it was probably for the best. But what a great three or so years they had at the top of the tag team world.