Vampiro isn’t going out exactly the way he wants to, but he’s still making the best attempt to go out on his own terms.
Vampiro spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of his retirement match at JCW’s Strangle-Mania: Viva Las Violence event in Las Vegas. The legendary wrestler previously did a retirement tour in Mexico across multiple events in 2024. He said the Mexico tour was structured a certain way because he didn’t think one show was enough to say goodbye to fans.
Outside of his time in WCW, Vampiro didn’t spend much time working in the United States. However, he recently found a home with Juggalo Championship Wrestling, which is giving him the chance to say goodbye on his own terms. Vampiro praised JCW owner (and ICP founder) Violent J for his lifelong passion for pro wrestling, sharing that he’s also excited to support his friend’s vision.
“So, more than it being Vamp’s last match, it’s that I’m part of something that’s so awesome. It’s so big. And if you’re a wrestling fan, come on out and see what is authentically a true grassroots movement for people who really care about wrestling, not so much the business. The business, of course, we all want to make it,” he noted. “But just to be a part of something so real, that’s the biggest reason for me.”
Vampiro is proud of what JCW has become
Vampiro compared the experience of a JCW event to that of a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening. The audience participation is key, and you’re starting to see the crowds get bigger and bigger now that JCW is a full-time promotion.
“When we first started doing JCW and trying to make it a more permanent thing, we would do some dual touring together and try to put it out there and make it work. The fans would put up with it. Twenty people would come. We’d have a few stragglers here and there. Now, there’s a waiting line to get in,” he explained.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show was a really big movie in the ’70s, and the audience participated with what was on the screen. So everybody became a hardcore fan for life. That is what JCW is like,” he continued. “We never went away. We have been around for over 30 years. We’ve gone up against everybody. We’ve had everybody come through our doors, gone through everybody else’s doors. We put our time in. And all of that is because of Joe Bruce, Violent J’s dream.”
Vampiro’s final match is a triple threat match against PCO and Big Vito. He’ll have ICP in his corner, but Vampiro also has to contend with some of the health issues that have plagued him in recent years. Vampiro was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2019, and he’s also dealt with a broken back, a brain tumor, and stomach cancer, among other issues.
Vampiro is competing despite his doctors’ and family’s warnings against it
Vampiro says his doctors and family are not in favor of him competing again, and he knows he probably shouldn’t, either.
“Oh yeah. My partner, my girlfriend, she’s not happy about it. My daughter is 100% against it. I am having to lie to them, you know. ‘I’m not going to do anything. I’m not going to get hurt. Don’t worry.’ All that kind of stuff,” he joked. “My doctors are like, there’s no way, because I have nerve damage, right?
“The last time I broke my neck, my hand doesn’t really work. I can’t really walk correctly. My brain and my lower back and my legs are not connected. There’s a pause. Sometimes I want to take a step and I can’t, and I fall. And then, of course, there’s the broken back, the broken neck, the knee damage, the 26 or so concussions. Should I be doing this? Absolutely not. But what am I supposed to do?”
Vampiro is feeling very emotional going into the match. He’s disappointed about his physical health, noting how he needed help getting in the ring due to nerve issues during his last retirement tour. Vampiro says he wants to wrestle, and more specifically, doesn’t want to stop or grow old. He enjoys his life as a wrestler, which includes jumping through tables and getting hit with chairs.
Vampiro wants to go out swinging
“It’s very emotional for me. I’m very disappointed in where I’m at physically. I can’t even do my retirement tour properly. They would have to help me in the ring and help me get out of the ring because I don’t have control of my nerves and my back. I couldn’t duck down to get through the ropes. Things like that. It f**king hurts, man. It makes me cry.
“I’m going to do the best I can. Will I hurt myself? Probably. Probably. Not on purpose, but let’s be real. I’m in the ring with guys I trust and respect, and guys I call friends and family. The fans know I’m kind of f**ked up. Some do, some don’t. Will I get criticized? Yeah, of course. I’m going to get crucified. I’m going to get destroyed. But I’m not there for that. I’m there to say thank you.”
Vampiro says he’s sad about needing to say goodbye, but he’s also there to see a great night unfold in the ring.
“I’m there to support one of my best friends in his dream of having a successful promotion.”
Strangle-Mania: Viva Las Violence takes place on April 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM local time at the Horseshoe Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
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