Catching up with Luna Vachon

Catching up with Luna Vachon

As the daughter of a "Butcher," and the niece of a "Mad Dog," Luna Vachon was destined to become a sports-entertainment Superstar. Sporting a look that could easily introduce fear into the hearts of any young fan, Luna succeeded in carrying on the proud tradition of the Vachon wrestling family.

As far back as she can remember, Luna always wanted to follow in the family footsteps. As the daughter of a wrestler, she was constantly exposed to the business, and eventually decided that she loved it so much, that she wanted to become a wrestler herself. Early on however, Luna's family wasn't so excited about her wrestling dreams.

"I grew up wanting to be a part of this business so badly," remembered Luna. "My family discouraged me at first. My aunt Vivian was a wrestler, so they knew the kind of toll that wrestling could take on a woman's body. I didn't let that stop me though. It was in my blood, and all I wanted to do was become a wrestler."

Despite her family's initial objections, Luna overcame the odds and fulfilled her wrestling dreams. In a career that spanned nearly two decades, Vachon may be most remembered for her unique look and unusual ring attire. Displaying a memorable mane and multiple colorful tattoos, Luna succeeded in her goal of attracting the eyes of packed arenas all over the world.

"In a world full of butterflies, it takes balls to be a caterpillar," said Luna. "When I entered the sport, I wanted to attract as much attention to myself and women's wrestling as I could. There were pretty girls and cowgirls, but nobody had a look that really stood out. I wanted to take it to the extreme."

During her time with WWE, Luna appeared in multiple roles. Vachon appeared as the "main squeeze" of the late Beast from the East, Bam Bam Bigelow, before later forming partnerships with The Oddities and Goldust, among others. In a career full of unlikely triumphs, Luna cites her tag team loss at WrestleMania XIV as the highlight of her professional career.

"Sable wasn't a wrestler until I made her one," said Luna. "A real wrestler can wrestle a mop, and make it look like the mop is kicking their ass, and that's what happened that night. She beat us, and when we got to the back, there was champagne and confetti, and everyone wanted to celebrate with Sable. I kept walking until Owen Hart came up to me and told me I had just put on the match of my life. It meant a lot to have someone like him say that to me."

In 2007, Luna leads a dramatically different life from the one she lived for so many years inside the squared circle. The former "main squeeze" still makes time for the gym, and even makes the occasional wrestling appearance, but, after years of breaking down her opponents in the ring, Vachon now makes her living by helping those that have broken down…on the side of the road. With excitement in her voice, Luna told WWE.com about her new role, as the driver of a massive C6500 Chevy Rollback two-car carrier for Ultima Towing and Recovery in Port Richey, Fla. 

"I'm not the kind of girl who can sit behind a desk and answer phone calls," said Luna. "I got bored of doing nothing, and I wondered what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I decided that I had to get out there and be in the sunshine, and get my hands dirty."

For many, the thought of driving a tow truck, especially after a long and successful life on the road in the wrestling business, would be a last resort. Not so, according to Luna. The countless hours of hard labor and challenging tasks produce the very reward that Vachon is looking for.

"I absolutely love it," proclaimed Luna. "At the end of the day, my hands and face are greasy, there's dirt under my fingernails, and my body is exhausted. But, it makes me feel good to know that I've put in a hard day of labor, and ultimately, I've lent a hand to somebody that needed my help."

The transition from the ring to the tow-truck wasn't the only dramatic change in Luna's life. The instability and unpredictability that Luna showed on TV wasn't far from her real life personality, and as Luna told WWE.com, she wasn't always headed down the right path in life. That all changed for Luna three years ago, when she was invited to spend the weekend at the Athletes in Ministry conference in Phoenix, a conference once attended by current WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels.

"I was a lost soul," said an emotional Vachon. "When these people heard my story, they asked me to come to their conference and see what it was all about. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I agreed to go with an open-mind."

Little did Luna know that the journey she was about to take would change her life forever. Vachon told WWE.com that her experience that weekend is one she will never forget.

"The Lord touched me, and it was something I had never felt before," said Luna. "In front of thousands of people, I started shaking. No drug, and no alcohol had ever given me the feeling that god gave me that weekend. I thought I needed to go to the hospital, but I really needed to walk with the Lord."

Shortly thereafter, Luna was baptized by fellow wrestling great and Ministry attendee, Nikita Koloff. Since that day, religion has played a major role in Vachon's life.

"I'm a baby Christian, and my walk has just begun," said Luna. "It's been three years since I was baptized, and I can't get enough. I can't learn fast enough, I can't read the bible fast enough. I always thought I would need something to make me feel good, but I found out it didn't have to be drugs or alcohol. I can feel that good by living with Christ."

Despite the fact that religion now plays a major role in her life, Luna admits that wrestling is still in her blood. The veteran grappler still catches Raw or SmackDown when she can, and told WWE.com that she is impressed with how far women have come in wrestling from the time she started in the business more than two decades ago.

"I'm proud of how far the women have come, they are the most awesome female athletes in the world," said Luna. "The women are wrestling more like men now. When I grew up, my aunt Vivian, and the Fabulous Moolah were the only women who could pull it off. These women are throwing hard punches, and moving in-and-out of wrestling combinations on a regular basis. It's amazing to watch."

During her career, Luna wasn't always a fan-favorite. But, as she looks back on her career, Vachon told WWE.com that she has nothing but fond memories of the WWE fans.

"Thank you for all the years," said an emotional Vachon. "Thank you to those that knew me back then, and those that still remember me today. Thanks to everyone that ever screamed at me, cheered for me, spit at me or threw beer on me. I want to thank them for everything."

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