Cara Noir represents something all too rare on the UK wrestling scene. He has a character bolstered by an outlandish ring name, costume and gimmick. Wrestling under your real name is fine, but it doesn’t help you stand out from the crowd. Cara Noir, as the Black Swan of pro wrestling, very much does stand out.
Information on the man behind the face paint and plumage is surprisingly difficult to find. However, this all adds to the enigma of the character – remaining somewhat unknowable. Noir tends to maintain kayfabe on social media also; a tough ask these days, but he definitely makes it work.
Initially wrestling under real name, Thomas Dawkins, Cara Noir emerged in 2017 and immediately set himself apart from his contemporaries. Making his entrance to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, wearing a crystalline mask, crowds were unsure of what would follow.
Unexpectedly perhaps, Cara Noir is a highly proficient martial artist, holding a karate black belt. This technique is incorporated into his in-ring work, along with solid mat-based work.
Cara Noir
In the first instance, the character was portrayed as a heel. Displaying a vicious streak, and a willingness to cheat marked him as such. However, such was the strength of Cara Noir’s work, that a face turn was inevitable.
The crowds had been behind him for a while, and it never truly pays to go against the will of the people. A new hero was born and subsequently in demand on across the land.
Since that time, he has been on a tear across the country, taking in all the big names. He has worked for Rev Pro, IPW: UK, Fight Club Pro, and most prominently for Riptide. As much as any British wrestler can say, Riptide would be considered Noir’s ‘home promotion’.
In Riptide, he had the fans’ match of the year against fellow martial artist Mike Bailey. This is certainly one that should be seen if you enjoy great wrestling.
The next big step for Cara Noir takes place on September 14th when he makes his debut for PROGRESS. The company’s Natural Progression series is a tournament that seeks to highlight newer talents.
Previous winners include Mark Davis, Toni Storm, and Mark Andrews. Cara Noir enters this year’s tournament (the sixth), and has to be considered a strong contender.
PROGRESS Wrestling
A much-requested name from the PROGRESS Ultras, Noir is sure to have a great reception when he appears for the first time in the Electric Ballroom.
Natural Progression 6 will be a one-night tournament, a change from previous years’ longer formats. Joined by the cream of young talent from home and abroad, Cara will need to work hard to progress.
Names such as Michael Oko; Dan Moloney, and Scotty Davis potentially await in the brackets. Also, a confrontation with Veit Muller would be a nice style clash and is a tantalizing prospect.
“I definitely feel like the the storytelling has matured, as I can understand opponents weaknesses and then use it throughout the match in a kind of clever and creative way more so than I was doing for per-pandemic.”
– Cara Noir on how wrestling has changed since the pandemic
But this is Cara Noir’s story, and he must be considered one of the favorites to win. His reputation precedes him, and would be an interesting choice as the company moves ahead. The tournament winner is able to have a title shot of their choosing.
And lest we forget, the Proteus title is waiting in the wings also. Could Cara Noir become the face of the new division?
So, this is the story of the Black Swan thus far. A wrestler who has crafted himself something tonally unique in the field. The character is played essentially mute, yet displaying emotion and other intangibles.
It is a work of startling clarity, precision, and supreme artistry. And, as seen in the matches included, Cara Noir is a dynamo in the ring.
RIPTIDE Wrestling
His next major bookings come for RIPTIDE Wrestling and the aforementioned PROGRESS show. For Riptide, he will participate in a mouth-watering triple threat match on August 26th.
His opponents will be his match of the year co-star Mike Bailey plus TK Cooper. Cooper is no slouch either, so this would be an absolute belter of a contest. Tickets are still available to purchase here if you should be so inclined. Tickets for PROGRESS’ NPS can be found via this link.
One of Noir’s most storied rivals is Iija Dragonov. Their matches against one another were to fans themselves magic. For Noir, his outlook was in line with those of onlookers.
“With Dragunov, the matches have always spoken for themselves.
“If people haven’t seen them, it’s definitely something that I would recommend them to go back and relive because the style and the way that we perform together and the stories that we told within in those three matches, have been some of my favorites I’ve ever done, and I don’t know whether there’s anyone else that I could have worked with and produced a better narrative – he is just as mad as I am.”
Keep watching this space; talent such as this always turns out to be in high demand. Cara Noir travels, puts in the hours, and makes towns. If he should be booked in your local promotion, do not miss the chance to see him live. It is an incredible act; he’ll go far if he keeps up the good work.
