Chris Jackson (born June 10, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, best known by his ring name Cueball Carmichael, who competes in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Allied Powers Wrestling Federation (APWF), King Kong Bundy's Devastation Wrestling Federation (DWF), Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW), Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW), Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (MEWF). He is also known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Phoenix Championship Wrestling (PCW) and Steel City Wrestling (SCW).
He formed successful tag teams with several independent wrestlers during the 1990s, including The Darkside Rebel, Mad Dog O'Malley, Jimmy Cicero and sometimes rival Johnny Gunn."The PWI 500." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1998): pg. 68. As one-half of The Northern Exposure with C. W. Anderson, he won the SCW Tag Team Championship in 1997. While part of the MCW heel stable Total Quality Management, he and stablemate Dino Devine won the MCW Tag Team Championship in 2000.
Jackson was also the booker and part owner of the now defunct Virginia-based Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance. While with the IPWA, he was involved in training numerous wrestlers for the promotion. With several other wrestlers, including Jimmy Z and Shorty Smalls, he operated the Keep Your Dreams Alive (KYDA) facility. Among his former students are Joey Mercury, Christian York, Jacey North, Otto Schwanz and "American" Mike Brown.
Professional wrestling career
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (1995-1997) Trained by Peter Maivia and later Lou Thez, he made his debut on March 5, 1983. As Cueball Carmichael, he was billed as the "hometown hero" of Alexandria, Virginia though he largely wrestled as an unpopular "rulebreaker" for much of his career. He also worked part-time as a stockbroker and insurance broker. After spending over ten years on the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit, Jackson began running wrestling shows for the Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance with Kevin Carson. As well as being a part owner and booker, he was also an active wrestler for the promotion. On October 9, 1995, he became its first heavyweight champion"The PWI 500." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Winter 1996): pg. 57. at their debut show in Manassas, Virginia.
On March 9, 1996, shortly after a successful title defense against The Iron Sheik at Fairfax County, Virginia's Secret's Restaurant and Sports Arena, Jackson was attacked by Johnny Gunn who hit him across the back with a steel chair. A month later, he lost the title to Gunn after being pinned in a controversial 32 minute match. Jackson later claimed that Gunn had rendered him unconscious with an ether-soaked rag. Sometime during the match however, 22-year-old fan Danelle Evans stole the heavyweight title but it was later recovered by local police.
Around this time, Jackson began wrestling for Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation in Baltimore facing El Loco Uno on March 17 and Johnny Desire on April 14. He also continued feuding with Gunn over the title throughout the year, including meeting him in a best-of-three "Texas Death Match" on June 6, and finally regained the title on July 29. Jackson defended the title almost four months, including an outdoor show in Buxton during Hurricane Edouard, before eventually vacating the title due to injury on November 22, 1996. He also had a brief feud with Axl Rotten around this time.
The following month, Jackson took part in a major independent show in Woodbridge, Virginia on December 8, 1996, teaming with Sean Powers and Darkside (Glen Osbourne and Rockin' Rebel) in an 8-man tag team match Axl Rotten, Chris Stephenson and The Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher). The event, "The Night the Business Was Exposed", ended with Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie exposing kayfabe. Many ECW wrestlers who participated in the show were allegedly not paid for their appearance by the booker.
While in IPWA, Jackson was involved in training several wrestlers for the promotion. He and others, including Jimmy Z and Shorty Smalls, eventually opened the Keep Your Dreams Alive (KYDA) facility in Woodbridge. Among his future students were Joey Matthews, Christian York, Jacey North and "American" Mike Brown. During the next year, Jackson would have a series of matches against Young."The PWI 500." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1997): pg. 52.
NWA, SCW and the independent circuit (1997-1998) On April 19, 1997, Cueball Carmichael pinned Christian York at the debut show of Championship Pro Wrestling in Martinsburg, West Virginia. That summer, he also worked for NWA 2000 and Southern Championship Wrestling. On May 3, he and Joey Matthews faced Death and Destruction (Frank Parker and Roger Anderson) at a NWA 2000 show in Pikeville, North Carolina and Julio Sanchez in Louisburg on May 17. He would later become a regular in the promotion. He again faced Sanchez in a rematch at a SCW show on July 12 and, in a tag team match with C. W. Anderson, wrestled Big Slam Vader & Eddie Brown in Henderson, North Carolina on September 20. During his time in SCW, Jacks was occasionally managed by manager Count Grog.
In September 1997, Jackson filed a lawsuit on behalf of the IPWA against the Fairfax County School Board and Chantilly High School Principal Dale Rumberger. The purpose of the lawsuit was to recoup $15,000 lost by the promotion as a result of a breach of contract. The IPWA had been invited to hold an event to raise money for the Chantilly High School marketing class when it was abruptly cancelled by the Fairfax County school system. This was due to a complaint by Andy Shallal, an official involved in Fairfax County's diversity training program, who was offended by what he described as "ethnic stereotyping" in flyers featuring Salvatore Sincere, "Wiseguy" Jimmy Cicero, and Doink the Clown. As head of the School Board's human relations advisory committee, Shallal decided to protest the event after receiving a promotional flier from a parent at the school. The fliers were made by the marketing students who had sold ads to advertise and promote the event.
