Gangrel has opened up about one of the most frightening moments of his wrestling career, revealing that a pyro malfunction during a WWE return left him with severe burns that required skin graft surgery.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, the former WWE Superstar explained that the incident happened years after his infamous 1998 debut, where a malfunctioning stage lift crushed his foot. This time, however, the consequences were even more serious.

Gangrel said WWE informed him that the original stage lift used for his entrance was no longer available and that he would instead emerge using the smaller platform typically used for Rey Mysterio.

"They go, we don’t have your regular lift anymore, but we have what Rey Mysterio pops out of," Gangrel said. "The other one was six foot by three foot. You had three guys on it, three guys could fit. Three guys aren’t fitting on this. Barely my big butt was fitting on that."

According to Gangrel, the reduced space completely changed how the entrance pyro behaved, creating a dangerous backdraft during rehearsal.

"When they started the fire, because it was such a small hole, it backdrafted in, so it pulled the flames in on me," Gangrel said. "So I was standing in this little hole getting barbecued."

Unlike the hydraulic lift he had previously used, this version had to be manually cranked to the stage, forcing him to react quickly.

"I literally jumped up. I became the most agile I’ve ever been in my whole life. I jumped up out of there, because it was a slow crank lift. They were manual cranking," Gangrel recalled. "My foot stuck in the first one, I wasn’t burning, it was just really hot. This one, I could see the skin."

Despite the painful burns, Gangrel insisted on competing that night rather than pulling out of the match.

"I get up there and they’re like, oh, I go, no, no, it’s cool," Gangrel said. "A smart guy would have went and sued and retired or something, right? Not me. I was just happy to wrestle. I love wrestling."

Medical staff treated the injury before he headed to the ring, though the effects of the burn remained visible during the match.

"They cut the skin off, cleaned it up, bandaged me up, and then I went. I wrestled," Gangrel said. "If you look at that match, you see the arms a little thicker, because I had it all bandaged up. And then I was out three, four months. I had to get skin grafts."

Gangrel added that he later heard WWE took action following the accident.

"I heard he fired that whole pyro crew for that," he said.

Today, the scars are barely noticeable thanks to the skin grafts and tattoos covering the area.

"You don’t even notice it now. It’s a little lighter. I got tats over it, but it’s just a little lighter color," Gangrel said. "Not bad now, because I had the grafts and they did a great job."