Chris Angel (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Chris Angel is a Puerto Rican
professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in the International Wrestling Association
, where he became the only local wrestler to win the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
in his debut and first to win the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship undefeated within the two major promotions. His twelve-month winning streak is the longest in the history of the IWA, surpassing the previous record held by "The Cyber Viking" Al Barone, which was stopped at nine months. Outside of performing, Angel is the only wrestler to be voted "Rookie of the Year" by the public after only a single official match in one of the major promotions in Puerto Rico. He was included in Pro Wrestling Illustrated
's Top 500 list after only 13 individual contests and a tag team match in the IWA.
. By 2005 he had begun his professional wrestling training under Richard Filipo, who eventually founded an independent promotion named Caribbean Wrestling Entetainment. There he wrestled under the ring name "Angel", being booked in multiple victories over Phillip Clemente and Filipo at shows held in Santurce, Comerio, Moca and other subdivisions of the main island's metropolitan area. In 2007, he and Clemente traveled to Ohio Valley Wrestling
, working as a tag team. After six months, both were brought in to a company known as New Wrestling Entertainment by Pedro Figueroa, joining several former CWE alumni to form a stable known as "La Realeza". The group performed in the only two shows held before it's dissolution, with him serving as it's enforcer.
on October 16, 2010, joining three other wrestlers in assaults against the incumbent Caribbean Heavyweight Champion, the first contender for that title as well as Dennis Rivera
, who held three belts including the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship, and the mandatory challenger for that title. The group, as well as all of its members, remained nameless during the following weeks, but Angel continued interfering in title matches, ambushing both the Intercontinental Champion
and his challenger at Halloween Mayhem, an annual event held by the promotion. He was the first member to be named, being called by his ring name "Chris Angel", in an episode of Impacto Total where the group vandalized Savio Vega
's wrestling school. On November 20, 2010, the group identified itself as "The Academy" and were officially included in the roster. In this event, Angel once again interrupted a match for the Intercontinental Championship and the IWA's president, Miguel Pérez, Jr.
, ordered that he would get a title opportunity in his in-ring debut.
The match was scheduled for Christmas in PR, the promotion's season-closing event. An angle was run where the incumbent champion was injured and the title forfeited and awarded to Angel, without even having to compete once in an official match. However, the decision was revoked shortly afterwards and Savio Vega, former heavyweight champion of the IWA, World Wrestling Council
, World Wrestling Association
, Wrestling Alliance Revolution and Revolution X-Treme Wrestling, emerged as a surprise contender to compete for the championship. Angel won the match by pin fall, following two of his signature moves on the former World Wrestling Federation
Superstar. He closed 2010 by winning Puerto Rico Wrestling's "Newcomer of the Year" award, which is selected by popular vote.
, Triple H
and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Angel retained in a contest that featured multiple false finishes and spots, including a dive from the top of the cage towards the challenger. During the following three weeks, he was loosely involved in a angle with Rivera, while picking up a second successful defense over Edgar "Spectro" Rodríguez. A championship match against Rivera was subsequently scheduled for an annual event titled Payback, where Angel retained following his finishing move. A subsequent rematch concluded in the same manner. At Juicio Final, Angel added another former world champion to his undefeated record, defeating Roberto "La Amenaza" Rubio. In this event The Academy was merged into a new group, led by Ray González
. He closed April by scoring another successful title defense.
Angel's first contest against Filipo since joining IWA was left inconclused due to external interference. The following week, he won a rematch. On June 11, 2011, Angel won the 6th José Miguel Pérez Sr. Cup in a battle royale, securing an opportunity for the IWA Undisputed Heavyweight Championship. Earlier that night, he participated in a tag team contest but was uninvolved in the outcome. In anticipation of the opportunity, Angel held an open challenge in July, defeating his opponent in a squash match. On July 16, 2011, he defended the first contendership against Noel Rodríguez, winner of the previous José Miguel Pérez Sr. Cup.
began an interpromotional angle, the first between both promotions. At Summer Attitude 2011, Angel defeated Hiram "Tua" Mulero to remain undefeated and win the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. In this event, The Academy decided not to side with Team IWA, instead joining the promotion's rouge president, Miguel Pérez, Jr.
