Chris Adams

Early life Adams was the eldest child of Cyril and Jean Adams when he was born in Rugby, Warwickshire. He got into judo when he was nine years old and trained in it solely for 14 years. Together with his younger brother Neil, he went on to win judo national and international championships. Neil also won a silver medal at the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympics. Adams was a member of the British judo team for the 1976 Summer Olympics, however he never took part in any competitions. He was skilled in various martial arts and had a black belt in judo. Along with competing in football, rugby, cricket, and amateur wrestling, he also spent four years studying architecture outside of athletics. without having received any real official training and instead relying on his judo experience. He was a wrestler for Joint Promotions and appeared on ITV's World of Sport frequently. Adams did enjoy some championship success in England, taking home the British Light Heavyweight Championship from Mark "Rollerball" Rocco and the British Commonwealth Tag Team Championship with Marty Jones. Adrian Street, Big Daddy, Dave "Fit" Finlay, Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith were among the British wrestlers whom Adams battled against. He became famous for a wide variety of moves, including somersaulting out of arm-bars, using backflips, diving through the ring ropes to his opponent on the floor, using a lethal enzuigiri when his left leg was held, and a powerful thrust kick, which was originally called a "judo kick", later known by its more common name, "superkick". He lived in Santa Monica and wrestled throughout the California coast in cards promoted by the LeBells. He also wrestled for Don Owen's Pacific Northwest promotion, as well as being involved in several tours of Japan, Europe, Mexico and Canada. At the Reunion Arena a month later, Von Erich finally paid Adams back. This time, the chair shattered in two on contact, leaving a piece of wood trapped in Adams' nose, just next to his eye. The angle came to an abrupt stop as a result. Alongside Jake Roberts and Gino Hernandez, Adams later competed in a six-man tag team match, winning against Kerry Von Erich, Mike Von Erich and Bobby Fulton (subbing for the injured Kevin Von Erich). The fans chanted during the match "Chris is a traitor" and others held "Benedict Adams" posters.

Adams toured Japan in March 1986 for New Japan Pro Wrestling events. Still selling his blinding angle at the time, the matches never aired on World Class television. Adams returned to Texas All Star Wrestling and WCCW in April. He had several matches with Matt Borne, Blackjack Mulligan, Kabuki and Buzz Sawyer, and worked an angle with Rick Rude, whom he defeated for the World Class heavyweight title on 4 July. Due to legal issues, Adams had to forfeit the WCCW title in September; WCCW stated that Black Bart had won the title during a match in Los Angeles that never actually happened. A month later, Bart lost the title to Kevin Von Erich at the Cotton Bowl. In September 1986, Adams left World Class to join Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), which later merged into NWA. Adams came back to World Class in October 1987. Two months later, Taylor and Adams began a violent feud which eventually was carried over to WCCW in 1988, but he suffered nerve damage in his back during one of their matches.

In late 1988, Adams began operating his professional wrestling school at the Dallas Sportatorium, upon returning to World Class, on top of selling wrestling rings. The duo feuded against each other throughout the United States Wrestling Association. Austin later described Adams as a “con man deluxe” and “a pile of crap” since he was known for taking trainees money, stiffing them, and ill-preparing them. Adams also wrestled in other independent promotions, like the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), in which he twice won the federation's Heavyweight Championship in 1994, Adams wrestled Randy Savage in the first match of the first WCW Thunder show in January 1998; he pinned Savage, but J. J. Dillon reversed the decision and claimed Savage the victory via disqualification by interference by Lex Luger. Aside from that, he was mainly used as a jobber and in late 1999, unsatisfied with his role in the organization, Adams was granted his release from WCW. Adams later married Toni Collins on 20 December 1984 in Hawaii. They had a son together, Christopher Jr. They divorced on 15 August 1994, and Toni died on 24 June 2010 at the age of 45.

Adams also fathered a daughter, Julia (born 1994), by Brandi Freeman. Adams had promoted "Miss Brandi" that Freeman wrestled in, at a handful of wrestling cards. The couple split in late 1999. Freeman died in 2003 from a drug overdose, leaving Julia orphaned. Six weeks prior to his death, Adams married a second time to Karen J. Burge on 25 August 2001 in Dallas, with his friend Brent Parnell serving as the best man at his wedding.

Legal issues While returning from a wrestling event in Puerto Rico, on 30 June 1986, Adams grabbed airline pilot John Bentley by the collar, headbutted him three times and punched a male flight attendant, which resulted in a 90-day jail sentence and a $500 fine in September. During the flight, an intoxicated Adams became belligerent when liquor sales were stopped during the flight by an onboard FAA Inspector and Adams had to be restrained by other wrestlers who were on the flight, including Kevin Von Erich.

In February 1988, Adams was arrested after his wife, Toni, was found severely beaten in Lufkin, Texas, allegedly by Adams during a drunken rage; he was sentenced to a year's probation. National Class Wrestling NCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Hollywood Wrestling NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (2 times) NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tom Prichard (1) and Ringo Rigby Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1986) PWI ranked him No. 160 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 PWI ranked him No. 65 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Gino Hernandez in 2003 Southern Championship Wrestling SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Universal Wrestling Federation UWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Terry Taylor NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time) NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (2 times) – with Gino Hernandez and Jake Roberts (1), and Steve Simpson and Kevin Von Erich (1) WCCW Television Championship (3 times) WCWA Television Championship (1 time)

1While he did win the championship, the win and reign are no longer recognised by World Wrestling Entertainment. All reigns with the championship prior to December 1997 are not officially recognised.