Adolfo Tapia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Adolfo Tapia Ibarra | |
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | La Parka L.A. Park L.A. Par-K Adolfo Tapia Principe Island El Gringo (Monclova Coahuila) |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (183 cm) |
| Billed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Born | November 14, 1965 Torreón, Coahuila |
| Trained by | Raul Reyes Alberto Mora |
| Debut | 1982 |
Adolfo Tapia Ibarra better known as La Parka is a professional wrestler from Mexico most famous to American fans for his days as "The Chairman of WCW." He currently wrestles as LA Par-K since Triple A owns the rights for the La Parka gimmick.
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[edit] Career
Adolfo Tapia started wrestling in 1982, but he did not really start making a name for himself until he started wrestling as the masked La Parka in 1992. His costume and mask are a skeleton resembling the outfits used in Mexico's Day of the Dead ceremony. He is a very flamboyant wrestler, sometimes wearing sombreros to the ring, playing guitar on the chair he always brings to the ring, strutting and dancing in the ring, and even strutting on the turnbuckle.
His biggest and longest running feud in Mexico was against Lizmark. They feuded for years. He also feuded with Jerry Estrada, Konnan, Super Calo and Pierroth, Jr. He frequently teamed with Psychosis. He was part of the "When Worlds Collide" joint AAA/WCW PPV in 1994 and wrestled briefly in ECW in 1995.
In 1996, he went to WCW and picked up his feud with Super Calo. He became known as "The Chairman of WCW" because he would hit his opponents with a chair, stand it up and pose on it after strutting. In 1997, he reformed his team with Psychosis with Sonny Onoo as their manager. They feuded with Wrath, Mortis, and Ultimo Dragon. By 1998, he had left Onoo and feuded with Disco Inferno and Psychosis. He was used on some WCW PPV's but never got a push to the top. In June 1998, he tore his ACL in a match after a Goldberg spear. He returned in September and got into some trouble for competing in Mexico without Eric Bischoff's permission.
In November 1998, he joined Eddie Guerrero's Latino World Order (LWO) with Psychosis, Juventud Guerrera, Los Villanos, El Dandy, Silver King, Héctor Garza, Damien, and a reluctant Rey Misterio Jr.. They feuded with Konnan and Perry Saturn. The LWO disbanded in January 1999 when Guerrero was injured in a car accident. La Parka started teaming with Silver King and picked up his feud with Super Calo again. He briefly feuded with Eddie Guerrero upon his return since Eddie caused the LWO to disband.
When Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara took over booking in late 1999, they had Ferrara's voice speaking English over the intercom while La Parka would be doing interviews in Spanish in the ring. The voiceovers would comically explain La Parka was a fan of Skeletor from Masters of the Universe, hence his in-ring wear. This ended after a few weeks when La Parka heard something he did not want said and tossed the mic down as Ferrera was speaking. By early 2000, he had left WCW for Mexico where he had some trouble with the AAA promotion over the use of the La Parka name. They had it trademarked and he did not want to work for them, so he changed his name to L.A. Park and debuted with AAA's rival, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. In January of 2004, Park and Shocker defeated Los Guerreros Del Infierno for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship. Rey Bucanero and Último Guerrero would win their titles back in a rematch in March but L.A. Park challenged Último Guerrero for the CMLL Light-Heavyweight title at the CMLL 71st anniversary show but was unsuccessful. He continued wrestling in CMLL as well as independent promotions in Tijuana and else where in the country.
2002 and 2003 saw him wrestle for XPW, All Japan Pro Wrestling, Major League Wrestling and the revived AWA Superstars. In 2004, he made brief appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, using his chair on his opponents, but was soon back in Mexico teaming with Shocker. In 2005, L.A. Park can be found wrestling in his native Mexico and in the United States for LXW and UCW and occasionally for FCW.
