Adam Firestorm

Infobox Wrestler
name=Adam Dykes


img_capt=
names=Adam Firestorm
Torch
El Antorcha
height= height|ft=5|in=10
weight= convert|175|lb|kg|abbr=on
birth_date = birth date and age|1976|11|25
death_date =
birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand
death_place =
resides= Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
billed=
trainer=Michelle Starr
Velvet McIntyre
debut=March 12, 1996
vs. Skull Manson
retired=
website= [http://www.adamfirestorm.com AdamFirestorm.com]
[http://www.myspace.com/adamfirestorm Adam Firestorm] on MySpace |

Adam T. Dykes is a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring name Adam Firestorm, who competes in North American independent promotions in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada during the late 1990s and early 2000s, most notably as a mainstay of Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling. Several of his most memorable matches include top Canadian independent wrestlers such as "Rocket" Randy Tyler, Dr. Luther, Chance Beckett, "Tornado" Tony Kozina, "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, Bryan Danileson, Bryan Alvarez, Asian Cougar and Juggernaut.

In addition to ECCW, he has competed for Portland Wrestling, Can Am Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, Prairie Wrestling Alliance, Pacific Northwest Championship Wrestling, Canadian All Pro Wrestling, W.H.I.P. Wrestling, Bad Boys of Wrestling, and the Continental Association of Wrestling.

Career

Early life and career

Adam first became involved in wrestling as a writer for the magazine "Northwest Wrestler", which covered wrestling in Oregon, Washington State, and British Columbia. He later went on to become editor of the publication. Some time later, Adam and fellow "Northwest Wrestler" staff member James Olson were hired by West Coast Championship Wrestling to take over publishing their official event program. In addition, Adam worked as timekeeper, ring announcer, ring crew, and videographer at different periods. He released two videotape during this time, "WCCW Mat Mayhem", and "Ring Wars".

Trained for the ring primarily by WCCW (and later ECCW) wrestler/promoter "Gorgeous" Michelle Starr, he also trained for three months with former WWE Women's Champion Velvet McIntyre.

When a wrestler failed to appear for an ECCW (Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) tour of Vancouver Island in March 1996, Adam was called into action under the masked guise of El Antorcha. He would win his debut match (a steel cage match) against Skull Manson in Port Alberni, BC. He would continue to use this gimmick until losing his mask in a Mask vs. Title Match to Chance Beckett in 2000.

Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling

With about a year of experience, "El Antorcha" would win a Doomsday Battle Royale to claim the vacant ECCW Heavyweight Title. Adam suffered several injuries in the bout (a battle royal with weapons), which was a major factor in his loss of the title in April 1997.

Adam assisted Michelle Starr with training several wrestlers in 1997 after the opening of the ECCW Pro Wrestling School. He would go on to team with one of the first graduates, Strife, to form Generation X. They would fail to win the ECCW tag team titles, although came close on several occasions.

During 1998, Adam would trade the ECCW Junior Heavyweight title back and forth several times with "Tornado" Tony Kozina. He would also hold the NWA Pacific Northwest Junior Heavyweight title several times after ECCW join the National Wrestling Alliance.

In 1999, he unified the two junior titles, winning a one-night tournament. In the finals, he defeated Disco Fury and Chance Beckett in a Triple Threat Ladder Match. After losing the title, he would go on to capture the prestigious NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight title twice, defeating The Black Dragon both times.

In 2000, El Antorcha's feud with Chance Beckett came to a head, with unscrupulous ECCW Commissioner and NWA representative Dave Republic siding with Beckett due to his own vendetta. Republic would continuously allow outside interference on the behalf of Beckett until Torch lost title Pacific Northwest Junior Heavyweight Title to Beckett. When the behavious continued during rematches, Republic forced the mask to be put up in order to grant another rematch. Adam again lost due to outside interference and was forced to unmask.

Later that same evening, Beckett returned to the ring to gloat over winning the match, keeping his title, AND taking the mask. Adam stormed the ring and beat down Beckett until he agreed to one more rematch. A furious Dave Republic ordered the rematchh would be a ladder match.

Adam, wrestling for the first time unmasked, would defeat Beckett in the Ladder Match to regain his long-lost championship. Unfortunately, Republic would again interject himself into Adam's business, announcing his first challenger, Disco Fury, would get his shot just moments after the Ladder Match ended. Disco capitalized on a weakened Adam (now using the Adam Firestorm name) to handily win the belt. To this day, Adam has yet to regain the title.

Alliance with Ladies Choice

Adam briefly competed as a "heel" during 2003. Turning on tag team partners Scotty Mac and Ja Jakobe, Adam aligned himself with Aaron Idol, Sweet Daddy, and Chance Beckett. A full-time team with Beckett never materialized, so Adam formed a team with the hated Ladies Choice, feuding with Scotty Mac and various partners.

During the Summer of 2003, Adam and Ladies Choice faced Scotty Mac and MTV Canada host Brian Adler in a nationally televised bout on the program "MTV Select".

Adam rulebreaking tenure came to an end following a loss against Rocky Della Serra in New Westminster, BC in December 2003. Adam announced he would be leaving ECCW and the Northwest, and thanked the fans. Partner Ladies Choice took issue wioth this and attacked Adam before Della Serra returned to help Adam fight him off.

Career-Ending Injury?

While wrestling on a Stampede Wrestling event in Cochrane, Alberta in May 2005, Adam suffered a serious elbow injury. The injury came during a dive outside the ring against "Livewire" Matt Richards. While originally diagnosed by emergency room doctors at Foothills Hospital in Calgary as a case of tendonitis, X-rays would show a crack in the elbow 85% through the bone. Adam was told to rest the arm and it would heal within 8 weeks. One year later, after swelling from the elbow caused tendon and ligaments in the arm to atrophy (causing a loss in range of motion), X-rays at the time revealed the crack was still present.

Surgery options were few, with the best offering a 2% R.O.M. improvement, while carrying a risk of a loss of an additional 15%. Adam chose against the procedure.

Recent years

Adam's wrestling appearances (all non-physical) have been few and far between since his injury. He has instead focussed on video production (he attended film school at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, Alberta), and assisting various promoters and wrestlers with promotional materials and websites.

In September 2007, El Antorcha made a shocking, unannounced return, appearing in the corner of El Phantasmo at an All Star Wrestling event in Comox, BC. Rumours persist that an in-ring return may be imminent.

A masked "El Antorcha" also appeared on a December 2007 wrestling event in Victoria, BC. Although he lost his match against "Gorgeous" Michelle Starr, rumours persist as to a full-time comeback.

Adam currently resides in Victoria, BC with his wife and son, where he operates his own video production company, Firestorm Video Production. He also co-hosts the Ringside Live internet radio show with Ian Hamilton every Friday night.

Championships and accomplishments

*Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling:*NWA/ECCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=4th Edition 2006 | id=ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 ] :*NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight Championship] (2 times)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked him # 316 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2005:*PWI ranked him # 277 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2003:*PWI ranked him # 269 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2002:*PWI ranked him # 421 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2000

References

External links

* [http://www.wrestling-online.com/ringside Ringside Live]
* [http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBiosT/torch.html SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Torch]
* [http://members.tripod.com/~FerretKing/torch.html Torch Interview]
* [http://www.eccw.com/bio.php?name=adamfirestorm&alumni=yes ECCW Alumni Page]
* [http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=627&worker=Adam+Firestorm CageMatch.de - Adam Firestorm]