Rikishi said Luna Vachon and Gangrel were the wildest and toughest couple in the history of professional wrestling and that both were like family to the Samoan dynasty, speaking on the Off the Top podcast.
Rikishi said Luna was like a sister to the family and that they all grew up together. “The relationship with us and Luna was, in the early stages of professional wrestling, we all used to be at my uncle’s house and we trained together. Luna was like a sister to us. Always protected her. She always protected us,” Rikishi said. “Anybody that said anything about the Samoans, we all know how crazy Luna is. Luna jump up in your face and she’ll start scrapping.”
Rikishi said Gangrel, whose real name is David Heath, has been part of the Samoan family for decades. “David, who we call Kavika, the Samoan Albino, he’s been around our family for well over 30, 40 years. He’s been underneath that learning tree of Uncle Afa and Sika,” Rikishi said. “Those two were a couple that we really cared for, not because they were in the business, but because how we were all raised up and groomed together and got a lot of family time together. We ate on the dinner table together, traveled together, starved together.”
On who deserves the title of wildest couple in wrestling history, Rikishi had no hesitation. “Toughest, wildest. They really were like the Lost Boys. Straight up vampires,” Rikishi said. “I don’t think anybody could ever pulled off that vampire type of gimmick like they did. It was so good that sometimes I had the question, are they real vampires?”
Rikishi said both Luna and Gangrel wore real fangs in their mouths during matches and appearances and would regularly get hurt by them. “I’ve seen many times David hurt his lip and stuff like that. Luna as well. But they wouldn’t complain about it. They’d laugh at it,” Rikishi said.
Rikishi paid tribute to Luna, who passed away in 2010. “Gone too soon. Sister Luna,” he said.
A documentary on Luna Vachon’s life titled “Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story,” directed by Kate Kroll, is currently screening in Vancouver as part of National Canadian Film Day. The film screens at the VIFF Centre Lochmaddy Studio Theatre at 1181 Seymour St. in Vancouver on Saturday, April 11 at 8:45 PM, Sunday, April 12 at 7:30 PM, and Tuesday, April 14 at 7:40 PM. More information is available on Instagram at @lunaticdocumentary.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Off the Top with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.