Chris Adams

**Christopher Adams** (February 10, 1955 - October 7, 2001) was an English professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, trainer and judoka; best known for being the trainer of Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1989. Adams wrestled primarily in the Texas promotions, most notably for World Class Championship Wrestling.

## Professional wrestling career

Chris first came to prominance in WCCW in Texas, working for Fritz Von Erich. He was teamed with Gino Hernandez as a heel team known as **The Dynamic Duo**. Hernandez turned on Adams and "blinded" him. Adams would come to the ring with a cane and feel his way through his matches for quite some time, but it helped him become a face. He also had a major feud that lasted over a year against both Kevin Von Erich in 1985 and Terry Taylor in 1987. Chris was the second World Class heavyweight champion since its defection from the NWA, defeating Rick Rude for the title on July 4, 1986 at Reunion Arena in Dallas.

Before entering professional wrestling, Chris was involved in judo exclusively for 12 years, beginning at the age of 11. Chris and younger brother Neil Adams 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 in Moscow, Russia and the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

In 1978, Chris first entered pro wrestling after being introduced to the sport by a friend, and later watching matches involving The Dynamite Kid. Adams wrestled for two years in England before moving on to Los Angeles to compete at the famed Olympic Auditorium for three years.

By 1983, Adams was contacted by Fritz Von Erich to compete in WCCW. He joined the Dallas-based promotion the following June and was quickly a crowd favorite and an ally of the Von Erichs (Chris was billed as being the "pen pal" of Kevin Von Erich). Adams was involved with a lengthy feud with Jimmy Garvin as well as The Freebirds, and during one occurrance, Adams disguised himself as the Masked Avenger to get a title shot against Garvin. The following week, Adams won the NWA World Class title.

However, his feud against the Von Erichs shot Adams to the top of the wrestling world. Chris was one of the few wrestlers to wrestle against both heels and faces at the same time, as was the case in 1985 while paired with the late Gino Hernandez. During this time, Adams had some classic matches with NWA World Champion Ric Flair, and went on a tour to the Middle East with the Von Erichs and other World Class stars, which proved to be extremely successful.

In 1986, Adams was to work an angle with Gino Hernandez, in which the pair split up and began feuding (beginning in December 1985). Following a January 1986 match in which Hernandez "blinded" Adams with "Freebird Hair Cream", Adams was to sell his injury to take time off and visit relatives in England, then return to feud with Hernandez.

Unfortunately, Hernandez was found dead in February 1986 from a cocaine overdose. Adams did return in May 1986 by wearing an eyepatch on his left eye for several matches; then worked an angle with Rick Rude, in which Adams won the World Class heavyweight title on July 4, 1986 at Reunion Arena. Adams held the WCCW title until leaving the promotion in September 1986 (World Class explained the title change occurring in Los Angeles with Black Bart winning the World Class title, but that match never took place in L.A. according to Adams).

In late-1986, Adams defected to the Universal Wrestling Federation, where he became a tag team champion with Terry Taylor in February 1987. Two months later, Taylor and Adams began a violent feud which eventually was carried over to World Class in 1988. Adams also wrestled in Missouri, competing in Mike George's World Wrestling Alliance promotion, and had brief stints in Georgia and Florida before going into promoting his own matches late in the year.

1989 was a very busy year for Adams, competing in World Class as well as operating his own wrestling school at the Dallas Sportatorium. Among his prized students was a young loading dock worker named Steve Williams, who played football at North Texas State.

Williams became a regular wrestler late in the year, then changed his name to Steve Austin. Chris also was responsible for starting the careers of Chad Hart (Gary Hart's son), Khris Germany, Ed Robinson and Alex Porteau.

Chris was married to Jeannie Clark, better known in WCW as "Lady Blossom" from the late 1970s to around 1984. Jeannie was also married to Steve Austin in the 1990s. Chris was also married to Toni Adams from around 1985 to 1992. Chris, Jeannie, Toni and Steve were all good friends and all four promoted a feud pitting Chris and Toni against Jeannie and Steve in 1990, which eventually was one of the last great feuds in Dallas Sportatorium history.

Adams, like other World Class stars, battled drug and alcohol problems which plagued his entire career and eventually would lead to his untimely death in 2001. In 1986, while returning from a wrestling event in Puerto Rico, Adams assaulted an airline pilot which resulted in a 90-day jail sentence and a $500 fine. In 1991, he spent another year in jail for assault and was put on probation for a pair of DUI's, including one while in Pittsburgh.

During his stint in the GWF, Adams was involved in a match against Rod Price, in which Adams by accident tore the hair weave off Price's head, which resulted in stitches on Price's head. He also engaged in a lengthy feud with Iceman Parsons, whose history with Adams dates back to the glory days of World Class.

After his stint in the GWF, Chris competed in the American Wrestling Federation, a Chicago-based organization which, unlike other organizations, promoted under European wrestling moves. Adams, who had experience in European wrestling, often mentioned in the broadcasts of how the European wrestling rules work, and the use of a round system, which is similar to boxing.

In 1998, after the AWF folded, Chris began competing in World Championship Wrestling as either a jobber or a mid-carder. He was involved in a few angles, involving one with Lord Steven Regal, another in a battle of superkicks against Glacier, and a strange feud with Chip Minton, who billed himself as "Mr. World Class". Adams, who took Minton's nickname as an insult to his past glory days in WCCW, easily won that feud.

In late-1999, Adams was granted his release from WCW, unsatisfied with how he was being used in the organization, and returned to Texas as a promoter and part-time wrestler, appearing for a time in the NWA Southwest organization.

## Death

Adams' life ended tragically on October 7, 2001 when a former roomate shot Adams to death during a drunken brawl in Waxahachie, Texas.

Adams had been indicted on a manslaughter charge three months before, in relation to the death of a former girlfriend in April 2000 from a drug overdose, and was awaiting trial at the time of his death.

The former roommate was charged with Adams' murder, but in a controversial decision, those charges against the roomate were dropped. Prior to his death, Adams, who was considered semi-retired, planned to move to Florida and compete in a wrestling organization promoted by Ted DiBiase.