Abyss (wrestler)

Chris Parks
File:Chris Parks The Monster Abyss.jpg
Born	October 4, 1973 Cincinnati,Ohio
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Abismo Abyss Chris Chris Justice Cleage Eric Justice Justice King Justice The Original Terminator Prince Justice Stone Mountain
Billed height	6 ft 8 in (207 cm)
Billed weight	350 lb (158 kg)
Billed from	Parts Unknown
Trained by	Roger Ruffen
Debut	January 19, 1995

Chris Parks (born October 4, 1973), better known by his ring name Abyss, is an American professional wrestler. Abyss is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Career

Ring of Honor

Abyss first appeared in Ring of Honor in 2003, being brought in as a bodyguard to the stable Special K. However, Abyss appeared only once, due to TNA pulling all of their contracted talent from ROH.

Abyss returned in 2005, this time as a member of Prince Nana’s Embassy as they feuded with the stable of Generation Next. The feud between the Embassy and Generation Next lasted through nearly the rest of 2005 with several matches and brawls taking place between both teams. The feud culminated in a Steel Cage Warfare match at Steel Cage Warfare. Abyss was eliminated by Jack Evans after a Moonsault. In the end, Generation Next won the match and the war.

In the January of 2006, Abyss teamed with fellow Embassy members Jimmy Rave and Alex Shelley to compete in the Trios Tournament. The Embassy made it to the finals, defeating bitter enemies Generation Next to win the tournament and the right to face anyone in any match in ROH. However, Abyss left ROH before he could use the privilege.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

2002-2005

Before Chris Parks was known as Abyss, he debuted on TNA's very first show in 2002 as Justice. He took part in the Gauntlet For The Gold match to determine a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion but came up short.

Parks returned to TNA as "The Monster" Abyss in June 2003, being brought in as a bodyguard to Kid Kash. They continued to be allies until October, which Kash berated Abyss for losing a match and Abyss turned on and attacked Kash. Abyss gained a victory over Kash, but then lost a First Blood Steel Chair on a Pole match to his former partner. Soon after the loss the feud between the two ended.

Soon after, Abyss aligned himself with Don Callis. With this new alliance, Abyss soon feuded with Raven. The feud lasted for the rest of 2003, with the final match pitting Abyss and the Red Shirt Security (Kevin Northcutt and Legend) against Raven and The Gathering in a Steel Cage match. Abyss and his team came out victorious when the Gathering turned on Raven.

Going into 2004, Abyss entered a big feud with A.J. Styles. On one show, Abyss was forced to team with Styles in a NWA World Tag Team Championship match against champions Red Shirt Security. Styles and Abyss won the titles, even when Abyss abandoned Styles near the beginning of the match. Abyss defeated Styles in a normal match the following show, and on the next gained control of the titles, defeating Styles in a Four Corners Tables match (Abyss was later stripped of the titles). The following show, both men fought to a no-contest in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The next show, Abyss defeated Styles again, this time in a Ladder match to become the top contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. However, Abyss lost the right to Raven in a match that also involved Styles and Ron Killings.

About a month after the feud with Styles, Abyss received a new manager, Goldylocks. She used Abyss to defeat her ex-boyfriend Erik Watts to win his contract. She kept using Abyss to win contracts for her, while also adding Alex Shelley to her group to assist. However, Goldylocks pampered Shelley and treated Abyss poorly. Watts returned for revenge, with Abyss, Shelley, and Goldylocks taking on Watts, Sonny Siaki, and Desire in a Six Person Mixed Tag Team match. During the match, Abyss turned on his team, attacking Goldylocks, and leaving the match and her for good.

Not long after separating from Goldylocks, Abyss began to feud with Monty Brown and Raven. The feud escalated into the first ever Monster's Ball match at TNA's first monthly pay per view, Victory Road. At Victory Road, Brown won the unique match when he pinned Raven. Abyss and Brown continued to feud until they met in a Serengeti Survival Match at Turning Point, when Brown again came out victorious. Abyss also happened to take part in an incident at Universal Studios between TNA and World Wrestling Entertainment.

2005

During January of 2005, TNA stated on their website that Abyss and TNA parted ways. Abyss, however, signed a new contract shortly after he left, and appeared at Final Resolution, attacking Jeff Hardy. This led to a Full Metal Mayhem match between the two at Against All Odds with the winner becoming the top contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Abyss won the barbaric match and top contendership to the NWA title. This was not the last encounter though, as Abyss again fought Hardy at Destination X in a Falls Count Anywhere match. This time, Hardy won the match, but Abyss would slam him on thumbtacks after the match, getting the final laugh.

Once Hardy was out of the way, Abyss set his sights on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but one man stood in his way, his old rival A.J. Styles. The two wrestled for the #1 contendership at Lockdown in a Six Sides of Steel Cage match in the main event. Styles won the match and the contendership, forcing Abyss to wait longer for an opportunity to wrestle for the NWA title.

