Everything You DIDN’T KNOW About WCW’s Final Days
11. The Very Funny Reason Vampiro Got Fined
Vampiro is something of a punchline these days. This is a guy who refused to make a run-in at TripleMania until the production crew hit his music, which in addition to undermining the element of surprise was unnecessary, since he was doing commentary at the time in close proximity to the ring when he wasn’t audibly breaking wind. He still stunk less than Matt Striker.
Fans in the U.S. don’t have the best impression of Vampiro because he is best known for his dismal feud with Sting throughout 2000. For something to be unforgettably bad, in WCW, in 2000, it must have been wretched. This was. When Vampiro set Sting on fire at The Great American Bash, the commentators spoke in the exact same cadence as Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler had at Over The Edge 1999, the site of Owen Hart’s tragic death.
To many people, Vampiro was a cool look and f*ck all else - but he was actually a major star in 1990s Mexico, and to a Hall of Fame-worthy extent. He was a huge draw amongst teenage girls, which he leveraged into a starring role in an action movie titled ‘Vampiro: Warrior Of The Night’.
So, when he appeared on Wrestling Observer Live in early 2001 to rip WCW for how badly mishandled his character was, he had a point. Demonstrably, he boasted real star power. It was unprofessional, obviously, but he had a point. And he was free to express that.
Except he wasn’t, because he thought he was not under contract when in fact he was, per the February 19 Observer; his pay had just been cut because he was out injured. In breach of said contract, he was slammed with a $5,000 fine.
Look, he was a draw, but nobody said he wasn’t a dumbass.