Thomas Edward Dawkins (born April 1987), better known by his
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
, best known for his work on the British
independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...
. His character has been described as the
black swan
The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large Anatidae, waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent ...
of professional wrestling, and is noted for his distinctive moveset, owing to previous involvement in
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
,
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, and
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
.
Professional wrestling career
Following minimal success under his
birth name
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
and other
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
s, a conversation with
Chris Brookes
Chris Brookes (born 24 August 1991) is an English professional wrestler signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is the current KO-D Openweight Champion, in his second reign. He has also been a two-time DDT Universal Champion.
Career Progres ...
saw him develop the character of Cara Noir, which he debuted in January 2017. Initially a
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
, he quickly became a
face
The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
, largely due in part to his elaborate entrance in which he comes out to the famous ''
pas de trois
In ballet, ''pas de trois'' is a French term usually referring to a dance between three people. Typically, a ''pas de trois'' in ballet consists of five parts:
#Entrée (the opening number for the three dancers, usually preceded by a short in ...
Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...
's ''
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
''. In July 2019, his breakthrough moment happened while wrestling for Riptide, with his performance in a defeat to
Pac
Pac or PAC may refer to:
Aviation
* IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama
* Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft:
** PAC 750XL
** PAC Cresco
** PAC CT/4
** PA ...
being critically acclaimed.
In September 2019, Noir began wrestling for
Progress
Progress is movement towards a perceived refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. It is central to the philosophy of progressivism, which interprets progress as the set of advancements in technology, science, and social organization effic ...
, first appearing at the Natural Progression Series tournament, where he was defeated by eventual winner Scotty Davis, and then at ''Chapter 95'', where he was defeated by
Pete Dunne
Peter Thomas England (born 9 November 1993) is an English professional wrestler best known under the ring name Pete Dunne. As of April 2017, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, and is one-half of the New Catch Republic wit ...
. From October to December, he was involved in a series of matches with
Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Rukober (; born 10 October 1993), known by his ring name Ilja Dragunov (), is a Russian-born, German- naturalised professional wrestler. As of January 2019, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is currently inacti ...
. Having traded wins over each other at ''Chapter 96'' and ''Chapter 97'', the feud was ended at ''Chapter 99'' in a two out of three falls match, in which Noir won. At ''Chapter 100'', Noir won a title shot for Eddie Dennis' Progress Unified World Championship, but Dennis had to vacate the title due to injury, and in January 2020, at ''Chapter 101'', Noir defeated Dragunov,
Kyle Fletcher
Kyle Fletcher (born 24 December 1998) is an Australian professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a member of the Don Callis Family stable and is one-half of the tag team Protoshita with Konosuke Takeshita. He a ...
and Paul Robinson in a four-way match to win the title.
In January 2020, Noir appeared in
Westside Xtreme Wrestling
Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its event ...
(wXw), confronting Marius Al-Ani, and confirming his participation in the promotion's annual 16 Carat Gold tournament. At the event, he defeated Al-Ani,
Jeff Cobb
is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. As of May 2025, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name JC Mateo and is a member of The Bloodline. He is best known for his tenure in N ...
and
Eddie Kingston
Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by the ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is out of in-ring action because of a leg injury, but continues to mak ...
on his way to the final, where he overcame crowd favourite Mike Bailey in a rare face vs. face contest. Noir returned to wXw later in the year for the Catch Grand Prix. He tied the block alongside
Metehan
Metehan is a masculine Turkish given name.
Mete is the Turkish derivation of standard Chinese "Modu" "墨毒" (<
with nine points, and made the final because of their head-to-head record in the tournament. He faced Al-Ani in the final (who had since gone on a winning streak since their previous matchup), in which he was pinned in the eleventh round.
Cara Noir Came To Japan Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) In 2022. Against To Yuki Ueno But Is Unsuccessful Challenge For DDT Universal Championship. Noir suffered three fractures to his foot during a cage match in April 2023. He made his return in August 2024 at Progress Chapter 170.
Personal life
Outside of wrestling, he works as a personal trainer, and co-founded Reset Lab, an alternative health and fitness company, with his partner. He graduated from
De Montfort University
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...
in 2010, where he was a member of the
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
first team.
Championship and accomplishments
*
Attack! Pro Wrestling
Attack Pro Wrestling (stylized as ATTACK! Pro Wrestling) is a Welsh professional wrestling promotion owned and operated by wrestler Mark Andrews.
Although ATTACK was originally established in 2011 by wrestler Pete Dunne and ring announcer Jim ...
** Attack! Championship (1 time)
** Attack! 24:7 Championship (4 times)
*WrestleForce
**Harlow Rumble (2015)
* Hope Wrestling
** Hope Championship (1 time)
** Hope Kings Of Flight Championship (1 time)
* International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
** Z-Force Championship (1 time)
** UK Super 8 Tournament (2019)
*Wrestling League
**1st Annual Wrestling League Cup (2019)
*
World Association of Wrestling
World Association of Wrestling (WAW) is a British independent professional wrestling promotion founded by Ricky Knight, Sweet Saraya, and Jimmy Ocean in 1994 in Norwich, England. It is affiliated with the all-female promotion Bellatrix Female ...
**WAW Submission Championship (1 time)
* Leicester Championship Wrestling
** LCW Championship (1 time)
* LDN Wrestling
** LDN Academy Championship (1 time)
* Lucha Britannia
** Lucha Britannia World Championship (1 time)
* ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''
** Ranked No. 72 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' in 2020
*
Progress Wrestling
Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was established in 2011 by comedian Jim Smallman, events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, and later, actor Glen Robinson (professionally known as Glen ...
** Progress Unified World Championship (1 time)
* Pro Wrestling Clash
** PW Clash World Championship (1 time)
**Clash World Title Tournament (2018)
*Riot Cabaret Pro Wrestling
**Riot Cabaret World Championship (1 time)
*
Westside Xtreme Wrestling
Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its event ...
British Heavyweight Championship
The British Heavyweight Championship is a top British wrestling championship found throughout the country's circuit. The championship was recognised and defended on matches screened by UK national television network ITV as part of the professi ...