Christopher Ashford-Smith
Encyclopedia
Christopher Ashford-Smith (born February 17, 1961) is an American professional wrestler
better known under the ring name
s Chris Champion or Yoshi Kwan. As Chris Champion he primarily worked for the National Wrestling Alliance
for various territories, including Florida Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions
as well as World Championship Wrestling
(WCW).
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 clamied 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".
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
. 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 Floriga Tag titles from December 25, 1986 until February 21, 1987 where they lost the belts to the Southern Boys
(Steve Armstrong
and Tracy Smothers
. Shortly after the title loss the New Breed left Florida to work for Jim Crockett Promotions
(JCP). 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 defated by Giant Baba and Isao Takagi
in the second round. In JCP the New Breed worked a feud with The Rock 'n' Roll Express, but the storyline was abruptly ended when the New Breed was involved in a car accident that meand 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". 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. 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. 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.
Following his departure from JCP Champion showed up in Continental Wrestling Association
(CWA) teaming with his brother, Mark Starr to form a team called "Wildside", a team that feuded with the Rock 'N Roll Express, just as the New Breed had done years before. On July 3, 1989 Wildside 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. The following week Wildside defeated Jackson and Travis in the rematch and won the CWA Tag Team Championship. Their title reign lasted until the Rock 'n' Roll Express defeated them for the belts on September 11, 1989. In late 1989 CWA became United States Wrestling Association
(USWA) , with the new name came a new attitude from Chris Champion, who broke up Wildside 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.
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. 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. Champion worked as "Yoshi Kwan" on the American independent circuit
and later adopted a character called "Sinn" that he used both in the US and later on in England.
In July, 2002 Champion suffered a major stroke
and was in the critical care unit for a while after that. He was able to make a full recovery from the stroke and returned to wrestling. 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.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
better known under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
s Chris Champion or Yoshi Kwan. As Chris Champion he primarily worked for the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
for various territories, including Florida Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
as well as World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW).
Professional wrestling career
Chris Champion (born Christopher Ashford-Smith) started wrestling in 1984 using the ring name Dennis Smith. 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 RoyalSean Royal
Sean Royal was a professional wrestler from Tampa, Florida, in the United States.-Career:Sean Royal started wrestling in 1986 in Florida Championship Wrestling in a tag team with Chris Champion called The New Breed They claimed to be from the year 2002 and came to the ring to the tune of the...
to form a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
called the New Breed
New Breed (tag team)
The New Breed was a professional wrestling tag team, formed in 1986, consisting of Chris Champion and Sean Royal.-History:In 1986, Chris Champion and Sean Royal were put together as a tag team in Florida Championship Wrestling. Their gimmick had them claiming to be from the future, specifically the...
. 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 clamied that Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
would be elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
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
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
' song "Fight For Your Right to Party".
On August 3, 1986 Champion defeated Tyree Pride to win the NWA Florida Bahamian Championship
NWA Florida Bahamian Championship
The NWA Florida Bahamian Championship was a minor title that existed in Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1982 until 1987. It is also known as the NWA Bahamas Championship.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance...
from him, a title he would hold until September 28, 1986 where he lost it to The Falcon
Steve Armstrong
Steve Armstrong is a professional wrestler and is the son of the legendary "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. He has three brothers that also wrestle: Scott, Brad and Brian.-Professional wrestling career:...
. The New Breed won the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
The NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
when they defeated Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
and Vic Steamboat
Victor Blood
Victor Hersey Blood , known by his ringname Vic Steamboat, is an American professional wrestler who competes primarily in Northeastern independent promotions and was a longtime mainstay of International World Class Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, Florida Championship...
in the finals of a tournament for the vacant titles. The New Breed held the Floriga Tag titles from December 25, 1986 until February 21, 1987 where they lost the belts to the Southern Boys
Southern Boys
The Southern Boys were a professional wrestling tag team in World Championship Wrestling also known as The Young Pistols. It was composed of Tracy Smothers and Steve Armstrong.-History:...
(Steve Armstrong
Steve Armstrong
Steve Armstrong is a professional wrestler and is the son of the legendary "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. He has three brothers that also wrestle: Scott, Brad and Brian.-Professional wrestling career:...
and Tracy Smothers
Tracy Smothers
Tracy Smothers is an American professional wrestler.-Early career:Tracy started his career in the Memphis promotion on Saturday morning TV. Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers started teaming as The Southern Boys in Florida Championship Wrestling in 1987 where they feuded with The New Breed...
