We are honoured to share this article from Dr Mike Lano, Pro Wrestling Illustrated photographer and columnist since 1966, with all of you. Mike was kind enough to send Diva Dirt his tribute to former WWE star, Luna Vachon, who passed away yesterday.
The Beatiful “Monster” with a Huge Heart
By Dr Mike Lano
I’d known Luna Vachon (we still called her Angel) since ’85 and we kept in touch during her up and down years from the Kevin Sullivan 80’s period angle on. At the last Cauliflower Alley reunion we saw her at (and she absolutely loved coming and seeing all her peers and “family” as she said), she was so proud, “overwhelmed” were her words again at being one of our top honorees. She cried and was so taken with emotion after getting her plaque and crystal trophy as our female wrestler of the year and had to have Papa Paul help her at the podium, as she was so full of emotion seeing Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, Manny Fernandez, and many other people she cited later.
She was equally proud of how long she’d been clean and sober, and this is an especially tough loss for everyone. What a sweetheart, which was at odds with her outward appearance she cultivated. Just a big heart, so sweet to everyone. She was the first person calling me after Penny Banner’s passing; one of the top top legends male or female in the industry and a class person and big CAC supporter. Luna worked everywhere after Florida. Briefly for NWA/WCW, a few long runs with WWF/WWE, the real ECW, SMW, Japan, Puerto Rico, Memphis for Jerry Jarrett, all over Canada, you name it and she did it. And she was always gracious in helping train others, a fact she and Bret Hart talked about in Vegas a few years back. She was very proud of her family but also other terrific Canadian wrestling families like the Harts, Sharpes and Burkes.
#10 – Mickie “Don’t Call Me Melina” James – Now face this; when Mickie James made her debut, a whole load of us had to do a double take. Was that Melina that just attacked Victoria, coming to the aid of Trish Stratus? The comparisons seem to have been endless on the Internet, which only added further flames to the fire in a much publicized backstage feud between the two. Ah, the good ole days when Melina’s Internet ignorance got the best of her with a shoot blog… and Mickie’s graphic Arby’s photoshoot first surfaced. Good times, I’m telling ya. So which side did you belong to? Team Mickie or Team Melina. Regardless of your preference, caught in-between was the thought: “That’s the best she could do with hair… DEBUT night?!” She has since come so far and has done so much… but I’m still thinkin’ Arby’s.
#09 – Awesome King Kong Braids – How do I even begin with this one? I get that Kong is supposed to be some ‘monster’ wrestler and the biggest threat to Women’s Wrestling, but really? With hair like that? To me, she’s just a seemingly robust woman with a speech impediment, and a really bad case of the braids – yeah, TNA means nothing to me, I don’t watch it. A shout out to all of our Clueless fans; remember when Dionne found that strand of “cheap polyester hair” in the back of Murray’s car… yep, looks like Kong gets her ‘hair did’ with the same slut. There’s nothing intimidating about braids, in fact, nothing good about braids either – NOTHING. Kong should grow out a fro ala Macy Gray, then she’d have the rest of us running like hell like we’re in pursuit of hair relaxer. Yikes!