Gangrel Details WWE Pyro Accident That Required Skin Grafts

Gangrel opened up on a terrifying moment from his WWE career, revealing that a pyrotechnics malfunction during one of his returns left him with serious burns that ultimately required skin graft surgery.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on the Insight podcast, Gangrel explained that the incident came years after his memorable 1998 debut, which was itself marred by a malfunctioning stage lift that crushed his foot. This time, he said, things were far worse. WWE told him the original entrance lift he’d used was no longer available, so he’d instead be using the smaller platform designed for Rey Mysterio — a much tighter space than the one built to hold him and two others.

That reduced space, Gangrel said, changed how the fire behaved. During rehearsal, the flames backdrafted into the small opening, engulfing him instead of shooting upward as intended. Because the replacement lift had to be raised by a manual crank rather than hydraulics, he had to scramble out on his own. He described jumping free with unexpected agility, noting that unlike his earlier foot injury — which was painful but not visibly damaging — this time he could see his own burned skin.

Even so, Gangrel refused to pull out of his match that night. Medical staff cleaned and bandaged the injury before he went out to wrestle, with the wrapping visible on his arms during the bout. He ended up sidelined for three to four months afterward and needed skin grafts to fully heal. Gangrel said he later heard that WWE fired the entire pyro crew responsible for the mishap.

Looking back, Gangrel said the scars are barely visible today, thanks to the graft work and tattoos he later got covering the area, joking that a smarter person might have sued and walked away — but that he was simply happy to keep wrestling.