L.A. Park
Profile
| Wrestling Observer Hall Of Fame Member |
|---|
Biography
LA Park is a regular in CMLL. He's recently turned rudo in Mexico City, but still wrestles as a tecnico in many places and outside of CMLL. When he started his current stint with CMLL, he was presented as a freelancing outsider, and it's unclear if he still maintains that status (or if there's any real meaning to that distinction.)
As a tecnico, LA Park was getting a negative reaction from some of the tecnicos fans in 2006. (It's comparable, though not nearly as loud, as what happened with Atlantis a year earlier.) On April 30, 2006 - a special Kid's Day show at Arena Mexico - LA Park turned on his partners Mistico, Negro Casas, and Heavy Metal. Park teased a feud with Mistico and at an alliance with Perros del Mal, but his rudo turn has ended up more focused on a feud with Dr. Wagner Jr.
LA Park is best known to North American wrestling fans for his stint in World Championship Wrestling, where his trademark was striking his opponents over the head with a chair; thus, the nickname Chairman of the Board came into play. He is also remembered for his strutting and leg-wiggling dancing. Adolfo Tapia started wrestling in 1982, but he did not really start making a name for himself until he started wrestling as the masked La Parka in 1992. His costume and mask are a skeleton resembling the outfits used in Mexico's Day of the Dead ceremony. He is a very flamboyant wrestler, sometimes wearing sombreros to the ring, playing guitar on the chair he always brings to the ring, strutting and dancing in the ring, and even strutting on the turnbuckle.
His biggest and longest running feud in Mexico was against Lizmark. They feuded for years. He also feuded with Jerry Estrada, Konnan, Super Calo and Pierroth, Jr. He frequently teamed with Psychosis. He was part of the "When Worlds Collide" joint AAA/WCW PPV in 1994 and wrestled briefly in ECW in 1995.
In 1996, he went to WCW and picked up his feud with Super Calo. He became known as "The Chairman of WCW" because he would hit his opponents with a chair, stand it up and pose on it after strutting. In 1997, he reformed his team with Psychosis with Sonny Onoo as their manager. They feuded with Wrath, Mortis, and Ultimo Dragon. By 1998, he had left Onoo and feuded with Disco Inferno and Psychosis. He was used on some WCW PPV's but never got a push to the top. In June 1998, he tore his ACL in a match after a Goldberg spear. He returned in September and got into some trouble for competing in Mexico without Eric Bischoff's permission.
In November 1998, he joined Eddie Guerrero's Latino World Order (LWO) with Psychosis, Juventud Guerrera, Los Villanos, El Dandy, Silver King, Héctor Garza, Damien, and a reluctant Rey Misterio Jr.. They feuded with Konnan and Perry Saturn. The LWO disbanded in January 1999 when Guerrero was injured in a car accident. La Parka started teaming with Silver King and picked up his feud with Super Calo again. He briefly feuded with Eddie Guerrero upon his return since Eddie caused the LWO to disband.
When Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara took over booking in late 1999, they had Ferrara's voice speaking English over the intercom while La Parka would be doing interviews in Spanish in the ring. The voiceovers would comically explain La Parka was a fan of Skeletor from Masters of the Universe, hence his in-ring wear. This ended after a few weeks when La Parka heard something he did not want said and tossed the mic down as Ferrera was speaking. By early 2000, he had left WCW for Mexico where he had some trouble with the AAA promotion over the use of the La Parka name. They had it trademarked and he did not want to work for them, so he changed his name to L.A. Park and debuted with AAA's rival, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. In January of 2004, Park and Shocker defeated Los Guerreros Del Infierno for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship. Rey Bucanero and Último Guerrero would win their titles back in a rematch in March but L.A. Park challenged Último Guerrero for the CMLL Light-Heavyweight title at the CMLL 71st anniversary show but was unsuccessful. He continued wrestling in CMLL as well as independent promotions in Tijuana and else where in the country.
2002 and 2003 saw him wrestle for XPW, All Japan Pro Wrestling, Major League Wrestling and the revived AWA Superstars. In 2004, he made brief appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, using his chair on his opponents, but was soon back in Mexico teaming with Shocker. In 2005, L.A. Park can be found wrestling in his native Mexico and in the United States for LXW and UCW and occasionally for FCW.
