Andrew Lutzke
This article series is me, a couch, a remote, possibly an adult beverage and some random Wrasslin’ I decide to watch.
Produced by Mickey Grant
We open to a packed stadium in WCCW where Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez are among the most hated men in Texas and about to face the beloved Von Erich boys…
Then we have a former indy valet proclaim that Adams is addicted to drugs and sex – with much disgust in her voice.
A stripper (who sounds coked up) declares that she never did cocaine with Adams – maybe a joint though…
Ernest Wilkerson (a former ref) says he watched Adams life spiral downward the last year and a half and he doesn’t believe Adams could have stopped it, even if he had wanted to.
Kevin Von Erich (soaking in a hot tub) says Adams was a great guy and shouldn’t be judged on his last few years.
Tom Lance (Indy promoter) says Adams was “Jekyll and Hyde” between being sober and when he did his drugs and drinking.
His old roommate “Booray” describes seeing Adams drugged out of his mind.
We see a bloodied Adams defeat Rick Rude in front of a screeching audience that whole heartily approve.
Bill Mercer (former WCCW announcer) puts over what an asset Adams was to the promotion.
Clips of Adams practicing Judo is shown as his parents comment on his younger years as a Judoist. His brother won 2 silver medals in Judo.
Adams’ parents say he gave up a good job to join wrestling and was on TV with Big Daddy almost right away.
Tony Walsh (former British wrestler) talks about all the girls who went wild for Adams, then Jeanie Adams (former wife of Adams and Steve Austin) talks about her first date with Chris.
Adams’ parents were never surprised by Chris’ career choice, since Adams was a determined young man.
Walsh says every Brit worker who came to America to wrestle came back crippled or dead.
Von Erich says Adams was a great worker and the female fans swooned.
Mickey Grant (former WCCW producer) explains how popular WCCW really was: “Second in syndication numbers, only losing out to Soul Train”. It was shown in 23 countries.
Gary Hart tells us how he helped teach Adams to be a heel. Adams wanted to be heel since the Von Erichs took all the main event babyface spots. Hart says Adams was booed after promising to never kiss any fat women in the audience ever again.
We see Hart and Adams split up in WCCW and then modern day Hart takes us through an incident on an airplane…
David Manning (WCCW promoter) says Adams was on a plane that had mechanical issues and the airport tried to make it up to the passengers by offering free booze while they waited for the plane to be fixed. Adams imbibed in the airport bar and further on the plane. When he was informed he was being cut off due to drunkenness.
Killer Brooks (former wrestler) says Adams called a stewardess a “cunt and bitch” for cutting him off, she ran and got a male steward who Adams threatened and so a pilot was called to calm Chris down. Adams was threatened with arrest and that set him off and he attacked the pilot with a big headbutt.
Von Erich remembers him choking the pilot, whose nose was broken and teeth chipped. Kevin calmed him down and got him to sit down.
Killer Brooks says Kevin and Chris switched shirts to try and fool the authorities as they got off the plane and buy Adams time to escape.
Adams defense attorney from the incident is on next – Adams spent six months in prison and afterward attempted to straighten his life out. His parents say he went to AA but they do not know for how long.
JD Reed (friend of Adams) speaks on Adams love for his kids.
Adams OD’d on drugs and was diagnosed with clinical depression. He was determined to be clean for his kids.
Chris beat his wife in 1989 and was arrested. Von Erich says Adams smashed a Middle Eastern hotel clerk’s orbital bone with a series of stomps over not being able to use the phone. Kevin also says he did something similar to the Yazuka mafia in Japan.
Adams explains in an archived interview how wrestlers workout, wrestle and party in a vicious cycle every night.
Julia Adams (Chris’ daughter) says Adams played lots of games and puzzles with her. His ex says Chris got DUI’s with his kid in the car.
We get archived clips of Adams bashing drug use on a late 80’s WCCW/USWA(?) show.
Adams was bothered that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin had so much success and Adams was now known more for training Steve then his own career. Their ex-wife Jeannie puts over Adams training and development of Austin – giving his good promo lines, selling tons to get Austin over, and involving him key angles.
Another version of events has Adams undercutting Steve’s paydays. Von Erich chimes in with a story of Adams promoting an event and then bailing out with the money before paying the guys.
Gary Hart wanted Adams to join WCW in the early 90’s – Chris insisted on staying as indy promoter instead.
