Gertrude Elizabeth Vachon (; January 12, 1962 – August 27, 2010) was an American-Canadian professional wrestler, better known as Luna Vachon. The angle had her driven mad by Sullivan's treatment and she ended up joining Sullivan's Army of Darkness stable under the new ring name, Luna Vachon. As part of her gimmick, she shaved one half of her head, which was the first step to her trademark Mohawk hairstyle, covered her face in bodypaint, and continuously sneered.
During her time in Florida, Luna teamed up with The Lock as the Daughters of Darkness, a part of Sullivan's Army. During the next three years, Luna also traveled to Japan, where her father Butcher Vachon acted as her manager,
World Wrestling Federation (1993–1994)
In 1992, while wrestling in Puerto Rico, she tried to get David Heath a job with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which resulted in the WWF developing an interest in her. They hired her, but not without some complications. No one in the company knew where she was; even her father only knew that she was staying in Florida. The WWF ultimately hired a private investigator to find her. She was found working as a waitress at a restaurant. – the second woman to be included in that list after Miss Texas.
In 1996/97, she competed in Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and American Wrestling Federation, using the name Angel Baby, and the IWA Mid-South.
World Championship Wrestling (1997)
In early 1997, Luna had a short run with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), again going after her rival Madusa. Luna interfered in Madusa's matches against WCW Women's Champion Akira Hokuto, preventing a title win by Madusa. Luna and Madusa met each other in a series of matches, including a match at the 1997 Slamboree. Although Luna dominated the matches, Madusa managed to get the pinfall every time.
Return to WWF (1997–2000)
thumb|Vachon during her second WWF stint
Luna then 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 was on the November 24, 1997 episode of Raw 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. the Australian World Wrestling All-Stars in 2001, the German EWP in 2003, the British ASW in 2006 and WSU in 2007.
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.
Personal life
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Charles Henry Wilkerson, a hotel owner and Rebecca "Van" Pierce, After breaking up, she dated Dick Slater for a while until Slater began physically abusing her. She then married childhood friend Tom Nash. During this marriage, she was stepmother to David's sons, David Jr. and Donavan. The two divorced in 2006 but, according to Heath, remained best of friends. She became a born again Christian in 2004, after attending an Athletes International Ministry conference. In 2007, she worked as a tow truck operator in Port Richey, Florida.
Final years and death
Luna was honored in April 2009 at the 44th annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion, given the "Ladies Wrestling Award" in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of her fondest memories about the wrestling business was being able to visit children as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. After the fire, she stayed at her mother's home The fire prompted a call from fellow wrestler and friend Mick Foley and others, for fans to send Luna-related memorabilia to Vachon's post office box. 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.
On the morning of August 27, 2010, she was found dead by her mother at her home in Pasco County, Florida. 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. Vachon had become addicted to medication at some point and underwent rehabilitation, paid for by WWE, which she completed in June 2009. into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020, 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.
She was the subject of Kate Kroll's 2025 documentary film Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story.
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Federation
- AWF Women's Championship (1 time)
- Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2022
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Ladies Wrestling Award (2009)
- Great Lakes Championship Wrestling
- GLCW Ladies Championship (1 time)
- Ladies Major League Wrestling
- LMLW World Championship (1 time)
- Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2022
- Powerful Women of Wrestling
- POWW Tag Team Champion (2 times) – with Hot Rod Andie
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 306 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1995
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Class of 2020
- South Coast Championship Wrestling
- SCCW Women's Championship (1 time)
- Sunshine Wrestling Federation
- SWF Ladies' Championship (1 time)
- United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Women's Championship (1 time)
- Wild Women of Wrestling
- WWOW Television Championship (1 time)
- Women Superstars Uncensored
- WSU Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)
- Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2023
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2019) Legacy Inductee
- Other Titles
- Universal Women's Hardcore Championship
See also
- List of premature professional wrestling deaths