The WWE Forgotten Files - Gangrel

[Dave]

Does anyone remember Gangrel? I mean seriously, anyone!? Gangrel, also known as David Heath was one of the most intriguing characters to ever grace the WWE and now he roams the annals of the WWE history labyrinth like a creature of the night. This is all too fitting to be honest. However, apart from having perhaps the greatest entrance in the history of the WWE, Gangrel seems to be a forgotten figure in the world of the WWE and this thread will evaluate why that is. One of the most interesting and, let’s face it, spookiest, people to ever grace the mighty WWE ring is now in the spotlight as we examine the forgotten file of Gangrel.

Gangrel was one of the most promising superstars of my youth. As a young and impressionable little boy, seeing Gangrel coming to the ring was a bit of a treat to be honest. I recall watching him for months on Sunday Night Heat and thinking that he could do something really spectacular in the WWE. However, I was pretty much wrong, wasn’t I? Vince Russo really had the right idea about Gangrel. He believed in the gimmick and ran with it. He gave Gangrel the time to work the gimmick and it could have really worked out. However, Gangrel did have times of brilliance during his WWE run.

After remaining unbeaten on Sunday Night heat for what felt like an eternity, I recall seeing him as part of the Brood. The Brood, consisting of Edge, Christian and Gangrel, were immensely popular despite being a heel and eventually merged with the The Undertaker to form the Ministry. I loved this angle and it really gave all three of these rookies a chance to shine with The Undertaker as a mentor of sorts. However, The Ministry was not long for this world, so to speak and was eventually disbanded. Apparently, the increasing popularity of The Brood was the reason for this. At some point it began taking away heat from The Ministry and perhaps the most meaningful angle of Gangrel’s career with the WWE has snatched away from him.

However, it did give me one of my most memorable moments in his career. The steel cage match between the Undertaker and Big Boss Man was brilliant. To see The Brood descend from the rafters of the arena was justa joyous occasion for me. I recall secretly cheering for The Undertaker during this. The smarkiness began here, it seems. However, after The Ministry was disbanded, Gangrel really struggled to make any sort of in-roads into the upper card of the WWE. He was used a s amid-carded and a tag team wrestler for the rest of his career with the WWE. Feuding with the Hardy Boyz and X-Pac for the European Championship.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about Gangrel is what happened to him. Reports will say that he was fired from the WWE in 2001 for weight problems but I have the impression that their was more to it than that. I mean, look at the guys that he helped get over. Edge and Christian are superstars now. Edge is a multiple time World Champion and Christian is one of the most over superstars in the WWE, despite never winning the Championship. Then you have the Hardy’s. Jeff eventually becoming a World Champion and one of the hottest commodities in the world of Professional wrestling and an army of fans behind himself and Matt. So, the real question is what happened to Gangrell? Where was his push and his evolution inside the ring. At just over 30, Gangrel could have had a future with the WWE but was eventually given the axe. He was nowhere near as popular as Edge and Christian or the Hardy Boyz ever were or are but there could have been more to him, I felt.

However, it was not to be and as he was released from his WWE contract in 2001, Gangrel really just disappeared into obscurity. He came back to the WWE multiple times and even wrestled in FCW but was again released because of weight problems. After 3 years in the company and fleeting appearances over the year, I cannot help but wonder where he went wrong. If this issue was always his weight, I don’t understand why he didn’t try anything to get it under control. He could have been big. He could have went to the very top with any of the guys he feuded with but ended up as a loser who never won a WWE Championship in any division and has been reduced to doing porn movies.

Now, with all that has been said, is it too far out of the question to think that if Gangrel managed to sort out his weight problem in 2001, he would have been so much more than what he was. I loved his gimmick and his entrance is still one of the best I have ever seen from the WWE. The real question remains. Is Gangrel a case of an unpolished turd that could have been something big in the WWE. Or was he always destined to be a succubus in the WWE. Draining the rich blood of more popular superstars like Edge and Christian until his inevitable release?

Also, I am intrigued to learn what you think would be the end result if someone like Gangrel adopted the vampire gimmick now and debuted in the WWE. With all the hype and attention that the Twilight Saga has received over the last few years, is there something in it now that the WWE could exploit?


With that, I will leave you with his iconic entrance theme...

[YOUTUBE]qILteM-bgVA&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]​

I still get chills...

