Angélico

Angélico
Angélico in November 2015
Birth name	Adam Bridle
Born	(1987-05-07) 7 May 1987 Johannesburg, South Africa
Residence	Barcelona, Spain
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Angélico El Angélico Adam Croft Adam Bridle Backpacker Joe[1] Adam Angel[1]
Billed height	6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)
Billed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Billed from	Barcelona, Spain Johannesburg, South Africa
Trained by	Último Dragón Negro Navarro Black Terry
Debut	2007

Adam Bridle is a South African professional wrestler better known by his ring name Angélico. He is performing for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Lucha Underground and World Wrestling Professionals (WWP).^[2][3] He is a former South American Light Heavyweight Champion.^[4][5]

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Bridle started his career in 2007 in the short-lived Pro Wrestling Alliance: Africa promotion which was co-owned by Booker T.^[6] He debuted under the name Adam Crow before changing it to Angélico, going by the nicknames The Blonde Superman and The Spanish Sensation. When PWA:Africa folded in 2007 due to internal problems, Angélico joined World Wrestling Professionals, a promotion with nationally-broadcast television shows in South Africa and India. He currently still tours with WWP and has participated in two of their television shoots, in WWP Thunderstrike and 100% De Dhana Dhan.

Angélico spent six months wrestling in Spain working for numerous independents, including Nu Wrestling Evolution (NWE). His first link to lucha libre was working with Último Dragón and Super Nova in NWE. In his NWE big show debut on 13 July 2008, Angélico lost to NWE World Champion Orlando Jordan.^[7] On 18 July 2008, he lost to Orlando Jordan in a handicap match teaming with El Nazareno.^[8] He lost to Juventud Guerrera on 20 July 2008 with Annie Social as his new valet.^[9] At an Eventos de Wrestling Europeos card on 26 July 2008, Angélico lost to LSK in an NWL Spanish Championship match.^[10] On 13 September 2008, Angélico wrestled three matches on an inter-promotional event pitting the Spanish EWE against the Mexican AAA. He defeated Luka Scott, went to a double count-out with Red Devil, and was defeated in a tag team match pairing with Octagón against Pirata Morgan and Red Devil.^[11] Angélico's final match with NWE before becoming a mainstay in Mexico came on 2 November 2008, losing to Vito.^[12]

On 21 February 2009, he lost to Jason Steele in one of his biggest matches in WWP.^[13] One of his most notable feuds was with WWP wrestler Ananzi throughout 2008 and 2009, and on 22 November 2009 he took part in a ladder match that was edited heavily due to the network, Colours TV, considering most of the match to be too violent for primetime television. On 10 January 2010, he was awarded the previously-vacant WWP Cruiserweight World Championship, becoming the fourth champion in the title's history.

Toryumon (2009–2012)

Angélico received training from Último Dragón in 2009 and subsequently joined the Toryumon promotion. His Mexican debut took place on 14 December 2008, losing to Satoshi Kajiwara in the torneo cibernetico final of the Young Dragons Cup, an annual tournament in Toryumon showcasing the students of Último Dragón.^[14] On 1 March 2009, in a six-man tag team match, he defeated Loco Max, Shigeo Okumura & Skandalo.^[15] At Toryumon's Dragonmania IV event on 22 August 2009, he won his first dragon scramble.^[16] On 18 October 2009, he teamed with Solar I and Último Dragón to defeat Juventud Guerrera, Negro Navarro and Trauma I.^[17] On 20 December 2009, Angélico challenged unsuccessfully for the NWE Cruiserweight Title held by Juventud Guerrera on a Toryumon card.^[18] On 17 December 2010, Angélico returned to Mexico, after a nine-month stint in Europe, taking part in Toryumon's 2010 Young Dragons Cup. After surviving the torneo cibernetico portion of the tournament, Angélico defeated Trauma I in the finals to win the Cup.^[19][20] On 27 February 2010, Angélico took part in Toryumon's Yamaha Cup at the Sala del Armas Magdalena Mixhuca del Distrito Federal, teaming with Hijo del Fantasma. In the semi-finals, Angélico and Fantasma defeated Brazo de Oro and Brazo de Platino to advance. In the finals of the tag team tournament and one of Angélico's biggest matches to date, they beat Los Guerreros del Infierno (Rey Bucanero and Último Guerrero), with Angélico going over Bucanero after executing an armbar submission.^[21] On 12 March 2012, Angélico and Último Dragón won the 2012 Yamaha Cup.^[22]

International Wrestling Revolution Group (2009–2012)

Angélico joined IWRG in 2009 and was trained by Negro Navarro and Black Terry, primarily in the art of submissions. 18 April 2009 saw Angélico face two of his trainers in a tag team match when he teamed with Super Astro to defeat Negro Navarro and Black Terry.^[23] On 25 June 2009, Angélico teamed with Negro Navarro and Bobby Lee, Jr., losing to Fuerza Guerrera, Juventud Guerrera and Ricky Cruz by disqualification.^[24] On 7 January 2010, he teamed with Solar I and Ultraman Jr. to beat Negro Navarro, Trauma I and Trauma II.^[25] One week later on 14 January 2010, he teamed up with El Pantera and Solar I, defeating Negro Navarro, Bomber Infernal and El Hijo de Pirata Morgan shortly before he would challenge for Negro Navarro's South American Light Heavyweight Championship.^[26] He beat his teacher Negro Navarro on 21 January 2010, to become the new South American Light Heavyweight Champion.^[4][5] On 28 February 2010, Angélico was part of a multi-man Steel Cage elimination match where the loser among the final two participants would have to face Chico Che in the main event. Angélico was the second to be eliminated, with 911 beating El Hijo del Diablo to win the match.^[21] He would lose the South America Light Heavyweight Championship to Trauma I in his first defense on 11 March 2010.^[27] In the start of 2012, Angélico and Dinamic Black participated in the El Protector tournament losing to Centurion and Negro Navarro in the quarter finals. On 29 April, Angélico and Los Traumas won the Triangular de Tercias, defeating Eterno, Factor and Spartan in the final.^[28]

