After his fight with Hugh Morrus on March 21, The Demon has disappeared from Nitro and Thunder, and Saturday Night Show ceased to exist due to low ratings. It wasn't until nearly 3 months later that The Demon reappeared on one of those again!!! At least the viewers had some time to hopefully forget those awful feuds and tag team awfulness that he was being given.
Eric Bischoff was back in WCW, as a co-writer as oppose to the sole writer, but at least he was back in some capacity, and I'm assuming he was the one who brought back his original idea for The Demon having a war with Vampiro (although a completely different storyline). The Demon was about to be involved in a horror, movie-like story and Vampiro was about to become his villain. This was fairly interesting. The plot will become a movie basically, eventually not even taking place in the arena!
Vampiro by this point was a very different Vampiro than what he was a year before. He was now a strong B villain since he just had storylines and feuds with, and tormenting the likes of Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan and a meaty story with Sting, whom he sat on fire! Vampiro at that point for a long time was not representing Insane Clown Posse anymore, but a different band, a cult rock band The Misfits and wore their makeup in which I think he looked great in. He was presented as a very dangerous, spooky, psychotic character who is out of control and goes way beyond sport feuds and matches. This was to be a great plot for The Demon and finally a spotlight he deserves and a genre and a type of a storyline he belongs to. I mean, if you pit a costumed ghoul against a regular athlete in speedos or trunks, than he “feels” like a silly guy in a cosplay costume. It IS laughable. Thats why The Demon should never fight with or be mixed with those regular folks because it makes him look silly. He belongs to this separate section where people like Vampiro belong - guy who does black magic, has a small pinch of supernaturality, darkness. Thats where The Demon belongs. Horror/scifi section. Freddy Krueger fights Jason, Freddy Krueger should not fight The Rock. See how completely mismatching a horror character automatically turns him and the whole idea into laughable comedy/spoof category? Likewise, Darth Vader is a great villain in his environment and world, but imagine Darth Vader in Fast and Furious movie. This is exactly what was done to The Demon character. He belonged with Vampiro, and thats what he was specifically created to fight with in the beginning.
So The Demon reappeared on Nitro on June 12, 2000, after nearly 3 months of absence.
Vampiro just recently had his long feud and storyline with Sting. The idea that the thing with Sting is over, for the time being at least, is explained in a segment in which Vampiro talks to his secret master assuring him that he got the better of Sting. His Master however, tells him that Sting was just the first chapter and that it continuous tonight, because there's more souls to be punished. Now this kind of movie-like storytelling I like. The idea is great and cinematic, but the execution feels like a cheap high school play rather than a grand TV story.
Nitro now looks terribly bland and cheap thought. The entrance is just a scaffolding with a viewscreen. Oh well. The Vampiro comes out onto the ring with a microphone, telling everyone that he set Sting on fire and that he made him scarred to the rest of his life. He is referred to by the commentators as "craziest psycho in wrestling", "sickest of the sick" and "freak from the dark side". Cool
He talks about going to Hell and asks if anyone dares to go with him and challenges whoever.
Vampiro: "I set another human being on fire and I don't feel one ounce of remorse in my body That is just a start. The good news is that the nightmare is just beginning. You see, I know I'm going to hell and that's cool with me, I'm alright with that. But the biggest question I've got is, who has the balls to come along with me"
Suddenly, the lights go red and God Of Thunder starts playing, and the sarcophagus appears from the shadows, housing The Demon, who this time even spits fire!
The commentators notice how long The Demon had been gone.
Scott Hudson: "The Demon is back. He (Vampiro) said he needed another soul and The Demon is next in line (...) Where has The Demon been. What has he been up to. It's been a long time since we've seen The Demon in WCW ring but he is back and he went straight to the top - he is taking on the Dark Angel less than 24 hours after he set Sting on fire"
Before The Demon gets to the ring the fights begins as Vampiro attacks him and throws him in.
After a brief but brutal fight, in which both look like they're really into it and like they really hate each other, the fight moves to the entrance. Vampiro climbs the scaffolding and jumps on The Demon!
In this dangerous stunt however things go bad because Vampiro bleeds and his knee buckles beneath him. The gong rings and the match is stopped and we immediately go into commercial.
