Chris Champion

Chris Champion
Birth name Christopher Ashford-Smith
Born February 17, 1961
Tampa, Florida, United States[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Chris Champion
Dennis Smith
The Karate Kid
Kowabunga[1]
Sinn
Yoshi Kwan[1]
Billed height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight 222 lb (101 kg)
Billed from "The Future"
(as part of The New Breed)
Hunan / Hong Kong
(as Yoshi Kwan)
Trained by Boris Malenko[1]
Dean Malenko[1]
Joe Malenko[1]
Debut 1984

Christopher Ashford-Smith (born February 17, 1961) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Chris Champion. As Chris Champion he primarily worked for various National Wrestling Alliance member territories, including Florida Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions. Ashford-Smith is also known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Yoshi Kwan.

Professional wrestling career

Chris Champion (born Christopher Ashford-Smith) started wrestling in 1984 using the ring name Dennis Smith.

Florida Championship Wrestling (1986-1987)

in 1986 he began working for Florida Championship Wrestling and changed his ring name to "Chris Champion", the name he would be most known under. Champion teamed up with Sean Royal to form a tag team called The New Breed. The "gimmick" of the New Breed was that they claimed to be sent back from the year 2002 to 1986 to compete. As part of their gimmick they claimed that Dusty Rhodes would be elected President of the United States in the 2000 election, and addressed him as "Mr. President". They also referred to having robots and sported very unusual haircuts and bright "futuristic" ring gear in neon colors. Their entrance music was the Beastie Boys' song "Fight For Your Right to Party".[2]

On August 3, 1986 Champion defeated Tyree Pride to win the NWA Florida Bahamian Championship from him, a title he would hold until September 28, 1986 where he lost it to The Falcon.[3] The New Breed won the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship when they defeated Kendall Windham and Vic Steamboat in the finals of a tournament for the vacant titles. The New Breed held the Florida Tag titles from December 25, 1986 until February 21, 1987 where they lost the belts to the Southern Boys (Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers.[4] Shortly after the title loss the New Breed left Florida to work for Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP).

Jim Crockett Promotions (1987-1988)

Chris Champion competed in the 1987 Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, teaming with Denny Brown. The team defeated Bill and Randy Mulkey in the first round, but were defeated by Giant Baba and Isao Takagi in the second round.[5] In JCP the New Breed worked a feud with The Rock 'n' Roll Express, but the storyline was abruptly ended when the New Breed were involved in a car accident that meant Chris Champion could not wrestle for several months. When he did return he wore a cast on his arm, decorated with computer parts, claiming it was a "future cast".[2] The car crash and return turned the New Breed Faces ("good guys") and they began a feud with The Midnight Express (Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton). The feud did not last long as Sean Royal retired a short time later, ending the New Breed team.[2] After the New Breed broke up Champion participated in the 1988 Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, teaming with his brother Mark Starr. The team defeated the Twin Devils in the opening round, but were defated by the Powers of Pain in the second round.[5] Following the Crockett Cup Champion briefly competed in the NWA as "The Karate Kid", but Ric Flair, Barry Windham and others complained of Champion's stiff kicks and he was soon pushed out of the Crockett territory.

Continental Wrestling Association/United States Wrestling Association

Following his departure from JCP Champion showed up in Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) teaming with his brother, Mark Starr to form a team called "Wild Side", a team that feuded with the Rock 'N Roll Express, just as the New Breed had done years before. On July 3, 1989 Wild Side faced then CWA Tag Team Champions Action Jackson and Billy Travis for the titles, in a match that became so out of control that it ended in a "no contest" and the titles being vacated.[6] The following week Wild Side defeated Jackson and Travis in the rematch and won the CWA Tag Team Championship.[6] Their title reign lasted until the Rock 'n' Roll Express defeated them for the belts on September 11, 1989.[6] In late 1989 CWA became United States Wrestling Association (USWA), with the new name came a new attitude from Chris Champion, who broke up Wild Side and began working as a face. Champion worked feuds with USWA's top talent such as Jerry Lawler and The Dirty White Boy. For a while Champion worked as "Kowabunga", dressed in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bodysuit and mask.[1]

World Championship Wrestling

After leaving the USWA Champion began working for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was given the ring persona "Yoshi Kwan", managed by Harley Race. The Yoshi Kwan character was billed as being from Asia (either Hunan or Hong Kong) and wore makeup to make him appear to be both Asian and slightly slant eyed. As Yoshi Kwan he feuded with Cactus Jack, the two face off in a singles match at WCW's 1993 Fall Brawl which Foley won.[7] After the loss to Foley, Champion suffered a knee injury that prevented him from wrestling and not long after he was out of WCW all together.

Independent circuit

Champion worked as "Yoshi Kwan" on the American independent circuit and later adopted a character called "Sinn" that he used both in the United States and, later, in the United Kingdom.[8]

In July, 2002 Champion suffered a major stroke and was in the critical care unit for a while after that.[1] He was able to make a full recovery from the stroke and returned to wrestling.[1] In 2006 he teamed with Blackie West in the Southern Wrestling Federation, as a team billed as "The SS". The team won the SWF Tag Team titles from "Team Freedom" (JP Jones and Max Carnage) in 2006. Champion also worked as a booker there.[1]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 "Wrestler profiles: Chris Champion". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 RD Reynolds and Randy Baer (2003). "Welcome to Oz! Welcome to Oz!". Wrestlecrap – the very worst of pro wrestling. ECW Press. pp. 97–118. ISBN 1-55022-584-7.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Florida: Bahamas Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 162. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Florida: NWA Florida Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 160–161. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "2nd Annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament Cup". ProWrestlingHistory. April 10, 1987. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Memphis: CWA Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 199. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. ↑ "Fall Brawl 1993". Prowrestlinghistory. September 19, 1993. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  8. ↑ Kristian Pope & Ray Whebbe (2003). "Oddballs, freaks, and Monsters. Gimmicks that make wrestling great". The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling: 100 Years of History, Headlines & Hitmakers (2nd ed.). Krause Publications. pp. 85–99. ISBN 978-0-87349-625-4.
  9. ↑ Desjardins, Curtis (February 3, 1999). "The Official RSP-W Finishing Moves List". rec.sport.pro-wrestling. Retrieved 2013-08-04.

External links