Vampiro (The Champ)

His name is Vampiro, aka El Vampiro Canadiense, aka El Vampiro Casanova, aka Ian Hodgkinson. He grew up fatherless in the Northern Ontario community of Thunder Bay, dreaming of becoming a star. He had to travel all the way to Mexico City and the plunge into the violent arena of the Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling) to find that stardom – and when he did, “it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I had access to anything and everything, in excess, 24 hours a day. Good, bad, and ugly. Women, drugs, fame, alcohol, power."

He was a sex symbol and pinup idol for millions of teenage girls. He was an innovator, pioneering extreme wrestling and bringing the worlds of punk music and wrestling together in a way never before seen. He was a media personality on a massive scale, appearing in the ring, on TV, in video games, in comic books, and in action movies like Vampiro: Guerrero de la Noche (Vampiro: Warrior of the Night).

Now, nearing 40, Vampiro is still one of the most popular wrestlers in Mexico. He has crossed into the world of music, working with groups such as Rancid and Insane Clown Posse. He has become a father.