Toni Leah Adams was an American professional wrestling manager and valet who appeared in several North American regional promotions during the 1980s including the Universal Wrestling Federation and the United States Wrestling Association, although she is best known as the manager of her late ex-husband Chris Adams while in World Class Championship Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation. Among those she has managed include Brian Christopher, Scotty Flamingo, Koko B. Ware, Tony Falk, Rod Price and Iceman Parsons.
(1964 – June 24, 2010)
Toni's appearances on World Class television were sporadic, however she did make one memorable appearance in a 1986 interview where she was helping husband Chris (with his eyes bandaged selling his blinding injury) into his Corvette to drive to the airport en route to England. Toni again appeared in another interview between Adams and announcer Bill Mercer two months later, as he continued selling his eye injury (with vision restored to his right eye, but not to his left).
Following her husband to the Mid-South area, she soon appeared in an on-camera role for Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation interviewing wrestlers and fans. She eventually made her managerial debut appearing with her husband Chris Adams in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1989. Soon after, she along with ring announcer Frank Dusek were attacked by Tojo Yamamoto & Phil Hickerson, billed as P.Y. Chu-Hi. While held by Chu-Hi, Yamamoto ripped open her blouse before Chris Adams came out from the locker room to chase them off.
As the feud continued for several weeks, Toni Adams began carrying kendo sticks to the ring and used them against Yamamoto & Hickerson during matches against Chris Adams. After the conclusion of this feud, she and Chris Adams would becomne involved in another feud with Billy Travis and, at one point, was spanked by Travis in the middle of the Dallas Sportatorium while Chris Adams was handcuffed to the ring rope.
During this time, she would run a summer camp as well as co-manage Chris Adams' wrestling school during the late 1980s (under the brand name Chris Adams Promotions). The two would also be in attendance at the National Association of Television Progamming Executives at the New Orleans Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 1990 along with other television celebrities such as Vanna White, Alex Trebek, Geraldo Riviera, Oprah Winfrey, Sally Jessy Raphael and Donald Trump.[1]
Returning with Chris Adams to the United States Wrestling Association in May 1990, she would become involved in a storyline in which Chris Adams began feuding with former protege Steve Austin. The feud, which Adams created and developed, would later involve her and Chris's ex-wife Jeanie Clarke, who eventually married Steve Austin,[2] and faced each other in mixed tag team matches for much of the year in one of the most memorable feuds in the region.[3][4][5]
As Chris Adams' drinking problem became out of control, particularly one incident in which he had assaulted Toni Adams in February 1989 for which he was sentenced to one year's probation, Toni Adams would eventually divorce Chris Adams soon after the feud, which occurred sometime around 1991.[6][7]
The couple shared one son, Chris Adams Jr., born around 1988.
In late 1993, she returned to the USWA, losing to Rockin' Robin at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee on September 13, 1993. Managing Brian Christopher as Nanny Simpson, she participated in several mixed tag team matches with him against Koko B. Ware and Miss Texas during the next several weeks eventually pinning Miss Texas on October 18. However, she lost to Miss Texas and Sweet Georgia Brown in a tag team match with Vicious Viki on November 1 and, a week later, lost to Miss Texas in a "chain match" by disqualification on November 8.
The following month she feuded with Dirty White Girl losing to her at the November Blast supercard by disqualification on November 18 and in a "street fight" match several days later. During that same event, she was forced to eat dog food as a result of a stipulation in which Jerry Lawler and Brian Christopher defeated Rex Hargrove & Koko B. Ware.[8]
Briefly managing Eddie Gilbert before his feud with Jerry Lawler,[9] she later resurfaced in the Global Wrestling Federation as part of Skandar Akbar's Devastation, Inc. [10] and later as the valet of Iceman King Parsons during his feud with Chris Adams until the promotion's close.[11]
Toni Adams retired around 1995, remaining out of the spotlight permanently. She would eventually marry two more times during the final 15 years of her life.
Toni Adams, who had remarried as Toni Gant,but was divorceved from him, and lived in Louisville, Kentucky, was hospitalized in June 2010 due to an abscess infection in her abdomen, almost similar to the same illness that killed David Von Erich in 1984. She was hospitalized again in full cardiac arrest in late June, and died on June 24, 2010 at the age of 45. Upon her death, she was engaged to Leonard Donahoo. She is survived by three sisters, son Chris Adams Jr, daughter Tori Gant, and one grandchild. Funeral arrangements are pending, but are expected to be held in her native Texas.[12]
Championships and Accomplishments
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- PWI ranked her # 14 of the 100 Hottest Women in Wrestling in 2002
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