Abyss did not have to wait long, as he competed in a Gauntlet For The Gold match at Hard Justice. On the iMPACT! prior to the event, Abyss won a ten-man Gaunlet For The Gold Match to earn the right to be the twentieth entry in the match. Abyss made it to the final two, facing off against Ron Killings, with Abyss winning the match and once again having top contendership to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Winning the match gave Abyss entry into the King Of The Mountain match at Slammiversary, pitting him against NWA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles, Monty Brown, Raven, and Sean Waltman with the NWA title on the line in the main event. A new champion was crowned, not Abyss, but Raven, who "fulfilled his destiny."

Abyss, not happy with the loss, attacked Raven on the following iMPACT!, and got Raven's old nemesis, James Mitchell as Abyss's new manager. After weeks of attacks, Raven attempted to gain revenge on Abyss in a Steel Chain Dog Collar match under No Surrender rules at No Surrender with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on the line. In the end, Raven pinned Abyss to retain the title, leaving "The Monster" without any gold.

Abyss was not happy, and showed it by attacking Lance Hoyt on the following iMPACT!. This started a feud between two of TNA's largest wrestlers, setting up a match at Sacrifice. Abyss defeated Hoyt at the event, and during the main event, attacked Sabu, starting one of the most violent wars in TNA history.

With the war beginning, Abyss and Sabu met in a No Disqualification match at Unbreakable, with Abyss defeating Sabu. They battled again at Bound for Glory 2005 in a Monster's Ball match that also involved Jeff Hardy and Rhino, with Rhino winning the brutal encounter. Abyss also tried to gain a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship the same night, competing in a Gauntlet For The Gold Match, but was eliminated by the victor, Rhino.

Abyss and Sabu continued to fight, leading to another No Disqualification match at Genesis, with Abyss again defeating Sabu, but not without Sabu exploiting one of Abyss's greatest fears: barbed wire. This set up a match at Turning Point to end the feud, making them fight in a Barbed Wire Massacre match. The match was so violent, it was voted TNA's 2005 Match of the Year. In the end, Sabu won the extremely brutal and bloody contest, finally getting his first pinfall over Abyss.

To close out the year, Abyss and Mitchell joined Planet Jarrett.

2006

As a favor to Scott D'Amore, Mitchell agreed to have Abyss take care of Rhino. Abyss and Rhino would wrestle at Final Resolution, with Abyss coming out victorious. They fought again on iMPACT!, with the match going to a draw after Rhino hit the Gore! to Abyss through a wall. They had another match at Against All Odds in a Falls Count Anywhere match. Rhino won after he hit the Gore! on Abyss off a set of bleachers through a stack of tables.

The feud ended at Destination X, with Abyss teaming with Jeff Jarrett and America's Most Wanted against Rhino, Ron Killings, and Team 3D in an Eight Man Tag Team War match. Abyss and his allies won when Jarrett pinned Killings.

Now that Rhino was out of the way, Abyss and Mitchell set their sights on NWA World Champion Christian Cage. For several weeks, Abyss, Mitchell, and Alex Shelley stalked Cage's wife. When Cage tried to stop them, Abyss attacked Cage in his own home. This set up an NWA title match at Lockdown in a Six Sides of Steel Cage match in the main event. Cage won and retained the title, but Abyss attacked him and stole the belt.

Cage tried to get his title back, but Abyss would not give it to him unless he received another title shot. Abyss got his shot at Sacrifice in a Full Metal Mayhem match. At the event, Abyss would come up short, losing to Cage and another opportunity to win the title.

Abyss would still get one more title shot, qualifying for the King Of The Mountain match at Slammiversary by defeating old foe Rhino in a qualifying match. The match also included NWA World Champion Christian Cage, Ron Killings, Jeff Jarrett, and Sting. At the event, Jarrett won the match, but in controversial fashion.

After Abyss dropped out of the title picture, his services were requested by The James Gang to help them take on Team 3D, which James Mitchell accepted on Abyss's behalf. The two teams faced off at Victory Road in a Six-Man Tag Team match. Abyss and The James Gang won after Abyss pinned Brother Runt.

Brother Runt continued to feud with Abyss, challenging him to a match at Hard Justice, which Abyss accepted. Runt took the fight to Abyss, but in the end, Abyss came out the winner. Abyss and Runt still battled after this, with Abyss defeating Runt in a 10,000 Thumbtacks match on iMPACT!. After the match, Abyss was attacked by Raven, which led to a Hangman's Horror match on another episode of iMPACT!, in which Abyss came out as the winner. Abyss went on to defeat Raven and Runt at No Surrender in a No Disqualification Triple Threat match.

