Johnny Adams " Inferno " Johnny Adams is a Western New York wrestler . He is formerly affiliated with Empire State Wrestling ( ESW ) , NWA Upstate and Next Era Wrestling Niagara . Adams currently wrestles under the revived Empire State Wrestling . Professional Wrestling Career . Early History . Adams , a Niagara Falls , NY native , began wrestling in the neighboring province of Ontario , Canada . He wrestled with several promotions , including Fighting Spirit Pro Wrestling and Neo Spirit Pro . Adams teamed with Cody Steele to form the tag team , American Steele . American Steele worked several promotions for over a year . Steele and Adams were part of the first ever Tag Team Table Turmoil , an innovative match where six tag teams competed . Teams were eliminated through tables . After a year , Steele and Adams parted ways . As an individual competitor , Adams began to win matches more frequently and gained a large fan following . After several years of experience in Ontario , Adams turned his sights on his hometown and the dominant local wrestling promotion , Empire State Wrestling . ESW History . Adams burst onto the ESW scene at Full Throttle 2004 to take on the challenge of Chris Cooper . Adams quickly became entwined in a pair of feuds soon after his first appearance in ESW . At Anarchy 2004 , Adams teamed with Cade Cassidy and Damien Alexander against Club Elite . Halfway through the match , Cassidy walked out on the match as Adams struggled for a tag , leading to Adams being pinned later in the match . This led to a match between Adams and Cassidy at the follow ESW May - hem 2004 . That match ended with Cassidy walking out on the match , allowing himself to be counted . While several months would pass without the in - ring feud between Adams and Cassidy continuing , their personal feud would not end there . After winning a match over TSK at Unsanctioned 2004 in June , another feud was sparked , with Danny Magic . Magic terrorized Adams the following month when he threw shockingly threw a ball of fire in Adams ' face . Magic and Adams met at WrestleBash in August , looking to settle their rivalry , but their match ended when Magic was disqualified for throwing fire at the referee . Adams was quick to ask ESW officials for a rematch , looking to get the win he clearly deserved . And the ESW front office was ready to order the match , but have since lost contact with Danny Magic , leading many to believe Magic wanted no more part of Adams . Adams appeared to be on a roll , as he defeated the much bigger and stronger Eric Everlast at ESW Pilgrims & Piledrivers 2004 in November . He was favored to pick up another win over Cade Cassidy at Season ' s Beatings 2004 when he was signed to once again face the wrestler he has the most heat with in the ESW locker room . However , one factor Adams had not had experience with from Cassidy in their first match from May was Cassidy ' s " personal assistant " Armand handicapping him at ringside . The match was practically a two - on - one and ended with Cassidy cheating his way to victory . NWA History . When ESW was dissolved and absorbed into NWA , Adams disappeared from the scene . He appeared again late in 2006 to begin competing in NWA Empire ' s new home at the St . Johnsburg Fire Hall . Since then , Adams has appeared in almost every match , either wrestling alone or in a tag team . On August 24 , 2008 , Adams was in a title match with current NWA Empire Heavyweight champion Jonny Puma . Adams lost the match , after interference from Puma ' s allies , Ice and Cooper . On December 6 , 2008 , Adams participated in a three way match with Kevin Grace and Tommy Mandrake for the Lord of the Ring championship . Adams and Grace paired up to take Mandrake before turning on each other . Adams successfully won the championship . He vacated the championship when he left to join fellow former ESW wrestlers in a new independent wrestling promotion , Next Era Wrestling Niagara . NEW Niagara . Adams , with long time Western New York wrestlers Johnny Puma , Kevin Grace and Will " Mastiff " Calrissian , joined the NEW Niagara wrestling promotion . The first match was held in Niagara Falls , NY on January 31 , 2009 . Adams fought alongside Tommy Mandrake against Troy Buchnan and Eric Everlast . After Mandrake walked off the ring , leaving Adams stranded , a feud between the two began . On April 4 , Adams took on Mandrake in a revenge match . Cornering Mandrake , Adams quickly finished him with the Burning Hammer . But as Adams prepared to leave the ring , a new foe appeared . NEW ' s The Caesar arrived on the scene with Ryot in tow . The Caesar issued a challenge to Adams all while bringing Mandrake into his new empire . Throughout 2009 , Caesar ' s Empire challenged Adams through Mandrake , Johnny Swift and Ryot . Adams ' s matches with members of the Empire were often interrupted by the antics of Caesar or his valet , Purple . Several matches ended in disqualification or required a re - match . Adams often teamed up with Jimmy Andrews to take on the Empire , even using Andrews once as a battering ram to take down the towering Ryot . In fall 2009 , Adams left NWA Empire with Puma , Mastiff , Grace and Chris Cooper to join the re - formed Empire State Wrestling . Empire State Wrestling Redux . In the new ESW , Adams continued his feud with Caesar and Caesar ' s newest member , the Superbeast . The Superbeast , weighing in at 350 pounds , easily pummeled Adams , a much smaller opponent . In a January re - match , Adams ' s speed held off the crushing weight of the Superbeast who was no match for Adams ' s agility or experience . The match ended in a disqualification when a referee was accidentally knocked out by the Superbeast . The feud between the two continues .