Exploring the mysterious Gangrel

By GREG OLIVER -- SLAM! Wrestling   Ever since his arrival in the WWF, wrestling fans have been asking, who is this Gangrel character and where did he come from?

The mysterious Gangrel is actually Dave Heath from Florida.

He made his name on the Florida indy circuit as The Vampire Warrior, with his real-life wife Luna Vachon at his side. His gimmick wasn't all that different than his current role as Gangrel.

Gangrel stares down an opponent.

Heath, 6'3", 250 pounds, trained with the Malenkos in Tampa, a five-hour drive from his home in Miami, which should tell you a little about his dedication to the sqaured circle.

Believe it or not, those fangs are real, and he has had his teeth altered. Like his wrestling, he takes the whole gothic lifestyle very seriously.

Gangrel is a vampire "as much as a person can be a vampire nowadays," said Edge (Adam Copeland) in an interview with SLAM! Wrestling. "He doesn't go around and bite people in the neck and suck their blood. That I know of. But, those are real teeth and he lives the lifestyle. That's his thing."

While on the way to the bigs, The Vampire Warrior was a star in Florida Championship Wrestling, battling Anthony Adonis and Joe DeFuria in long feuds.

The FCW web site described The Vampire Warrior:

"Many opponents have attempted to find his weekness, often carrying garlic and wooden stakes, but to no avail. His only defeat has come at the hand of himself or his companions, perhaps while becoming so focused on the destruction of his opponents, that it turns to a fanatical aggression, during which he often injures himself or his managers. The vampire warrior is definitely a force to be treated with respect and fear."

He also had a 'now-you-see-him-now-you-don't' stint in ECW.

Originally aligned against Edgein the WWF, Gangrel is now the leader of The Brood, along with Edge and Christian. And The Brood is a part of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness.

He has shown tremendous abilities in the WWF, and has an excellent chance of becoming a champion in the near future.