Chris Adams (wrestler)
Christopher Adams (10 February 1955 – 7 October 2001), best known as "Gentleman" Chris Adams, was an English professional wrestler, promoter, coach, and judoka.
Chris Adams | |
|---|---|
Adams, c. 1985 | |
| Born | Christopher Adams 10 February 1955 Rugby, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 7 October 2001 (aged 46) Waxahachie, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Ballistic trauma |
| Resting place | Oak Grove Memorial Gardens (Irving, Texas) |
| Occupation(s) | Professional wrestler, promoter, trainer, judoka |
| Spouses | Toni Adams
(m. 1984; div. 1994)Karen Burge (m. 2001) |
| 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 | 228 lb (16.3 st; 103 kg) |
| Billed from | Stratford-upon-Avon, England |
| Trained by | Tony St. Clair Shirley Crabtree |
| Debut | 1978 |
| Retired | 2000 |
He won the British National Judo Championship in his age and weight class three times by the time he was 21. Adams achieved his greatest success in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), where he rose to fame and reached the position of World Heavyweight Champion. He also performed for organizations like the Universal Wrestling Association (UWA), where he held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Throughout a 23-year professional wrestling career, he held a total of 26 titles.
Adams was in charge of training Stone Cold Steve Austin and popularizing the superkick finisher, which was subsequently employed by many other performers. Speaking about his legacy, professional wrestling journalist and historian Dave Meltzer has described Adams as being "one of the twenty best performers" in the United States at the peak of his career but stated that the problems stemming from Adams' drug addiction ruined both his career and personal life.