As of June 2006, he's currently still performing on the CMLL, has become a heel and has had a very successful run of matches on Mexico, mainly due to his current feud with Dr. Wagner Jr., which have a very positive fan reaction. In one of their most recent matches, which happened on the Arena Mexico in June 9, 2006, L.A. Park won when he faked a foul and Dr. Wagner Jr. was disqualified.
[edit] Wrestling facts
[edit] Finishing and signature moves
- La Parkinator (Corkscrew moonsault press)
- Skull Bomb (Sunset flip powerbomb)
- Corkscrew crossbody attack
- Struts across the ring to taunt his opponent
[edit] Signature illegal weapon
[edit] Manager
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
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- 1-Time NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
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- 2-Time WWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
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- 3-Time Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion
- IWC
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- 1-Time IWC Heavyweight Champion
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- 1-Time CMLL World Tag Team Champion (with Shocker)
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- Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 172 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
[edit] Lucha de Apuesta record
| Wager lost/won | Winner | Loser | Where | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mask | Clímax II | El Minero (Tapia) | Mexico City | February 17, 1985 | - |
| Mask | El Hijo del Santo | Príncipe Island | Apatlaco, Edomex | November 21, 1987 | - |
| Mask | Stuka | Invasor del Norte I (Tapia) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | June 26, 1991 | - |
| Hair | Panterita del Ring | Príncipe Island | Monterrey, Nuevo León | 1992 | - |
| Mask | La Parka | Pierroth, Jr. | Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas | July 20, 1998 | - |
| Mask | La Parka | Wolf | Reynosa, Tamaulipas | September 20, 1998 | - |
| Hair | La Parka | Gran Markus, Jr. | Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas | July 17, 1998 | - |
| Mask | La Parka | Shinryu Dragon | Guadalajara, Jalisco | 2001 | 1 |
| Hair | La Parka | El Dandy | Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas | June 4, 2001 | 2 |
| Mask | La Parka | Huracán Ramírez Jr. | Monclova, Coahuila | June 25, 2001 | 3 |
| Hair | La Parka | Damián 666 | Tijuana, Baja California | December 21, 2001 | - |
| Hair | L.A. Park | Nicho el Millionario | Tijuana, Baja California | October 8, 2004 | - |
| Mask | L.A. Park | Black Tiger III | Torreón, Coahuila | February 2, 2006 | - |
- Suicide tag team match against Roberto Paz Jr. & Zandokan II
- Three way match with Bestia Salvaje
- Suicide tag team match against Villano IV and Villano V
- He has also won the masks of Gran Cóndor, Príncipe Judas, Guerrero Negro and Bestia Negra I. He has also won the hair of Gran Cóndor and Bestia Negra I.
[edit] Trivia
- La Parka's uncle was a wrestler who gained fame as Volador but later changed his name to Super Parka, wearing an outfit and mask similar to his nephew.
- Another wrestler wrestles as "La Parka" in Mexico for AAA. He is usually denoted as La Parka, Jr. (Even though he is only a couple years younger), La Parka (AAA) or La Parka (PAP).
- In AAA, his entrance theme was Michael Jackson's "Thriller".
- In TNA, his entrance theme was Tool's "Stinkfist"
- In CMLL, his entrance theme is Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina".
- In one WCW match, it was scheduled as La Parka vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Surprisingly, given the booking at the time, La Parka beat Savage easily, finishing him with Diamond Dallas Page's finisher, the Diamond Cutter. After the match, "La Parka" removed his mask to reveal he was Page, who was feuding with Savage at the time. Page would go on to reference La Parka in interviews. A couple of weeks later, Savage fought the real La Parka and gained some measure of revenge.
- A similar stunt to the above occoured in TNA, as Erik Watts donned the La Parka gear in an angle with Goldylocks in 2004.
- An episode of WWE Confidential showed the WWE Divas in Mexico shopping during a photo shoot, where some of the items featured for sale included miniature La Parka figures.
- Favorite american superstar is Scott Hall.
- Has a son and daughter who he enjoys having picnics with.
