Chris Champion

Kowabunga

Yoshi Kwan

**Christopher Dennis Ashford-Smith** (born 17 February, 1961, died 22 August, 2018)  had two runs in the Memphis territory during his career.

After working in Florida and Jim Crockett Promotions as part of the New Breed tag team, Champion debuted as part of the Wild Side team, alongside Mark Starr in May 1989. The team feuded with the Rock 'n' Roll Express, as the New Breed had done previously.

During 1990 he portrayed 'Kowabunga' the wrestling turtle, a character devised to cash-in on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze. Returning to his original name, he remained in the USWA until early 1991 when he worked in Japan and with independent promotions. In 1993 he joined World Championship Wrestling as Yoshi Kwan, a character he briefly portrayed in the USWA in 1996.

He died aged 57 in 2018 after a series of strokes.

## Career

### 1989

Managed by Ronnie P. Gossett

* Monday 15 May - with Mark Starr against Tracy Smothers and John Paul
* Monday 22 May - with Mark Starr against Tracy Smothers and John Paul
* Monday 29 May - with Mark Starr against Tracy Smothers and John Paul
* Monday 5 June - with Mark Starr against Alan Reynolds and Jimmy Masters
* Monday 19 June - against Tracy Smothers
* Monday 26 June - with Mark Starr against Bill Dundee and Freddie
* Monday 3 July - with Mark Starr against Action Jackson and Billy Joe Travis (CWA Tag Team Championship)
* Monday 10 July - with Mark Starr against Action Jackson and Billy Joe Travis
* Monday 17 July - against Lou Winston
* Monday 17 July - against Freddy
* Monday 31 July - with Mark Starr against Plowboy Frazier and Cousin Junior
* Monday 7 August - with Mark Starr against Plowboy Frazier against Mad Dog
* Monday 7 August - with Mark Starr against Rock 'n' Roll Express (Lights Out match)
* Monday 14 August - with Mark Starr, Iceman King Parsons, Brickhouse Brown and Harold Harris against Jeff Jarrett, Rock 'n' Roll Express, Jason and Freddy (Texas Death Match)
* Monday 21 August - with Mark Starr, Brickhouse Brown and Iceman King Parsons against Rock 'n' Roll Express (Handicap match)
* Monday 28 August - with Mark Starr, Brickhouse Brown and Iceman King Parsons against Rock 'n' Roll Express (Three legged race rules match)
* Monday 4 September - with Mark Starr against Rock 'n' Roll Express (CWA Tag Team Championship)
* Monday 11 September - with Mark Starr against Rock 'n' Roll Express (CWA Tag Team Championship)
* Monday 2 October - against Freddy
* Monday 2 October - against Dustin Rhodes
* Monday 9 October - with Mark Starr against Dutch Mantel and Bill Dundee
* Monday 16 October - against Freddy
* Monday 16 October - with Mark Starr against Rock 'n' Roll Express
* Monday 23 October - with Mark Starr against Jeff Jarrett and Master of Pain
* Monday 6 November - against Frankie Lancaster
* Monday 13 November - against Mike Davis
* Sunday 19 November - against Mike Davis (Lumberjack Match)
* Monday 27 November - against Tony Anthony
* Monday 4 December - against Tony Anthony
* Monday 11 December - against Tony Anthony

### 1990

   Champion continued his feud against Tony Anthony, and continued wrestling under his own name until the end of May. He was repackaged as Kowabunga in July, continuing to portray the character until the end of October when he reverted to his original name.

* Monday 1 January - against Tony Anthony
* Monday 8 January - against Tony Anthony
* Monday 15 January - against The Soultaker
* Monday 15 January - with Dutch Mantel and King Cobra against Jerry Lawler, The Soultaker and Tony Anthony
* Monday 22 January - against Tony Anthony
* Monday 5 February - against Tony Anthony (Snake Box match)
* Monday 12 February - against Tony Anthony
* Saturday 17 February - against Ray Evans
* Monday 19 February - against Rockin' Randy
* Monday 19 March - against Jerry Lawler
* Monday 26 March - with Mike Awesome against Ronnie P. Gossett and Jerry Lawler
* Monday 2 April - against Rooster Cogburn
* Monday 9 April - against Lou Winston
* Monday 16 April - against Lou Winston
* Monday 16 April - with Bill Dundee, Jeff Jarrett and Mike Awesome against Jeff Gaylord, Sweet Daddy Falcone, Jerry Lawler and Ronnie P. Gossett (Texas Tornado Match)
* Monday 23 April - against Rockin' Randy
* Monday 30 April - with Mike Awesome against The Dirty White Boys
* Monday 7 May - against Mike Awesome
* Monday 14 May - against Mike Awesome
* Monday 21 May - against Mike Awesome (Loser Leaves Town match)
* Monday 28 May - against John Stewart

* Monday 9 July (as Kowabunga) - against Ken Wayne

* Monday 16 July (as Kowabunga) - against Scott Braddock
* Monday 23 July (as Kowabunga) - against Jeff Gaylord
* Saturday 28 July (as Kowabunga) - against Ken Wayne
* Monday 30 July (as Kowabunga) - with Ken Wayne against Scott Braddock and Jeff Gaylord
* Saturday 4 August (as Kowabunga) - with Ken Wayne against Twilight Zone
* Monday 6 August (as Kowabunga) - with Ken Wayne against Jeff Gaylord and Downtown Bruno
* Monday 13 August (as Kowabunga) - against Jeff Gaylord
* Monday 20 August (as Kowabunga) - against Brickhouse Brown

* Monday 27 August (as Kowabunga)- against The Galaxian
* Saturday 1 September (as Kowabunga) - against Keith Eric
* Monday 3 September (as Kowabunga) - against The New York Brawler
* Monday 17 September (as Kowabunga) - against The Galaxian
* Monday 1 October (as Kowabunga) - against The New York Brawler
* Monday 22 October (as Chris Champion) - against Lou Winston
* Monday 29 October - against Sheik Hassan
* Monday 5 November - with Bill Dundee against The Samurai and Sheik Hassan (Twilight Zone match)
* Monday 12 November - with Brickhouse Brown against Tony Anthony and Doug Gilbert
* Monday 19 November - against Sheik Hassan
* Monday 26 November - against Doug Gilbert
* Monday 26 November - with Bill Dundee against King Cobra and Lou Winston
* Monday 10 December - against Joseph Magliano

### 1991

* Monday 7 January - against Terrence Garvin
* Monday 14 January - against Terrence Garvin

### 1996

Managed by Scott Bowden

* Saturday 9 March - against Tony Williams
* Saturday 13 April - Battle Royale for USWA Television Championship
* Saturday 22 July - against Flex Kavana

## External links

* Kowabunga the Wrestling Turtle - YouTube
* Wikipedia profile
* Wrestlecrap - Kowabunga
* WrestlingData.com profile