In October 2005 L.A. Park debuted for Detroit's Independent Wrestling Revolution (IWR) brand "Revolucha", teaming with American Kickboxer vs. El Hijo del Santo & Konnan, with special referee Zach Gowen. Park continued his rivalry with El Hijo del Santo culminating in May 2006 at Revolucha 2: "Dia de los Muertos" inside "Lucha en la Juala" (a steel cage match). Both Park and Santo had their masks ripped 50% off their faces during this violent cage match. In February 2006, L.A. Park began a bitter feud with then IWR Champion Conrad Kennedy III (CK3). L.A. Park finally defeated CK3 in August 2006 at "Brawl at the Hall" and is currently the IWR/Revolucha Heavyweight Champion.
As of June 2006, he's currently still performing on the CMLL, has become a heel and has had a very successful run of matches on Mexico, mainly due to his current feud with Dr. Wagner Jr., which have a very positive fan reaction. In one of their most recent matches, which happened on the Arena Mexico in June 9, 2006, L.A. Park won when he faked a foul and Dr. Wagner Jr. was disqualified.
EMPRESAS: UWA, CMLL, AAA/PAP, IWRG, Promo Azteca, WWA, NJPW, WCW, TNA-NWA, IWA (Puerto Rico), X-LAW, XPW, NWG, WWC (Puerto Rico), IWR (USA), FILL, LLI, IWC, WWA...
VIAJES: Todo Mexico, Japon, Estados Unidos, Canada, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Filipinas, Panama, Centroamerica, España...
Member of La Familia Real.
Controversy over the La Parka gimmick
LA Park is the original La Parka from AAA in the early '90s and the one who was in WCW and XPW. The rights to the gimmick of La Parka have been the subject of court battles since La Parka left AAA; so far, they've ruled that AAA owner Antonio Pena owns the name and the look, and LA Park can not use the "La Parka" on television in Mexico. (He's allowed to and does use La Parka in the US and elsewhere.) The name L.A. Park means, La Autentica ParK (Where the k is pronounces as ka), so the name means "The Authentic Parka"
Luchas de apuestas record
| Date | Apuesta | Winner(s) | Loser(s) | Arena and/or Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ??/??/?? | mask | Principe Island | Gran Cóndor | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | hair | Principe Island | Gran Cóndor | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | mask | Principe Island | Guerrero Negro | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | mask | Principe Island | Bestia Negra I | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | mask | El Minero | Aguila de Oro | Piedras Negras, Coahuila |
| 1985/02/17 | mask | Clímax II | El Minero | Pista Arena Revolución - Mexico City |
| 1987/11/21 | mask | El Hijo del Santo | Principe Island | Arena Apatlaco - Apatlaco, Mexico State |
| 1988/06/?? | hair | Sandokan | Principe Island | Gimnásio Nuevo Panamá - Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá |
| 1988/09/25 | hair | Principe Island | Príncipe Judas | Arena Alta Villa, Ecatepec |
| 1988/08/03 | mask | Astro de Oro | El Asesino de Tepito | Coliseo Nou Camp - Guatemala |
| 1991/11/02 | hair | Principe Island | Bestia Negra I | unknown |
| 1991/06/26 | mask | Stuka | Invasor del Norte I | Plaza de Toros Monumental - Monterrey, N.L. |
| 1992/??/?? | hair | Panterita del Ring | Principe Island | Monterrey, Nuevo León |
| 1995/10/23 | hair | La Parka | Arandú | Nuevo Laredo |
| 1998/07/20 | mask | La Parka | Pierroth Jr. | Plaza de Toros Lauro Luis Longoria - Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. |