. Shortly after the title loss the New Breed left Florida to work for Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
(JCP). 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 defated by Giant Baba and Isao Takagi
Isao Takagi
Isao Takagi , who goes by the stage name Arashi, is a Japanese professional wrestler from Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, who works for Dradition. He has previously worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling.-Career:...
in the second round. In JCP the New Breed worked a feud with The Rock 'n' Roll Express, but the storyline was abruptly ended when the New Breed was involved in a car accident that meand 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". The car crash and return turned the New Breed Faces
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
("good guys") and they began a feud with The Midnight Express (Stan Lane
Stan Lane
Wallace Stanfield "Stan" Lane is an American professional wrestler, trained by Ric Flair, who started wrestling in 1974 in Championship Wrestling from Florida. For a brief time in Florida, he was nicknamed Nature Boy...
and Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
). The feud did not last long as Sean Royal retired a short time later, ending the New Breed team. 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
Mark Starr
Mark Ashford-Smith is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Mark Starr. He has competed as a member of several tag teams.-Wrestling career:Starr competed in the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association...
. The team defeated the Twin Devils in the opening round, but were defated by the Powers of Pain
Powers of Pain
The Powers of Pain are an on-and-off professional wrestling tag team. They are best known for their tenure in Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation.-Jim Crockett Promotions:...
in the second round. Following the Crockett Cup Champion briefly competed in the NWA as "The Karate Kid", but Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Barry Windham
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
and others complained of Champion's stiff kicks and he was soon pushed out of the Crockett territory.
Following his departure from JCP Champion showed up in Continental Wrestling Association
Continental Wrestling Association
The Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
(CWA) teaming with his brother, Mark Starr to form a team called "Wildside", a team that feuded with the Rock 'N Roll Express, just as the New Breed had done years before. On July 3, 1989 Wildside faced then CWA Tag Team Champions
CWA Tag Team Championship
The CWA Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association. It lasted from 1988 through 1990, when it was abandoned and replaced with the United States Wrestling Association Tag Team Championship.-Title history:-See...
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. The following week Wildside defeated Jackson and Travis in the rematch and won the CWA Tag Team Championship. Their title reign lasted until the Rock 'n' Roll Express defeated them for the belts on September 11, 1989. In late 1989 CWA became United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
(USWA) , with the new name came a new attitude from Chris Champion, who broke up Wildside and began working as a face. Champion worked feuds with USWA's top talent such as Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
and The Dirty White Boy
Tony Anthony
Darrell W. "Tony" Anthony is a semi-retired American professional wrestler best known as Dirty White Boy, who wrestled primarily for independent promotions in the Southeastern United States...
. For a while Champion worked as "Kowabunga", dressed in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
bodysuit and mask.
After leaving the USWA Champion began working for World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW), where he was given the ring persona "Yoshi Kwan", managed by Harley Race
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
. The Yoshi Kwan character was billed as being from Asia (either Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
or Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
) and wore makeup to make him appear to be both Asian and slightly slant eyed. As Yoshi Kwan he feuded with Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
, the two face off in a singles match at WCW's 1993 Fall Brawl which Foley won. 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. Champion worked as "Yoshi Kwan" on the American independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
and later adopted a character called "Sinn" that he used both in the US and later on in England.
In July, 2002 Champion suffered a major stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and was in the critical care unit for a while after that. He was able to make a full recovery from the stroke and returned to wrestling. 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.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Armbar / Kneebar combination
- Igetchasucker (Armbar / Trapezius grip combination)
- Signature moves
- Superkick
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Ronald Gossett
- Harley RaceHarley RaceHarley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
- Nathaniel Whitlock
- Marcus Woodrow III
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Bahamian ChampionshipNWA Florida Bahamian ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Bahamian Championship was a minor title that existed in Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1982 until 1987. It is also known as the NWA Bahamas Championship.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance...
(1 time) - NWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
(1 time) - with Sean RoyalSean RoyalSean Royal was a professional wrestler from Tampa, Florida, in the United States.-Career:Sean Royal started wrestling in 1986 in Florida Championship Wrestling in a tag team with Chris Champion called The New Breed They claimed to be from the year 2002 and came to the ring to the tune of the...
- Championship Wrestling AssociationContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- CWA Tag Team ChampionshipCWA Tag Team ChampionshipThe CWA Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association. It lasted from 1988 through 1990, when it was abandoned and replaced with the United States Wrestling Association Tag Team Championship.-Title history:-See...
(1 time) - with Mark Starr
- Other titles
- SWA North American Championship (1 time)
- SWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Blackie West
- TWC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)