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (2011, 2013–present)

On 21 March 2011, Angélico made his debut for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), competing in a six-man tag team match, where he, Argenis and Fénix defeated Dark Dragon, Polvo de Estrellas and Tito Santana.^[29][30] In March 2013, Angélico began working regularly for AAA, making his return in the semi finals of the AAA Fusión Championship tournament. Since returning, Angélico often teams up with Jack Evans under the team name Los Güeros del Cielo ("The Sky Blondes").^{[31][32][33][34]} Their first PPV match came at AAA's biggest show of the year, Triplemanía XXI, in a five-way elimination tag team match for the vacant AAA World Tag Team Championship. On 18 October 2013, at Héroes Inmortales VII, Angélico and Evans won a four-way match to become the new AAA World Tag Team Champions.^[35] At Triplemanía XXII, both Angélico and Evans were part of a ten-way elimination match to unify the AAA Fusión and AAA Cruiserweight Championships.^[36] On 7 December 2014, at Guerra de Titanes Angélico and Evans lost the AAA World Tag Team Championships to Joe Líder and Pentagón Jr. in a three-way tag team match that also included Fénix and Myzteziz.^[37] Angélico and Evans regained the title from Líder and Pentagón Jr. in a three-way match, also involving Daga and Steve Pain, on 4 October 2015, at Héroes Inmortales IX.^[38] They vacated the title on January 22, 2016, due to Angélico suffering a leg injury.^[39] On July 17, 2016, Angélico and Evans won the AAA World Tag Team Championship for the third time.^[40]

Wrestling New Classic (2012)

Bridle made his Japanese debut on 30 August 2012, when he, working under the ring name "Backpacker Joe", teamed with El Hijo del Pantera and Lin Byron in a six-person tag team match, where they defeated Josh O'Brien, Takuya Kito and Yusuke Kodama, with Bridle pinning O'Brien for the win.^[41][42] Following the match, Bridle reintroduced himself as "Adam Angel", starting a partnership and a romance storyline with Lin Byron.^[1] Angel and Byron were victorious in intergender tag team matches against the teams of Sonoko Kato and Takuya Kito,^[43] and Mio Shirai and Takuya Kito,^[44] before suffering their first defeat at the hands of Akira and Syuri on 22 September.^[45] On 26 October, Angel entered the WNC Championship tournament, but was eliminated in his first round match by Akira. Afterwards, Angel announced that the match signaled the end of his first tour of WNC.^[46]

Lucha Underground (2014–present)

Angélico made his television debut on Lucha Underground on 14 January 2015 broadcast in a 4-way Elimination match against Argenis, Aero Star and Cage. Later on, he exchanged victories with Ivelisse and Son Of Havoc. On 8 February, Angélico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc won a tournament to become the inaugural Lucha Underground Trios Champions.^[47] During the time Angélico, Havoc and Ivelisse held the championships, they defended and successfully retained them against The Crew (Cortez, Cisco and Bael) in a ladder match on the 20 May episode of Lucha Underground,^[48] and against DelAvar Daivari and Big Ryck, & Cage, on the 3 June episode.^[49] On 29 July, at Ultima Lucha Part 1, they lost the championships to The Disciples of Death (Barrio Negro, Trece and El Sinestro de la Muerte), due to interference from Catrina.^[50] They regained the title on 22 November.^[51] They would later lose the titles once again due to Angélico suffering an unfortunate injury and Son of Havoc and Ivelisse being forced to defend the titles on their own. After a lengthy absence, Angélico made his return at Ultima Lucha where he attacked Johnny Mundo.

In wrestling

Angélico executing a Superman Senton in a ladder match against Ananzi.

• Finishing moves
  • Cruceta Invertidas (Reverse figure-four leglock)
  • Fall of the Angels (Running crucifix turnbuckle powerbomb)
  • Superman Senton (Corkscrew senton bomb)
• Signature moves
  • Double foot stomp, sometimes from the top rope
  • Full nelson backbreaker
  • Inverted sitout side powerslam
  • Jackie Chan (Mid-air handstand overhead engizuri preceded by a feint sweep)^[52]
  • Northern Lights suplex
  • Shuri Knee (Bicycle high knee) ^[53]
  • Superkick
• Nicknames
  • "The Spanish Heartthrob"
  • "The Ultimate Airdevil"

Championships and accomplishments

• Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
  • AAA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Jack Evans^[35][38][40]
• International Wrestling Revolution Group
  • South American Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[4][54]
  • Triangular de Tercias (2012)^[28]
• Lucha Underground
  • Lucha Underground Trios Championship (2 times) – with Ivelisse and Son of Havoc^[47]
  • Lucha Underground Trios Championship Tournament (2015) – with Ivelisse and Son of Havoc^[55]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #117 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2015^[56]
• Toryumon Mexico
  • Yamaha Cup (2010) – with Hijo del Fantasma^[21]
  • Yamaha Cup (2012) – with Último Dragón^[22]
  • Young Dragons Cup (2010)^[19]
• World Wrestling Professionals
  • WWP World Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)^[57]

Luchas de Apuestas record

Notes

References

External links

• Pressing Catch interview