, while taking no offensive action against the invading Team WWC. On Auguat 20, 2011, Angel won a no disqualification contest over IWA Grand Slam Champion, Carlos Cotto
. A rematch took place in a handicap match, which was stopped when numerous wrestlers tried to intervene on Cotto's behalf. The contest concluded in a staredown between Angel and Vega's student, Diego de Jesús, who had won the IWA World Tag Team Championship
in his debut weeks earlier. On
October 28, 2011, he dropped the Intercontinental Championship in a contest against a masked Cotto, who performed under his international gimmick, El Illegal. At one point during the contest, the referee was unconscious and while Angel was distracted trying to awaken him, a second wrestler wearing the same mask intervened, picking the pinfall in Cotto's behalf. The following week, the match was declared a "no contest", restoring the undefeated streak and championship. However, later in the same event a 2 on 1 rematch was held, with the Illegal faction regaining the title due to interference from a third masked wrestler. Despite losing the belt, Angel remained unpinned and was uninvolved in the result.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in the International Wrestling Association
International Wrestling Association
The International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
, where he became the only local wrestler to win the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
The IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship is a secondary professional wrestling title defended in the Puerto Rican International Wrestling Association....
in his debut and first to win the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship undefeated within the two major promotions. His twelve-month winning streak is the longest in the history of the IWA, surpassing the previous record held by "The Cyber Viking" Al Barone, which was stopped at nine months. Outside of performing, Angel is the only wrestler to be voted "Rookie of the Year" by the public after only a single official match in one of the major promotions in Puerto Rico. He was included in Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
's Top 500 list after only 13 individual contests and a tag team match in the IWA.
Early life and independent circuit (2004–2010)
Upon completing high school, Angel received a combat sports grant from the University of Puerto Rico's Río Piedras campus. Prior to this he had been active in a program held at the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee's high performance school in Salinas, Puerto RicoSalinas, Puerto Rico
Salinas is a small municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Aibonito and Cayey; southeast of Coamo, east of Santa Isabel; and west of Guayama...
. By 2005 he had begun his professional wrestling training under Richard Filipo, who eventually founded an independent promotion named Caribbean Wrestling Entetainment. There he wrestled under the ring name "Angel", being booked in multiple victories over Phillip Clemente and Filipo at shows held in Santurce, Comerio, Moca and other subdivisions of the main island's metropolitan area. In 2007, he and Clemente traveled to Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
, working as a tag team. After six months, both were brought in to a company known as New Wrestling Entertainment by Pedro Figueroa, joining several former CWE alumni to form a stable known as "La Realeza". The group performed in the only two shows held before it's dissolution, with him serving as it's enforcer.
International Wrestling Association (2010–present)
Angel debuted in the International Wrestling AssociationInternational Wrestling Association
The International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
on October 16, 2010, joining three other wrestlers in assaults against the incumbent Caribbean Heavyweight Champion, the first contender for that title as well as Dennis Rivera
Dennis Rivera
Dennis Alexis Rivera Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is one half of the first Undisputed Tag Team Champions in Puerto Rico, being recognized by both major promotions, the International Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council, as champions during a single...
, who held three belts including the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship, and the mandatory challenger for that title. The group, as well as all of its members, remained nameless during the following weeks, but Angel continued interfering in title matches, ambushing both the Intercontinental Champion
IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
The IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship is a secondary professional wrestling title defended in the Puerto Rican International Wrestling Association....
and his challenger at Halloween Mayhem, an annual event held by the promotion. He was the first member to be named, being called by his ring name "Chris Angel", in an episode of Impacto Total where the group vandalized Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
's wrestling school. On November 20, 2010, the group identified itself as "The Academy" and were officially included in the roster. In this event, Angel once again interrupted a match for the Intercontinental Championship and the IWA's president, Miguel Pérez, Jr.
Miguel Pérez, Jr.
Miguel Perez, Jr. is a professional wrestler who competed as a member of the Los Boricuas stable led by Savio Vega from June 1997 to October 1998 in the World Wrestling Federation.-ECW and WWF:Pérez is the son of Miguel Pérez, Sr...
, ordered that he would get a title opportunity in his in-ring debut.
The match was scheduled for Christmas in PR, the promotion's season-closing event. An angle was run where the incumbent champion was injured and the title forfeited and awarded to Angel, without even having to compete once in an official match. However, the decision was revoked shortly afterwards and Savio Vega, former heavyweight champion of the IWA, World Wrestling Council
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
, World Wrestling Association
World Wrestling Association
The World Wrestling Association is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora, Jr....
