The WCW Legend's Career & Where He Is Now, Explained
Elijah King
Published Mar 27, 2026
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The final couple years of World Championship Wrestling were indeed quite bleak. Storylines rarely made sense, finishes were rarely clean, the belts were vacated, and the show "rebooted" multiple times. Frankly, it was mostly awful, although it was so bad that there was some inherent entertainment value. There were a few bright spots and new characters who were able to (somewhat) get themselves over, despite the product as a whole largely resembling a dumpster fire. One of those was Ian Richard Hodgkinson, better known to fans as Vampiro.
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Vampiro Became A Star In Mexico Before Making It To WCW
Vampiro, who credits Abdullah the Butcher as his trainer, had a nearly 15-year career in the wrestling business before making his way to WCW in 1998. He debuted at the age of 16 in 1984 for International Wrestling out of Montreal, Quebec, but made his way to Mexico City in 1991 to work for one of the top Mexican promotions in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. With his unique look featuring blue dreadlocks, a myriad of tattoos, and a rock star appearance, Vampiro became popular in Mexico quite quickly, especially with the lady folk. He wrestled under the ring name Vampiro Canadiense (Canadian Vampire), and also worked for the Universal Wrestling Association in Mexico, where he won the UWA World Heavyweight Championship in early 1993 and held it for 322 days.
Vampiro had only one WCW match in 1998, but returned full-time on the March 18, 1999 episode of Thunder, where he defeated Prince Iaukea. Vampiro engaged with multiple music groups early in his WCW days, forming a stable with Insane Clown Posse and Raven called "The Dead Pool," as they feuded with his rival Konnan, Rey Mysterio, and Eddie Guerrero. Vampiro then brought The Misfits to WCW to feud with Oklahoma and Dr. Death Steve Williams.
Vampiro Had A Notable Feud With Sting In WCW
In early 2000, he formed an alliance with Sting with the terrible name the "Brothers in Paint," after he helped Sting defeat Lex Luger in a lumberjack match. The alliance was short-lived, as Vampiro turned on Sting on the April 10, 2000 episode of Nitro, joining The New Blood. Then at Spring Stampede, Vampiro cost Sting the United States Championship against Scott Steiner by pulling Sting under the ring. They feuded throughout the spring with Sting mostly getting the better of Vampiro, aside from a Human Torch match at Great American Bash, won by Vampiro.
RELATED: The Weird Sting Vs. Vampiro Rivalry, Explained
Later that year, Vampiro won the WCW Tag Team Championships alongside Japanese legend the Great Muta, although they would hold the belts for only one day, dropping them to Rey Mysterio and Juventud Guerrera. He eventually turned on Great Muta, and faced off against he and Sting in a three-way match at Fall Brawl, which was won by Sting. Vampiro was hurt when Vince McMahon purchased WCW, and his contract was not picked up by WWE.
After The Sale Of WCW, Vampiro Wrestled Elsewhere Before Becoming A Commentator
Vampiro returned to CMLL from 2001-05, and also toured with All Japan Pro Wrestling in 2001, and in 2006-07, where he'd again team up with the Great Muta. In 2005, he jumped to CMLL's rival promotion AAA where he remained until 2013, and then again from 2015-2020. In 2015, Vampiro began serving as one-half of AAA's English commentary team alongside Matt Striker, and in 2017, he was named AAA's Director of Talent.
Vampiro signed with Lucha Underground on September 5, 2014, and served as color commentator with Striker doing play-by-play. He had an awesome feud with Pentagon Jr, that resulted in a brutal and bloody match between the two at Ultima Lucha. Pentagon Jr defeated Vampiro, and it was revealed after the match that Vampiro was Pentagon's master, paying off a huge angle. Vampiro mentored Pentagon throughout all of season two, but at Ultima Lucha Dos, he turned on Vampiro and became Pentagon Dark. He continued his mentorship role into season three with Prince Puma (Ricochet), until he turned on Puma at Ultima Lucha Tres to rejoin his former protégé, Pentagon Dark.
Vampiro Still Wrestles Today Despite Having Alzheimer's
Vampiro is currently the Heavyweight Champion for Juggalo Championship Wrestling -- a promotion he initially joined in 2011, both as a wrestler and consultant -- and he is in his third reign. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019, which forced him into semi-retirement. He wrestled a handful of matches for small Mexican promotions, but made his return to a major show earlier this June at AAA Triplemania XXX Chapter 2 as part of the 13-man Copa Triplemania XXX match.
RELATED: Former WCW Star Vampiro Reveals He Has Alzheimer's Disease
On September 10, 2022, Vampiro shared a message on his website announcing his retirement from wrestling in December 2024. He said he's available for signings, conventions, and a handful of matches, including defending his JCW Heavyweight Championship. In addition to wrestling, Vampiro said he's involved in some radio, TV, and music projects, in addition to touring as a musician and a DJ. Here's hoping Vampiro has a successful and fruitful retirement tour!