Doctor Rock (A strip club owner) tells of Adams bailing out with money and focusing on strippers instead of pushing the business.
Mickey Grant covers the WCCW body count and explains that Adams out lasted most of that crew by 12+ years but was still a victim.
Adams started using GHB – then we see a narcotics expert explain how deadly it can be.
“Booray” was Adams driver so Adams could go town to town all messed up and not be a danger on the road. Adams’ stripper friend tells of watching Adams take Xanax and valium.
Adams OD’d on GHB and woke up from a coma in the hospital – ripped his tubes out and left.
L.A. Steele (indy worker) talks about working “shoot fights” with Adams on indy shows.
The “Beyond the Mat” documentary featured some people working with Adams – Adams was edited out and was pissed off. Adams black listed L.A. Steele and his valet for making the cut when he didn’t.
Chris met a woman named Linda and his friends felt Adams really seemed to be transfixed on being with her and straightening up. Linda was a stripper.
Linda and Chris drank all night – they OD’d on GHB and were found by their friend “Booray” who lived at the place they were partying. Linda’s breathing was labored, so their friend called 911. Linda wound up brain dead.
Adams went to see her in the hospital and was kicked out by her family. They pulled the plug on her and she died.
Chris wasn’t charged with the incident but people kept the story alive. Adams ended up back in rehab.
Adams wanted to keep drinking to mask the pain for Linda’s death.
Chris threatened another indy promoter’s webmaster by saying “I’ll kill you just like I killed Linda!” She had the threat on a recording and Chris was brought up on manslaughter charges. Adams looked into a hitman to off the woman who pushed the overdose issue with Linda – after the charges came up against him. The hitman refused since the connection was too obvious.
Adams married a woman named Karen, who became his fourth wife. They were married only months after meeting. Karen’s kid recalls Adams eating paintballs to make them laugh.
Booray’s mother says she witnessed Adams being verbally abusive to Karen. He and Karen left her house and were arrested on the way home for public intoxication.
A preacher claims that he placed his hand on Adams head and the spirit of God sent Adams flying across the room. They then “cast demons out of Chris”.
Adams was planning on leaving wrestling, he was going to go to AA with a stripper friend and another friend offered him a job in limo sales.
He owed the IRS 50K and his ex-wife was also owed 50-60K. He was also becoming hard to book since people didn’t want to get in the ring with someone who was a known head case addict.
Adams tried to live a domesticated life but was bored and drank again.
Chris lost wrestling bookings since sponsors didn’t want their name associated with a guy who was about to go on trial for manslaughter.
Chris told Booray that Karen was ditzy and that he was using her for a place to live.
A stripper friend was asked to borrow Adams 20 dollars for “gas”. Booray and Adams met later that night. They started to watch a movie and drink. Adams started to get despondent about his upcoming trial. Booray asked Chris to quiet down so his mother wouldn’t be woken up.
They started to argue and Adams broke a post off and came after Booray- attempted to lock him in a sleeper and then gouge at his eyes. Booray says Chris’ eyes were bulging. Booray grabbed a gun and hit Adams over the head 3 times as Adams choked him out on a bed. Adams was shot at close range.
(Booray still lived at the same place that Adams was killed at and actually walked us through the fight in the very place the incident occurred. On top of that, the documentary producers had the actual police photographs taken from the night of the incident – including one of Adams dead on the bed – inter-sped throughout for a dramatic and very well done scene.)
The two old ladies who lived with Booray never woke up until the cops came.
Von Erich suggests Adams befriended Booray because Booray was a mark and made a bundle off an oil company settlement that Adams could bilk off.
Killer Brooks delivers a great line by saying “Booray was Chris’ friend, driver, confidant and his Angel of Death”.
Adams’ stripper friend breaks down crying recalling how she found out about his death.
Gary Hart finds it appropriate that Adams died 7 miles from a wrestling arena. He loved Chris and wishes he was here.
They end with a clip of Adams being shaved in WCCW and screaming “I’LL KILL YOU” and then a clip of Adams warning fans to always avoid drugs.
Final Thoughts: WOW – what a powerfully done and well put together documentary! So many people interviewed from Adams’ past were dug up to be part of this, all the way down to drug officers, lawyers and D.A.’s who provided the legal explanations for Adams behavior. I would have to say this DVD would appeal to anyone interested in wrestling’s dark side – even if they didn’t watch Adams in his heyday. Strongly recommended!