, Wrestling Alliance Revolution and Revolution X-Treme Wrestling, emerged as a surprise contender to compete for the championship. Angel won the match by pin fall, following two of his signature moves on the former World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
Superstar. He closed 2010 by winning Puerto Rico Wrestling's "Newcomer of the Year" award, which is selected by popular vote.
Undefeated streak and title defenses
Angel's first title defense was a rematch against Vega in a steel cage match, which took place on January 6, 2011, as part of Histeria Boricua. A storyline was run during the dead season, where Vega demanded the stipulation, noting that he has wins over wrestlers such as "Stone Cold" Steve AustinStone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
, Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Angel retained in a contest that featured multiple false finishes and spots, including a dive from the top of the cage towards the challenger. During the following three weeks, he was loosely involved in a angle with Rivera, while picking up a second successful defense over Edgar "Spectro" Rodríguez. A championship match against Rivera was subsequently scheduled for an annual event titled Payback, where Angel retained following his finishing move. A subsequent rematch concluded in the same manner. At Juicio Final, Angel added another former world champion to his undefeated record, defeating Roberto "La Amenaza" Rubio. In this event The Academy was merged into a new group, led by Ray González
Ray Gonzalez
Ramón González Rivera, better know by his ring name Ray González, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler who has wrestled in Mexico, Japan, as well as with the XWF in the United States, and the World Wrestling Council along with the International Wrestling Association of Puerto Rico...
. He closed April by scoring another successful title defense.
Angel's first contest against Filipo since joining IWA was left inconclused due to external interference. The following week, he won a rematch. On June 11, 2011, Angel won the 6th José Miguel Pérez Sr. Cup in a battle royale, securing an opportunity for the IWA Undisputed Heavyweight Championship. Earlier that night, he participated in a tag team contest but was uninvolved in the outcome. In anticipation of the opportunity, Angel held an open challenge in July, defeating his opponent in a squash match. On July 16, 2011, he defended the first contendership against Noel Rodríguez, winner of the previous José Miguel Pérez Sr. Cup.
El Bombazo
On July 17, 2011, the IWA and World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
began an interpromotional angle, the first between both promotions. At Summer Attitude 2011, Angel defeated Hiram "Tua" Mulero to remain undefeated and win the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. In this event, The Academy decided not to side with Team IWA, instead joining the promotion's rouge president, Miguel Pérez, Jr.
Miguel Pérez, Jr.
Miguel Perez, Jr. is a professional wrestler who competed as a member of the Los Boricuas stable led by Savio Vega from June 1997 to October 1998 in the World Wrestling Federation.-ECW and WWF:Pérez is the son of Miguel Pérez, Sr...
, while taking no offensive action against the invading Team WWC. On Auguat 20, 2011, Angel won a no disqualification contest over IWA Grand Slam Champion, Carlos Cotto
Carlos Cotto
Carlos Omar Cotto Cruz is an Puerto Rican professional wrestler, also known by his ring names, El Chicano and El Ilegal.-Personal life:...
. A rematch took place in a handicap match, which was stopped when numerous wrestlers tried to intervene on Cotto's behalf. The contest concluded in a staredown between Angel and Vega's student, Diego de Jesús, who had won the IWA World Tag Team Championship
IWA World Tag Team Championship
IWA World Tag Team Championship is a tag team titles being defending in the International Wrestling Association in Puerto Rico. It has been an active wrestling championship since January 6, 2000.-Title history:-References:*General...
in his debut weeks earlier. On
October 28, 2011, he dropped the Intercontinental Championship in a contest against a masked Cotto, who performed under his international gimmick, El Illegal. At one point during the contest, the referee was unconscious and while Angel was distracted trying to awaken him, a second wrestler wearing the same mask intervened, picking the pinfall in Cotto's behalf. The following week, the match was declared a "no contest", restoring the undefeated streak and championship. However, later in the same event a 2 on 1 rematch was held, with the Illegal faction regaining the title due to interference from a third masked wrestler. Despite losing the belt, Angel remained unpinned and was uninvolved in the result.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Lanza Angelical (Spear)
- Full nelson slam
- Signature moves
- Modified SharpshooterSharpshooter (professional wrestling)The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
(performed while maintaining a knee on the canvas) - Ropewalk followed by DDTDDT (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
- Modified Sharpshooter
- Entrance themes
- The Light by Soulidium
Championships and accomplishments
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionshipIWA Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionshipThe IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship is a secondary professional wrestling title defended in the Puerto Rican International Wrestling Association....
(1 time) - Copa José Miguel Pérez (2011)