Chris Adams (wrestler)
| Chris Adams | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
Christopher Adams 10 February 1955 Rugby, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 7 October 2001 (aged 46) Waxahachie, Texas, United States |
| Cause of death | Ballistic trauma |
| Occupation | Professional wrestler, promoter, trainer, judoka |
| Spouse(s) |
Toni Adams (m. 1984; div. 1994) Karen Burge (his death) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives |
Neil Adams (brother) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Chris Adams The Masked Avenger |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (16 st; 100 kg) |
| Billed from | Stratford-upon-Avon, England |
| Trained by |
Tony St. Clair Shirley Crabtree |
| Debut | 1978 |
| Retired | 2001 |
Neil Adams (brother)
Christopher Adams (10 February 1955 – 7 October 2001), best known as "Gentleman" Chris Adams, was an English professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, trainer, and judoka. By age 21, he was a three-time British National Judo Champion in his age and weight class. He wrestled primarily in Texas, in particular World Class Championship Wrestling, where he was one of the promotion's most popular wrestlers. He is known for training Scott Hall and Steve Austin, and is also famous as the first wrestler to popularise the famous superkick finishing move, which would later be used by dozens of other wrestlers.
Adams was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, the oldest son of Cyril and Jean Adams. Beginning at the age of nine, he was involved in judo, training in it exclusively for 14 years. He and his younger brother Neil went on to win national and world championships in judo, with Neil going on to win a silver medal at both the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 1984 Summer Olympics. Adams was a member of Britain's 1976 Summer Olympics judo squad, but never competed in the Olympics. He held a black belt in Judo and was also an expert in other areas of the martial arts. In addition, he competed in rugby, cricket, football, and amateur wrestling; away from athletics, he was also studying architecture.
Adams first entered professional wrestling in 1978 with no true formal training, instead relying on his judo background. He worked for Joint Promotions and frequently wrestled on ITV's World of Sport show). Adams did have some championship success in England, winning the British Commonwealth tag team title with Marty Jones, and the British Light Heavyweight Championship from Mark "Rollerball" Rocco. Adams also competed alongside many British wrestling legends, including Big Daddy, Dave 'Fit' Finlay, Dynamite Kid, and Davey Boy Smith. He also engaged in a feud with Adrian Street while competing in England. Chris also tagged on several occasions with popular favourite "Big Daddy" Shirley Crabtree, and often competed against Tony "Banger" Walsh, who would eventually become his closest friend during his early days in wrestling.
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