Chris Adams Christopher Adams ( February 10 , 1955 – October 7 , 2001 ) was a British professional wrestler , judoka , trainer and promoter who was best known for his work in Dallas - based World Class Championship Wrestling . Born in Rugby , Warwickshire ; Adams was billed from nearby Stratford upon Avon , and in a few matches , was billed from London . He was the brother of legendary Judo star Neil Adams . Wrestling career . Adams began his career in June 1978 with little training thanks to his judo background . Originally known as " Judo " Chris Adams , he wrestled against many legendary British stars in his native country , including Mark Rocco , Fit Finlay and Steve McManus . In his initial three years in the sport , Adams won the light heavyweight title and the British Commonwealth tag team title alongside partner Marty Jones . In 1981 , Chris Adams embarked on his first tour of the United States , competing in Los Angeles for Mike & Gene Lebell ' s promotion ; capturing the prestigious Americas title and the tag team title twice - once with Reno Rigsby and again with Tom Prichard . He would eventually return to England to compete a few more times before going on several world tours and gaining worldwide fame within the following two years . Adams moved on to Portland after the Los Angeles promotion ceased operations in 1982 , and was engaged in bitter feuds with Rip Oliver , Buddy Rose and David Schultz . By 1983 , he was contacted by Jack Adkisson , aka Fritz Von Erich , to compete for World Class Championship Wrestling , a move which would change the course of his career . Upon entering World Class , Adams became a close ally of the Von Erich family , and engaged in matches initially with The Mongol and eventually with Jimmy Garvin . He also competed several times under a mask as " The Masked Avenger " , and during one match , he unmasked himself after beating Jimmy Garvin . Soom thereafter , Adams defeated Garvin for the American heavyweight championship in November 1983 . In September 1984 , Adams joined forces with manager Gary Hart , and less than a month later , turned heel following a tag team match on partner Kevin Von Erich ; which paved the way for a series of legendary matches between Adams and the Von Erichs , which drew record crowds and high revenue , even moreso upon forming a partnership with Gino Hernandez . Adams ' heel run ended in late - 1985 when Hernandez turned on Adams , which would pave the way for a series of matches between the two former partners , however Hernandez died in February 1986 , shortly after Gino " blinded " Adams with Freebird Hair Cream during a match in Fort Worth . After taking four months off , Adams returned and won the World Class heavyweight title from Rick Rude on July 4 , 1986 ; but his reign would be cut short when he left WCCW for the UWF . Forming an tag team with Terry Taylor , he and Adams won the UWF World Tag Team Championship with a win over Sting and RIck Steiner on February 12 , 1987 . The duo would lose the belts to Sting and Steiner two months later , and a bitter feud between Adams and Taylor ensued . A secondary feud between Adams and Iceman King Parsons was also born ; which lasted on and off for more than a decade . Returning to World Class in late - 1987 , Adams was involved in a renewed feud between the Von Erichs and the Freebirds , and continued his battles with Taylor and Parsons . Leaving for a few months in June 1988 , Adams would return late in the year as a wrestler and a promoter , opening up a new wrestling school . The school , which was held at the Sportatorium in Dallas , produced several well - known wrestlers , including Stone Cold Steve Austin . In 1990 , Adams was involved in a much - publicized feud pitting Austin and Adams ' former first wife Jeanie Clarke against himself and his second wife , Toni Adams . The feud was the last major storyline used in World Class ( then known for a time as the USWA ) before the promotion ceased operations . Joining the Global Wrestling Federation in 1992 , Adams won the GWF North American title twice in 1993 and 1994 before competing in other organizations , including the AWF , Texas All - Pro , Big D Pro Wrestling and the CWA . Chris Adams ' final round of glory occurred when he joined WCW in late - 1997 . However , he was placed in the mid - card status and used as a jobber in major events , which did not sit well with him . Adams did have a brief heel run when he teamed with Lord Steven ( now William ) Regal and Dave Taylor . He left WCW in 1999 and returned to compete in Texas , where he would eventually retire . On October 7 , 2001 , Adams was shot to death during a fight with a former roommate in Waxahachie , TX .