 

[Ferbian]

Mostly due to the whole PG thing going on I don't think that WWE would even consider debuting a new vampire gimmick, Undertaker has become a household name and loved by the children, in an awe inspiring respect so he's probably one of the few people that makes a exception when it comes to playing off that gimmick.

While I do think WWE if not PG, could make it work in some manner, it worked for Gangrel, while he never got incredibly over, he never became anything noteworthy but a manager to the Hardy Boys and Edge & Christian, it could still work to some extend, enough to perhaps get over.

I'm not sure whether WWE could exploit and harvest the benefits over the Twilight series because of the PG era, and perhaps the thought that there is a chance a decent margin of the WWE universe kids haven't watched Twilight.

Besides, a vampire gimmick would have to go through as a heel kind of moniker if you ask me, I don't see how in a wrestling associated gimmick how a vampire can be anything but a heel, so yet again, the popularity of Twilight wouldn't fall in the proper hands of WWE.

 

[Blue Chipper]

Do I remember Gangrel? OHHH, Yes. I remember as a child how I thought he was a vast freak. I loved that gimmick and he played it very well. I would actually believe I was seeing a weird phenomenon. His epic entrance is still instilled in my head.

With that being said, Dave, I think he was destined to be a mid-carder. There was an intangible quality that he didn't have; he didn't seem to have that main event level "it" factor. However, as a mid-carder, I loved him and thought his gimmick was truly intriguing.

If a vampire gimmick were introduced to today's product, I do think it would do fairly well granted it gets proper booking. It wouldn't get as big as Kane, but I think it could create some buzz, as you said, vampires are seemingly mightily popular today.

In the long run, I do think the gimmick would flounder. But, the attitude era's version of the gimmick was uber awesome.

 

[Big Sexy]

I never really liked Gangrel. He couldn't talk, was ok in the ring but nothing special, and his gimmick never really worked that well getting him over as a heel. As far as the vampire thing working nowadays, anyone remember Kevin Thorn? That was just 3 years ago and it didn't work very well.

 

[Vintage]

Gangrel should have been an instant hit when he first appeared. Nobody had an entrance like his, he drank blood before his match and those blood baths after the matches were creepy. I don't remember or care about his mic skills, I just know he had some kickass entrance music and an even better finisher. I don't know what the deal was with how he was treated but in all honesty he probably wouldn't have done anything more than been a midcard champion at best. The gimmick was ahead of it's time, I would have liked to have seen the Brood 'recruit' into something bigger like a Lost Boys meets NWO kinda thing.

 

[Vash21]

I didn't care much for Gangrel. In fact I can't really remember many of his matches. I remember when they paired him up with Edge and Christian and his entrance was kind of cool, but that is where my interest stopped. Was not that big of a fan of the Ministry, the NWO was still somewhat respectable at the time.

 

[zman21]

im suprised with twilight being such a hit they dident do another vampire stable with gangrel as the leader. they could of used kevin thorn as the enforcer and 2 young studs as a team. wwe missed a great opportunity with that

 

[DL23]

I remember him in the early 1999 for his Hardcore match with Road dogg and a european title match with X pac at the Royal Rumble.

Apart from them two matches I can't recall anything else, his theme song and entrance were bad ass, his gimmick was fresh, new and had you watching but WWE dropped the ball with him.

 

[The People's Peep]

Ahhh Gangrel. I do remember him. Unfortunately, his entire career will always be known for the people he was associated with. I know I honestly cant remember a single match with him in it. All I remember is The Brood with Edge and Christian. Watching that faction as a kid, it was terrifying when the lights would go out and they would do their famous blood baths.

But like most people think, his career was overshadowed by the people he made big. To us, thats a very successful career. He had a hand in building some of the biggest stars that the company has seen over the last 10 years. He was associated with two of the biggest tag teams that the company has seen and two of those four wrestlers have won more than one championships.

As for his gimmick, I feel that it might work in the current WWE. With all the vampire shows coming up and the rise of the "Twilight" series, it could possibly work. I believe that it most likely wouldn't work, but you never know these days.

 

[Serges]

Gangrel was always one of my favorite gimmicks as a kid. I have never, ever seen an entrance so original and awesome than Gangrel's. How he would come up from the elevator and step over the ring of fire was awesome, and the music just fits perfectly.

Gangrel probably wouldn't have ever been more than a mid-carder personally, but I still loved watching him.

Out of all of the theme songs in WWF/E, his has to be my favorite.