As a member of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Shallal was also personally offended by the scheduled appearance of The Iron Sheik and added that the event was unfit for a public school because The Iron Sheik promoted anti-Arab and anti-Iranian sentiments. When the promotion agreed to drop The Iron Sheik from the event, the ADC made a second complaint about midget wrestling. The school district eventually decided to cancel the event, along with a second show, and notified co-promoter Kevin Heilbronner by letter. The promotion cited that it had previously attracted an audience of 950 at Fairfax High School in December 1995.
While in SCW, Jackson formed a tag team with C. W. Anderson called The Northern Exposure. Aligning themselves with The Gambini Family, a Mafia-like "heel stable", they won the SCW Tag Team Championship from Death and Destruction (Frank Parker and Roger Anderson) in Louisburg on November 22. On December 5, 1997, Jackson wrestled Doug Flex at an International Pro Wrestling show at Flagstaff Mountain Park in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania to raise money for the United Cerebral Palsy of Carbon County organization. The event included many top independent stars including King Kong Bundy, 911, Reckless Youth, Mike Quackenbush, Glen Osbourne, Julio Sanchez and Jimmy Cicero. Gene Snisky, a future WWE star, also made his Pennsylvania debut.
Northern Exposure broke up shortly afterwards, when C. W. Anderson was kicked out of the Gambini Family, and Christian York took Anderson's place. He and York lost the titles to Pat and C. W. Anderson on January 17, 1998.
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (1998-1999) Back in the IPWA, Jackson began feuding with his former SCW stable, The Gambini Family, and took them on by himself in a battle royal. On January 15, 1998, Johnny Gunn left the promotion when he signed with the World Wrestling Federation and the IPWA Heavyweight Championship was declared vacant. That same night, Jackson won a 12-man battle royal to win the vacant heavyweight title in Alexandria, Virginia. Earlier that night, he defeated Party Animal Arillo.
Jackson lost the heavyweight title to Lance Diamond, ending his third title reign, in Alexandria, Virginia on February 19. The title changed hands again that night when Diamond lost the title to Jimmy Cicero with whom he later feuded over the title. On April 18, he faced Paul Mitchell at an IPW show in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
Though given a title shot at the IPWA Heavyweight Championship, Jackson announced that he would be unable to compete and offered an open invitation to anyone who wished to take his spot on the card. Buddy Landel, who had previously given a memorial speech for Junkyard Dog, accepted the offer and faced Jimmy Cicero in a no-disqualification match. Landel was initially disqualified when Cicero intentionally threw himself over the ropes. When the referee awarded Cicero the title however, Jackson came out with one of the posters for the event and pointed out that since his match with Cicero was advertised as a no-DQ bout, so should Landel's. The referee agreed and the match was restarted with Landel eventually pinning Cicero for the title. Later that month, Jackson wrestled Big Slam Vader in Butner, North Carolina.
By the fall of that year, Jackson was teaming with Jimmy Cicero and together defeated Shorty Smalls & Dan Rage in a tournament final to win the vacant IPWA Tag Team Championship in Richmond, Virginia on September 2. On November 21, 1998, Jackson also won the vacant SCW Heavyweight Championship by defeating Big Slam in Louisburg but was stripped of the title within three months for failing to defend the title.
IPWA, SCW and NWA Virginia (1999-2000) Though he and Cicero lost the IPWA tag team titles to Chris Stephenson & Big Slam in Chincoteague Island on January 9, 1999, Jackson and Cicero quickly regained the belts in Woodbridge on January 23. Gunn returned to the IPWA that same month and, winning the vacant heavyweight title, was challenged by Jackson. He won back the title, albeit on a technicality, but lost it to Johnny Gunn again in Chincoteague months later.
On March 26, Jackson took part in an internet radio show hosted by Kevin Ross which featured a number of ex-WWF, ECW and independent wrestlers commenting on the then upcoming WrestleMania XV. Among those included The Honky Tonk Man, Headshrinker Samu, Devon Storm, Bobby Starr, Donnie B and manager Judge Jeff Jones.
On May 1, Jackson won the NWA Virginia Heavyweight Championship in Suffolk and defended the title for over 7 months. A little over two weeks later, he defended his IPW title against Julio Sanchez at the "Break The Barrier" supercard"The PWI 500." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1999): pg. 65."Break The Barrier: The Untold Story of The Night The IWC Put On A Wrestling Show" Cageside Seats. Retrieved 2018-05-31. at the ECW Arena on May 15. One of the biggest independent shows ever held in the United States, over 15 independent promotions were held at the event.