CARA NOIR
Thomas Dawkins (A.K.A Cara Noir) is a world-renowned independent professional wrestler and co-founder of Playfight. Famed for his creative story telling and encyclopaedic wrestling knowledge - Cara Noir initially shoot to fame in 2019 with ‘THAT PAC MATCH’, before going on to blaze a trail through the heart of the European wrestling scene. From 2020-2022 Cara become the longest reigning Progress Champion of all time, lasting 791 days. As well as working as a performer, Cara has also worked as a fight choreographer for TV and theatre and teaches the Grade Two, Grade Three and Pro-level classes at PlayFight.
A legitimate fighter from the age of 17, Cara initially gained his first of two black belts in Ren-Shin-Kai Karate in 2004. He then went on to study Jujitsu, Aikido, Muay Thai & Shoot Wrestling and took part in a series of amateur MMA fights between 2004 - 2006. Training included rigorous annual gradings lasting up to 2 1/2 hours, with assessment of strikes, kicks, bag kicks, heavy conditioning, carters - including blind folded carters & carters performed in reverse, sparing, mental focus & written Japanese as well as ‘take down’ karate, joint manipulation, nerve holds & ipon fight sequence construction using moves taken from aikido, jujitsu submission fighting & choke holds.
From 2010 - 2013 Cara then trained with renowned British heroes including Johnny Kidd. This 3-year introduction to Pro Wrestling gave him a grounding in the traditional art of British technical wrestling where he became a master of the British Rounds style and worked alongside British World of Sport legends including Danny Boy Collins, Carl Kramer, Johnny Kincade & Mal Sanders. At this time he also met & wrestled contemporaries Pete Dunne & Will Osprey and mastered many of the essentials of shoot wrestling and British slap stick and camp show styles.
From 2013 - 2015 Cara went on to train with the famous Knight wrestling family at their training base in Norwich. With knowledge & traditions handed down through the family, he was drilled again in British Tech Style as well as Japanese Tech & Strong Style. Wrestling with the likes of Klondyke Kate, Doug Williams, Jody Fleisch and Julia & Roy Knight, allowed him to build his knowledge and confidence in the performance of wrestling and taught him the importance of well placed hard-hitting strikes and drilled him in complex set piece sequences full of creative detail. At the same time, Cara also began wrestling at the London School of Lucha Libre where he where he became the theatrical protege of Lucha Libre legend Cassandro El Exotico, inspiring Cara to develop his now world renowned ‘Black Swan’ inspired entrance.
In 2020 while still Progress champion Cara also lifted Europe’s most prestigious championship prize, becoming the WXW 16 Carat Tournament winner. Having achieved everything there is to achieve in the UK & Europe, Cara’s next stop was Japan, where he wrestled on two tours for DDT before sustaining a serious foot injury in early 2023. Thankfully 2024 saw the return of Cara Noir to the ring after making a full recovery. To catch up on the very best of Cara’s European matches from the last 3 years, check out his unparalleled series with Ilja Dragunov at Progress, his career defining match with Pete Dunne at Alexandra Palace and his multiple encounters with both Chris Ridgeway at Progress and Speed Ball Mike Bailey at WXW.