 

[theonepeter]

Just to let you know Gangrel is still wrestling under this gimmick along with Kevin thorn in a stable of vampires. Is it just me or do none of you guys try to watch anything besides WWW or tna? I mean the name of their organization is WFX and is not on in most districts but you can watch their events on http://www.wfxwrestling.com Now kip wrestles there as well as Charlie Hass so it seems you guys keep putting these wrestlers on the wwe file even though they still compete on TV.

 

[mister_b1LL]

When I look at him today, Gangrel was an entrance and nothing more. Despite the fact it was and still is one of the greatest entrances ever created, I still can't remember a memorable match Gangrel ever had.

 

[Great Tical]

I for one have many fine memories of Gangrel in the WWF/E and would love to see him return. The vampire gimmick itself was pretty cheesy but he really ran with it and made it work.

As for the Twilight tie-in, it pains me incredibly to say it, but the 'E is already going after the Twilight demo, as evidenced by the 5 or 6 Eclipse commercials I had to skip on the DVR during Raw on Monday and Smackdown tonight

Thanks for the great bio by the way!

 

[Sock-O-Matic]

One of the greatest entrances I had ever seen, one of the best gimmicks anyone could impersonate, and his theme music screams of epicky goodness. But do I remember anything that he did that was note worthy besides The Brood/Ministry Of Darkness? No. And I doubt many here do unless they decide to backtrack and look up a Youtube video and stake a fake claim that they were all for said rivalry.

Gangrel couldn't really be impersonated; Kevin Thorne tried and pretty much failed in ECW. It didn't pick up. But I admit Gangrel's didn't pick up much as a singles wrestler. What is up with that? Perhaps one of the best gimmicks and entrances of all time, and he wasn't billed as a legitimate rival to Taker or Stone Cold? Guess he wasn't good on the stick or in the ring compared to the others.

Kind of makes me miss the Old-School WWF. A guy like Gangrel now could be on top of the WWE mountain (given the fact that PG didn't exist).

 

[Tastycles]

I fucking loved The Brood, and obviously it was Gangrel who gave that group their look, but in all honesty it was based on a film and the charisma and quality came from the other two. Gangrel's weirdness gave a platform for Edge and Christian to establish themsleves in the WWF and it worked very well in that respect, but as with any gimmick, it had a shelf life, and where E&C had the ability to move on to something else, the same cannot be said for Gangrel and he was sent on his way. He was good for what he was, but there really wasn't any more mileage in that which is why he ended up living in Britain doing Indy shows in Rhyl.

 

[Killer Kelbo]

Gangrel was awesome, I remember he would always come up from under the ground with his sunglasses on, blood dripping out of his mouth. He was awesome. The whole thing with Edge, Christian and Gangrel starting as a feud and turning into a group was pretty cool, The Brood as they called it. This could have been more successful but WWE lets a lot of cool stuff like that just slip through the cracks.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Man i fucking loved Gangrel. I'll not bang on about the entrance, but sufficed to say, if anyone has never seen it, go online and search for a video of it, and you'll understand why we love it so much.

If i were a wrestler, i'd want to come up through the flames as well.

The problem for Gangrel, was that he foolishly took his gimmick somewhat too far, by actually surgically altering his teeth to look like fangs. Immediately he limited himself to doing Vampire gimmicks or 'monster' gimmicks for the rest of his career.

In the ring he was nothing special. His best moves were the Imapler DDT (now used by Edge, and coincidentally my favourite DDT variation of all) and he'd also pull out a wicked double underhook Belly to Belly Suplex every now and then as well, which was something else that made me pay attention to him.

His character was never focused on Vampires though. He always came across as one of those Goths who took it to far. Edge and Christian were always described simply as being 'guys who led the Gothic lifestyle' and Gangrel was their leader. It was never implied that Gangrel actually thought he was a Vampire or some shit like that, so i think he could easily have transitioned into another gimmick if necessary, but his teeth were likely to hold that back as well.

Ya know what really pisses me off? When Taker was fueding with JBL and JBL brought Viscera and Gangrel back to beat on Taker. Gangrel got released yet Viscera was re-signed. Seriously? They re-signed Vis over Gangrel? When Gangrel was allegedly released due to his weight? WTF?!?!?!?

Anyway, i loved Gangrel and was sad to see his WWE career last less time than some of the other mid-card nobodies who stayed on the roster for no good reason either. Why was Gangrel released when Goldust, Bossman, Blackman, Snow, Holly and countless others were floundering around in the mid-card between '99 and '01?