| 1998/09/20 | mask | La Parka | Wolf | Reynosa, Tamaulipas |
| 2000/07/17 | hair | La Parka | Gran Markus Jr. | Plaza de Toros Lauro Luis Longoria - Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. |
| 2001/??/?? | mask (1) | La Parka | Shiryu Dragon | Gimnasio México 68 - Guadalajara, Jalisco |
| 2001/06/04 | hair (2) | La Parka | El Dandy | Plaza de Toros Lauro Luis Longoria - Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. |
| 2001/06/25 | mask (3) | La Parka | Huracán Ramírez Jr. | Salon Premier - Monclova, Coahuila |
| 2001/12/21 | hair (4) | La Parka | Damian 666 | Auditorio de Tijuana - Tijuana, Baja California |
| 2004/10/08 | hair | L. A. Park | Nicho el Millonario | Auditorio de Tijuana - Tijuana, Baja California |
| 2005/05/27 | hair (5) | L. A. Park | Super Parka | Palenque de Tijuana - Tijuana, Baja California |
| 2005/07/17 | hair (6) | L. A. Park | Diluvio Negro II | Arena Solidaridad de Monterrey |
| 2006/02/04 | mask | L. A. Park | Black Tiger III | Auditorio Municipal - Torreon |
| 2007/05/05 | hair (7) | L. A. Park | Villano III | Arena Mexico - Mexico, City |
| 2007/11/01 | hair | L. A. Park | Mascara Año 2000 | Arena Isabel - Cuernavaca, Morelos |
| 2007/11/15 | hair | L. A. Park | Pierroth | Arena Xalapa - Xalapa, Veracruz |
| 2007/12/19 | hair (8) | L.A. Park | Silver King | Arena Lopez Mateos - Mexico, State |
| 2008/09/21 | mask | L. A. Park | Guerrero Rojo | Arena Coliseo - Mexicali, Baja California |
| 2009/10/30 | mask (9) | L. A. Park | Matematico Jr. | Plaza de Toros Monumental - Monterrey, Nuevo Leon |
| 2011/06/18 | hair | L. A. Park | El Mesias | Palacio de los Deportes - Mexico City |
| 2018/08/25 | mask (10) | L.A. Park | Hijo del Fantasma | Arena Ciudad de Mexico |
| (1) Relevos suicidas vs. Roberto Paz Jr. & Loco Zandokan II; (2) Triangle match with Bestia Salvaje; (3) Relevos suicidas vs. Villano IV & Villano V; (4) Cage Match; (5) Cage Match: also w/Dr. Wagner Jr. & Perro Aguayo Jr.;(6) Cage Match: also Heavy Metal, Mascara Sagrada, Hector Garza & Diluvio Negro I; (7) RULETA DE LA MUERTE: Silver King, Satanico, Villano IV, Villano V, Blue Demon Jr., Hijo del Solitario, L.A. Park & Villano III; (8) JAULA: Dos Caras Jr., Dr. Wagner Jr., Villano V, Mano Negra, Canek Jr. & Hijo de Cien Caras; (9) JAULA: Tinieblas Jr., Hijo de Anibal, Perro Aguayo Jr., Mascara Año 2000 Jr., Axel & Hijo de Cien Caras;
(10) Cuadrangular with Pentagon Jr. & Psycho Clown | ||||
Gallery
as El Minero
as Asesino de Tepito
as Asesino de Tepito
as Principe Island
losing his mask to Hijo del Santo
as Principe Island
as Principe Island with the Distrito Federal Light Heavyweight Title
as Panama European Middleweight Champ
as Invasor del Norte I @ Arena Mexico 1991
Invasor del Norte
as Invasor del Norte 1991
early
early en AAA
in AAA
AAA 1994
1996
w/ WWC Hardcore Title on right
2003
2004
2005-1
AULL 2007
2006
scary!
as IWR Champ
in LA with Blue Demon Jr.
Multicampeon
Monterrey
Coliseo DF
IWC
in Monterrey
Presentation
VS. Pierroth Jr.
Presentation
Colosus, L.A. Park & Lizmark Jr.
vs. Blue Panther
vs. Black Tiger
Honoring Bestia Salvaje
vs. Dandy
Posing
Poster
Dancing
vs. Perro Aguayo
L.A. Park
Homenaje a Hijo De Cien Caras
winning El Hijo del Fantasma's mask
As Principe Island
As Principe Island
Earlier Mask
as The Crash Heavyweight Champion
$25K BOUNTY placed by Jack Fancy
2022, BOUNTY placed by Jack Fancy
