The Art of Wrestling w/Colt Cabana
Episode #286 – Vampiro
Release Date: January 21, 2016
DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
Report by Chris Davidson
Hot Topics
– Vampiro discusses WCW’s culture of “drug dependency.”
– Vampiro offers a career retrospective, including time as a massive Mexican wrestling star
– Colt Cabana talks lost luggage
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Introduction
7:52 – Song of the Week
10:20 – Vampiro Interview
19:33 – Vampiro talks his backstory
27:00 – Vampiro talks Mexico
37:39 – Vampiro talks drugs and WCW
43:53 – Vampiro talks transitioning to WCW
50:12 – Vampiro talks Insane Clown Posse and Lucha Underground
56:41 – Colt wraps up the show
EPISODE SUMMARY
0:00 – Introduction – Colt opened the show joking that he did not want to go to England, but instead wanted to stay in the Newark airport, like his bags did on his latest trip. Colt ranted about losing his bags and regretted not starting a hashtag to get United Airlines to find them. Colt talked up Vampiro and Lucha Underground on El Rey. Colt talked up how Vampiro was during the interview, contrasted to how he is perceived in the locker room. Colt segued back into talking about missing out on revenue opportunities and opportunities to meet fans because of not having his merchandise with him.
7:52 – Song of the Week – The song of the week this week is “El Perro Aguayo” by Cuisillos.
10:20 – Vampiro Interview – Colt opened the interview amazed that Vampiro was fluent in Spanish. Vampiro discussed wrestlers who travel the world but never learn any other language. Vampiro thanked Colt for taking care of him in a match a while back when he was very sick and he was grateful to Colt for carrying the match. Colt apologized that he didn’t feel that there was an issue and didn’t want Vampiro to feel bad about the situation. Vampiro talked about the tumors he developed in his stomach and one that was forming on his brain, but said that he is all clear after three years of treatment. Colt asked if the tumors could be genetic, and Vampiro said that his parents were both adopted, so he has no idea about his family history. Vampiro also admitted to using steroids and HGH. Colt joked that Vampiro learned Spanish to negotiate steroid prices in Mexico. Vampiro compared his success in Mexico to Beatlemania and talked about getting mobbed by girls trying to leave arenas. Vampiro’s interviews were being spun toward teen magazines, so he learned Spanish to give his own interviews. Vampiro talked about loving punk rock and growing up in the LA punk scene.
19:33 – Vampiro talks his back-story – Vampiro got drafted to play professional hockey when he was younger, but eventually ran away to see the Rolling Stones on tour. Afterward, Vampiro saw the Road Warriors and started lifting weights. At 15, Vampiro snuck in to a WWWF wrestling show and begged the guy who set up the ring to let him help out, and eventually he went on the road with the crew before going to Mexico City to train to be a wrestler. Colt asked if Vampiro looked back fondly on his days with no money. Vampiro said he knew he was destined to do something famous and did what he felt was right, like his punk rock idols. Vampiro ended up in LA due to a friendship with an actor he met on the set of a movie in Montreal.
27:00 – Vampiro talks Mexico – Vampiro stunned Colt by saying that he “did a robbery” to get the money to go to Mexico, but he could not elaborate beyond saying that he robbed a business. Vampiro wound up in from of Arena Mexico talking to the booker (Antonia Peña) in a Hollywood Vampires jacket. Peña called him Vampiro and within a month he was the teen idol he had previously discussed. Vampiro got thrown into the ring a week after his initial encounter and he was able to get the ladies in the audience to back him and protect him from the other wrestlers, causing an almost instant face turn. Vampiro started dating a TV star and was offered a role in a soap opera. Eventually, he became known for his exploits out of the ring. Vampiro called Norman Smiley his “partner in crime” in Mexico and claimed to wrestle six or seven times per day flying from town to town in a private plane. Vampiro said that booking him was a guaranteed sell-out.
37:39 – Vampiro talks drugs and WCW – Colt asked if this lifestyle was where drugs came in to the picture. Vampiro agreed that that was the case, and started taking sleeping pills that made him act wild. Vampiro talked about the “vicious cycle” from taking pills to sleep, wake up, and dull the pain. Vampiro said that WCW was “brutal” because of the drug abuse. Vampiro said stories about the politics in WCW were all true. Vampiro told a story about Bobby Duncum Jr. giving him Percoset pills that knocked him out, so he told higher ups at WCW Duncum had a drug problem that they ignored. Once Duncum passed away, Vampiro stopped caring about WCW. Vampiro didn’t name names, but he did point out the large amount of Mexican wrestlers contracted to WCW who rarely wrestled and the face that Soma pills were being made in Tijuana as more than a coincidence. Vampiro said that WCW wasn’t just a party culture, but one of drug dependency.
43:53 – Vampiro talks transitioning to WCW – Vampiro said he was burned out with the rock and roll lifestyle in 1996, and that he wanted to learn how to wrestle. Vampiro credited Japan for changing his attitude towards wrestling, but eventually he blew his knee out and “went into hiding.” After a year and a half, Vampiro had a better outlook and returned to wrestling in Mexico. Eventually, he got a tryout with WCW and signed a contract, but was kept off TV for over a year while they looked for something for him to do. Vampiro met the band The Misfits and walked them into WCW offices to show a gimmick that would work, and he was quickly put on TV. Soon one of the Misfits started a relationship with “Randy Savage’s girl” and they were off TV very quickly.
50:12 – Vampiro talks Insane Clown Posse and Lucha Underground – Colt credited the Insane Clown Posse for helping him connect with Vampiro, and Vampiro called Violent Jay his best friend and brother since they first met. Vampiro praised ICP both as wrestlers and as great people. Vampiro talked about his band, being a school teacher, and training people in Krav Maga. Vampiro praised Colt’s podcast and said that he loves Stone Cold and Taz, but they are all trying to copy Colt. Vampiro talked about the genesis of Lucha Underground and his love for the promotion. Vampiro said he is intense in the ring because he puts pressure no everybody to perform at their peak. Vampiro plugged his social media and activities outside of the ring and Colt ended the interview.
56:41 – Colt wraps up the show – Colt plugged Lucha Underground and praised how fun LU is. Colt said that he likes Vampiro and thought his comments at the beginning of the show towards Colt were nice. Colt plugged his website, social media, and upcoming events, then thanked Vampiro, his sponsors and tech help. Colt verbally shook his fist at United Airlines for losing his bags and signed off.
SCORE & REVIEW
8.6: This was a fantastic episode of the Art of Wrestling. Vampiro was open without sounding like he was just trying to shoot on people, and he had a lot of interesting opinions and stories from WCW. Only knowing Vampiro from WCW, hearing how big of a star he was in Mexico was very interesting, as was his opinions on the drug culture of WCW. Colt and Vampiro’s chemistry was, as always, very good. I would recommend this episode to anyone interested in Mexican wrestling or WCW.
Just posted one of my favorite podcasts I've done. https://t.co/uCMrVAIv1T
— Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) January 21, 2016
Art of Wrestling Ep 286 w/ @vampiro_vampiro is at https://t.co/uCMrVB05Tr, @iTunesPodcasts & https://t.co/JesMw6o1MA pic.twitter.com/rUk7NCyiS0
— Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) January 21, 2016
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