 

[The Brain]

When I look at him today, Gangrel was an entrance and nothing more. Despite the fact it was and still is one of the greatest entrances ever created, I still can't remember a memorable match Gangrel ever had.

This is pretty accurate. No doubt the entrace was awesome, but other than that Gangrel never did much. I'm not buying into him helping make Edge, Christian and the Hardys. He just happened to be associated with them early on. That's like saying D Von Dudley made Batista. They all would have been stars without Gangrel. His problem was he joined the WWF about six years too late. I think he would have been a much better fit in 1992. The gimmick just fit that timeframe better. I don't know that he would have been any more successful, but I think he would have had a better chance getting some storylines back then. I don't think WWF missed out on anything with Gangrel. He was around for about a year and a half as a lower midcard guy. I don't see him as anything else.

 

[bigsexy8track]

I met David Heath, AKA "Gangrel" in a bar recently, he was a very polite, well-spoken, and intelligent guy. I really could not believe how congenial and polite he was, to everyone he spoke to. He had a lengthy conversation with an elderly couple who had no idea who he was, he was very respectful. I recognized him immediately of course, and he met my recognition of him with warmth and humility. Just a plain old nice guy. And he absolutely does NOT have surgically-sharpened teeth. Whoever said that is full of shit. And for the record, I was never a Gangrel fan. I thought he was incredibly lame and forgettable as a wrestler, and the whole Ministry/Brood thing was silly. Just saying, he's a cool guy. I think he also makes porn now.

 

[RVDgurl]

I have some fond memories of Gangrel. I thought the Brood kicks lots of ass and to this day I still associate him with Edge and Christian. I think he gets very little credit because of this association as he was obviously the least successful member of the Brood. The Gangrel gimmick was a little over the top and didn't leave much room to grow, but it was fun while it lasted.

Oh yeah, and Gangrel also has some fierce entrance music. Great song...

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Best entrance ever, i really wish this was still an entrance that could be used on SDvsRaw 2010, I would love my CAW to use this!

The Impaler...what a DDT, a fantasric finisher

The Broods music...again awesome, definately one of the most best WWE entrance themes of all time, its great to blast out in the car and fitted the whole image of the Brood brilliantly

But as a wrestler? Besides the Impaler and the double underhook belly to belly he could do, Gangrel was not anything special. I cant remember what he was like on the mic, so im guessing he wasnt memorable. But I do kinda miss the guy....even if its just for the music!

Yeah I read somewhere he runs a porn company now, and uses the name the Vampire Warrior or something like that, crazy world...plus hes married to Luna....he must be a bit mad!

 

[Dean Winchester]

Vampire gimmicks suck in the world of wrestling. I mean what more could you do with a vampire gimmick before it evntually gets old and boring? Gangrel was good in the beginning because it was fresh and new but afterwards it was boring as hell. Like someone said he was destiend to be a midcarder for his wrestling career.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

AAHHHHH. I still listen to his entrance theme...one of the best ever themes in pro wrestling..Why lie??

Gangrel...I loved this guy..i thought he was disgustin...cuz I was a kid like 8 years old..when I saw him..i thought WWE was real...(u no storylines, what they did)...and I thought he used to drink real blood..etc..it was one of them...and I think this guy was just great...his entrance was amazing aswell...coming up from that fire...(with Luna)...and stepping out off it....he was an amazing character...(i'm listening to his theme now..thanks for posting it)...

Only if he was more serious..and involved more on the bigger shows e.g. Raw & Smackdown...Unfortunately..i don't remember any of his good fights... but I will always remember this guy...mostly becuz of his theme...

 

[2Xtreme]

I kinda like Gangrel, great manager, absolutely awesome entrance, cool music, great gimmick, good wrestler.. but seriously he should never come close to a microphone.. it's horrible.

Anyway, I'd love for him to come back and form another brood or even just come back to go solo.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I absolutely remember Gangrel. I thought the Brood was fantastic during that era – whole vampire thing was so well done, and that rising entrance around the circle of fire was incredibly innovative for it's time.

No Gangrel, no Edge and Christian, and technically no Hardy Boyz either. He was integral to all four of those guys' success if you ask me.

Not so sure I'd want to see him re-debut, though, to be honest. While capitalizing on Twilight might be profitable, it's also pathetic and would be a slap in the face to the type of vampire he represented at the time – that dark, brooding (all pun intended) and evil character – not a make-up wearing super-hero.

Oh, and on a side-note, his entrance music is in the top-10 for best all-time, IMO.