Abyss still feuded with Runt and Raven, while also going after Samoa Joe. Joe stole the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, and Abyss' services were offered by James Mitchell to TNA Management to retrieve the belt, which they accepted. Abyss failed to retrieve the belt, but a match at Bound for Glory 2006 was set: a Monster's Ball match featuring Abyss, Brother Runt, Raven, and Samoa Joe. Soon after the announcement, the legendary Jake "The Snake" Roberts was announced as the special guest referee for the match. At the event, Abyss would lose as Joe pinned Raven.

File:Abyss NWA Champ.jpg

Abyss as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Abyss once again had his eyes on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, competing in the Fight For The Right Tournament. Abyss made it to Stage 3 of the tournament, defeating Lance Hoyt to receive a bye to the finals. Abyss went on to defeat A.J. Styles to win the tournament, earning the right to face Sting at TNA Genesis 2006 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Abyss faced Sting at the event, and defeated Sting by disqualification. Under NWA-TNA rules, a title can change hands on a disqualification, thus making Abyss the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Following the event, Sting would try to reason with Abyss and turn him away from James Mitchell, breaking at one point and referring to Abyss as "Chris". Christian Cage would soon interject himself into this and would attack Abyss & Sting. Abyss successfully defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Turning Point against Sting & Cage. However on the following iMPACT!, Sting was able to get Abyss to choke Mitchell with Sting proceeding to steal the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, leading to the possibility of a face turn. However, the possibility ended when Abyss went back to aligning himself with Mitchell.

2007

At TNA Final Resolution 2007, Abyss lost the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat elimination match against Sting and Cage, being the first competitor eliminated at the hands of the man who had been trying to "save" him from Mitchell and his past, Sting. Abyss would return shortly after to attack Sting with a steel chain whilst teasing a possible turn on Mitchell once more, allowing Cage to hit the frog splash on the helpless former champion to take back the belt he never lost.

On the January 24th edition of iMPACT!, Sting revealed (after looking through public records, and once again using Abyss' real name) that Abyss had been in prison for shooting his father in the back three times, sending him into a coma which he survived. At the "Against All Odds" pay per view, he lost to Sting in the first ever Prison Yard match after he was powerbombed through a barbed wire table. At Destination X, he was defeated by Sting in a last rites match. On Thursday 22 March iMPACT! as Abyss and Sting were in a tag team against Christian Cage and AJ Styles, James Mitchell returned to TNA with a woman who Abyss recognized. Abyss left with Mitchell and the woman, leaving Sting alone with Cage and Styles. The following week on iMPACT!, During a meeting between Sting and James Mitchell, it was revealed that the woman was Abyss' mother and that she was the one who had actually shot Abyss's father (because he was an abusive alcoholic, and she couldn't take it anymore), but Abyss took the blame to protect his mother. Now, Abyss has to do whatever Mitchell says or Mitchell will tell the authorities that Abyss' mother shot her husband.

Wrestling facts

File:AbyssBackbreaker.jpg

Abyss hitting the Shock Treatment on Kenny King

• Finishing and signature moves

• As Abyss

• Black Hole Slam (360° spinning side slam)
• Shock Treatment / Torture Shot (Sitout Argentine backbreaker drop)
• Neck Torque (Twisting chinlock sleeper hold)
• Chokeslam
• Powerbomb
• Running corner body avalanche
• Gorilla press into flapjack
• Overhead belly to belly suplex
• Spear
• Signature foreign objects: steel chain, thumbtacks

• As Prince Justice

• Death Penalty (Chokebomb pin)
• Royal Decree (Sidewalk slam)

• Managers

• Jeff G. Bailey
• Wes Bitterman
• Spookshow (Central States Wrestling)
• Don Callis
• Sin D
• Brandon Prophet (Interstate Championship Wrestling)
• "The Money Man" Johnny Diamond
• Sterling James Keenan
• Goldy Locks
• The Informer
• James Mitchell
• Prince Nana
• "Hellcat" Mike Rosario
• Scotty C

• Nicknames

• "The Monster" (as Abyss)
• "Power Child" (as Eric Justice)

Championships and accomplishments

• 1 Pro Wrestling

• 1PW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

• Border City Wrestling

• BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)

• Buckeye Pro Wrestling

• BPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• International Wrestling Association

• IWA Hardcore Championship (3 times)
• IWA Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
• IWA Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Miguel Pérez, Jr. (2), and Shane the Glamour Boy (1)

• Mountain Wrestling Association

• MWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• National Wrestling Alliance

Regional

• NWA Cyberspace Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA Iowa Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Northern Wrestling Federation

• NWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Ring of Honor

• 2006 Trios Tournament winner – with Alex Shelley and Jimmy Rave

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

• NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with A.J. Styles

References

• Abyss at Bodyslamming.com

External links

• TNA Profile
• Canoe.ca biography