Just this past week, FCF Wrestling in Finland released the news of Finnish ring veteran Stark Adder calling it quits after losing heart after not being able to procure the FCF Championship during his time with the promotion.  It was actually in Kotka, Finland on May 21 that Adder informed me that he was quitting and moving on to new challenges and ventures, so I already knew of Adder’s intentions before the public got to hear about it.

Stark Adder and myself are the cornerstones on which Finnish professional wrestling was built, without exception.  It was Adder’s coaching throughout the years that spawned many of Finland’s finest wrestling talents, and although I was the head instructor at FCF’s wrestling school Adder was the workhorse and main trainer.  Think of me in the Steve Austin role on Tough Enough and Adder as Bill Demott and you get the picture.

Stark Adder began his career in Finnish pro wrestling first as a part of my inaugural class of 2003, debuting in Pro Wrestling Finlandia, which preceded FCF, in early 2004.  Adder was a gifted student from day one, perhaps the best of my initial class in Finland, and he honed his skills to become an excellent ring technician.

On September 1, 2005 in Järvenpää, Finland, Stark Adder and myself were the last two men in a tournament to determine a new Finnish Wrestling Champion under PWF auspices.  That match was fought as a 2/3 falls affair and after splitting one fall apiece, I took the third in about 40 minutes of grueling action to become the new titleholder.  Adder would not give up his dream and quest at become the champion however, and on May 25, 2006 in Helsinki, Finland, Adder finally defeated me in the first-ever 30 minute Iron Man match in Finland to become the PWF Finnish Wrestling Champion.

In the fall of 2006 PWF ceased operations and was bought out by Fight Club Finland (FCF) and Adder carried over as Finnish Wrestling Champion to FCF before finally losing the belt to Erik Isaksen of Norway on May 26, 2007 in Vantaa, Finland.  Adder would contend for the FCF Championship many times between 2007 – 2011, but would be unsuccessful in his attempts to regain the title that he once held so proudly.

Come May 21 in the city of Kotka, Adder would once again contend for the FCF Championship held by Heimo Ukonselkä in a Triple Threat match also involving Ibo Ten.  Ukonselkä would go on to pin Adder in that contest, pounding in the final nail of Stark Adder’s quest for the gold.  Thus, Adder lost heart and decided to move on in his life.

During his celebrated career, Stark Adder fought in countries such as Sweden, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan in addition to his native Finland between 2004 – 2011.  Adder was a solid hand in the ring and a soldier of high morale.  He will be missed in Finnish wrestling but his contributions will live on.