Tom Nash is a professional wrestler known for his appearances in various promotions, including his time as part of the tag team "The Blackhearts." This article delves into Nash's career, highlighting his early days, his partnership with Gangrel, and his subsequent work in the wrestling world.
Gangrel, Tom Nash's tag team partner.
Early Career and Formation of The Blackhearts
Nash began his wrestling journey in Stampede Wrestling, where he formed a tag team with David Heath, who is famously known as Gangrel.
- Heath was trained by Boris Malenko in Florida.
- He began performing in various independent professional wrestling promotions in the Florida area after completing his training.
Heath and Nash competed under masks as "Destruction" and "Apocalypse" respectively.
The Blackhearts were later paired with Nash's wife, Luna, wrestling in various promotions:
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- Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling
- Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation
- Giant Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling, where the team eventually split up
Relationship with Luna Vachon and the Vampire Warrior Gimmick
During that time, the marriage between Nash and Luna broke up, and Heath (Gangrel) and Luna became romantically involved. They eventually married on Halloween 1994.
After the demise of the Blackhearts, Heath and Luna developed the Vampire Warrior gimmick, inspired by the movie The Lost Boys, under which, he wrestled in various promotions, including the Memphis-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA) in 1993 to 1994.
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Gangrel's Career in WWF/E
In 1998, Heath was hired by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) due to the support of then writers Bruce Prichard and Vince Russo, who believed in the merit of a vampire gimmick. Heath was given the name Gangrel, which was derived from a vampire clan from the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade.
Gangrel made his TV debut on the August 16, 1998 episode of Sunday Night Heat, defeating Scott Taylor. He then formed a gothic faction, called The Brood, with Edge and Christian.
Gangrel got one of his first title shots at the 1999 Royal Rumble. He challenged D-Generation X member X-Pac for his WWF European Championship in a losing effort.
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After splitting from the Ministry, The Brood began a feud with the Hardy Boyz and their manager Michael Hayes. During the feud, Gangrel suddenly turned on Edge and Christian and aligned himself with the Hardy Boyz. He called the group The New Brood.
Later Career and Appearances
Gangrel became a singles wrestler following the breakup of The New Brood; he was mainly used as a midcarder.
In late 1999, he brought in his real-life wife Luna Vachon as his manager until she was fired.
Heath wrestled for an independent promotion based in Cleveland, Ohio, called New Era Pro Wrestling.
In 2009, he was involved with the Hulkamania Australian Tour event in Melbourne, Australia. Teaming up with Black Pearl, he lost to The Nasty Boys in an Australian Street Fight.
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On January 23, 2010, Gangrel was inducted into the Legends Pro Wrestling "Hall of Fame" by Jack Blaze in Wheeling, West Virginia, at their annual "LPW Over The Edge" event.
On June 6, 2014, at House of Hardcore 4, Gangrel teamed with Joe Caldo and Hurricane Helms to defeat Vik Dalishus, Bill Carr, and Cerebus in a six-man tag team match.