Exclusive: Gangrel Credits Vince Russo For His Iconic WWF Entrance
Gangrel's vampire-based group The Brood helped launch the WWE careers of Christian and Edge, but the trio's entrance is still fondly remembered and revered to this day.
After multiple stints in the WWF as an enhancement performer, Gangrel returned to the company in 1998 under the gimmick that has been synonymous with him ever since. Also synonymous was a fiery walk-in, complete with a "blood" filled chalice and chilling entrance music, while the former "Vampire Warrior" showed off his fangs. In an interview with Fightful.com, Gangrel revealed how astonishingly quick it all came together, and gave Vince Russo credit for creating much of what viewers would end up seeing.
"They came to me on a Friday night — Vince Russo, and said 'can you do the vampire thing?' and it debuted on a Sunday night Heat. It was a weekend thing. He came up with the entrance, he was a big KISS fan. He came up with the elevator and the fire, and I came up with the Gene Simmons guitar solo where he spits blood in the air, so I came out with a chalice and spit blood in the air like that. Most of that was Vince Russo, and the music was Jim Johnston. I'm not sure they didn't rip off the Toadies "Possum Kingdom" (a song about vampires) with that one," Gangrel laughed.
Gangrel would spend the next two years with the WWF until leaving in 2000. He's had several one-off appearances since then, and also stays active on the independent circuit and running his own wrestling school.
You can see Gangrel this year at WrestleCon in New Orleans. He appears courtesy of TitleMatchNetwork.com and preorders are available at TitleMatchWrestling.com. He joins joins Stevie Ray, Ivelisse, Sabu, Kiera Hogan, Masada, Melissa Coates & Barbi Hayden at their booth.
