Wrestling / Sarah Stock

Sarah Stock (born March 4, 1979) is a Canadian kick boxer turned professional wrestler turned trainer for WWE. Trained by Phil Lafon, Dan Kroffat, Diluvio Negro #1, Eddie Watts and José Luis Feliciano, Stock began her professional wrestling career in Winnipeg, Manitoba's Top Rope Championship Wrestling promotion and moved back and forth across the country, working for various enterprises, facing both male and female wrestlers. She then moved to Monterrey Mexico to hone her craft on a different independent circuit, starting by turning one of her ring names, Dark Angel, into a gimmick in LLF and gaining the attention of AAA. Dark Angel would be offered regular work with Triple A after losing her mask but wound up jumping to their main rival CMLL, where her best known work was done. She is also known for her time in TNA, where, under the ring name Sarita, she became a two-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion, holding the title once with both Taylor Wilde and Rosita. She has also worked in Japan for JDStar and its Spiritual Successor World Wonder Ring ST★RDOM, where she was the Wonder of Stardom Champion.

Stock has also been a Can-Am Wrestling Women's Champion, an LLF Juvenil Champion, a Nuevo León State Women's Champion, a Federación Internacional de Lucha Libre Women's Champion and a Beauty Slammers Champion.

As of March 2023, Stock has signed onto All Elite Wrestling as a newest member of its coaching team.

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"Dark Angel Tropes":

• Adaptational Villainy: On the talk show Curva Directa where she antagonized the host La Pao and attempted forceful entries onto his set after the episode where he had her kicked out, leading Pao to hire Princesa Sugey as a bodyguard.
• Amazonian Beauty: Dark Angel won CMLL's annual body building competition six years in a row and then won again in 2014 after missing a year. She's not especially large by wrestler standards but has some very well sculpted arms and abs◊. It's an image she openly cultivated when she lost her mask, saying it was important that people looked at her, then they could decide if they liked her wrestling style after she had their attention.
• Animal Motifs: Griffins early on in her career.
• Arch-Enemy: La Caza Canadienses Princesa Sugehit until her animosity was overshadowed by La Amapola's, whom successfully kept Dark Angel from winning any title belts in CMLL but lost her mask in the process, giving Dark Angel the honor of being the first luchadora to win a mask in Arena Mexico.
• Bash Brothers: Taylor Wilde and Rosita during her reigns as a Knockout Tag Team Champion, otherwise her number one ally is Marcela. Also Johnny Wiseguy, Lady Apache, Luna Mágica, Anarquia, Hotstuff Hernandez, Goya Kong, Estrellita and Io Shirai.
• Boring, but Practical: She's so associated with complex lucha libre takeovers and holds, with her kickboxing background, that she caught April Hunter off guard with simple knife edge chops and a running shoulder block in WXW. She almost beat Daizee Haze with an Oklahoma Stampede driver in SHIMMER, which is easier to counter than her usual holds. Taylor Wilde wasn't ready to counter a back head crash and shoulder breaker in TNA. Everyone in STARDOM was surprised when she brought The Giant Alpha Female low with a basic guillotine choke.
• The Bully: The losing streak Sarita and Wilde went on after losing the Knockout Tag Team titles apparently lead her to decide it would be a good investment of hers and Taylor Wilde's time to bully Daffney on TNA's B Show Xplosion. Then she decided it would be fun to bully that "loser" Taylor too. Oh, and the WWC women when she popped up there. It resulted in her being taken down by Black Rose after screwing her out of a match.
• Combination Attack: Springboard dropkick an opponent into a waiting Taylor for a Wilde Ride.
• Cool Mask: Griffin wore one as part of her entrance. Dark Angel wore one when she first appeared on the Mexican independent circuit, which she lost in what became a famous wager match against Princesa Sugehit in LLF. Sarita wore one in Mexican America, which returned as entrance attire for Dark Angel's Planet run.
• Culture Clash: A Canadian born "Mexican" who wrestles in the US with a pretty Japanese style. She's billed from "Winnipeg via Mexico City".
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder:
  • She betrayed her former tag partner Taylor Wilde because they lost the Tag Team Titles and betrayed her alliance with Madison Rayne because she wanted the Knockout Championship.
  • She and "cousin" Rosita once ditched Mexican America because they couldn't pay off a repo man to keep their low rider, though the stable still kept together for a short while after that.
• Dance Battler: A quasi example. Since her TNA Face–Heel Turn she loves to salsa dance during matches. In Maritime Beauty Slammers she would dance to bait her opponents into ill advised approaches.
• Defeat Means Respect: Dark Angel came to see Princesa Sugehit as a Worthy Opponent after Sugehit took her mask and Sugehit, for her part, gradually became less antagonistic towards Stock during their time in CMLL.
• Demoted to Extra: She seemed to be getting promoted when AAA called her up from the B Shows in 2004 but it turned out they didn't have much use for her as a wrestler, mostly having her carry signs.
• Determinator: She didn't stop working when she suffered from facial paralysis. She just put on a(nother) mask.
• Disproportionate Reward: There were not many women wrestlers in Canada during her rookie year, let alone Alberta, leading to her being awarded Can-Am Wrestling's Women's title on her debut in the promotion, though she would soon enough have to fight off Charlotte Webb to keep it, and keep doing so in Hybrid Wrestling Coalition since they didn't have a lot of female competitors either.
• Distaff Counterpart
  • Before unmasking, Dark Angel was one to Zorro.
  • Her trio in CMLL is one to the Montreal based International Championship Wrestling promotion's "Sexy Team".
• Evil Foreigner: In NGX, TNA and WWC, though in the latter two she was an evil Mexican rather than an evil Canadian. Subverted in LLF, where she tagged with Christie Ricci, who attempted to be an evil foreigner but gave up on fighting against the tide and embraced Mexico with Stock, and in CMLL, where she started out evil but wasn't any good at it, and was still working with Mexicans while she was.
• Final Battle: Even though they were both tecnicas when CMLL's 82nd anniversary arrived, Sarita's rivalry with Sugehit never really died. They were given one last match at the show, after both were interviewed on how they got there from the enterprises of Monterrey.
• Finishing Move: Double chicken wing neck scissors, leg feed spinning mule kick, tiger bomb, La Reinera(standing spinning double toed arm trapped back breaker until then more associated with luchadores like Shocker)
• Fighting Your Friend: STARDOM got the honor of billing Dark Angel's last match in Japan, in what happened to be a shot for the World Of Stardom against former Planet leader Io Shirai. Stock knew Shirai better than Shirai knew Stock, and thus out wrestled Shirai for most of the match, but a timely kick to head lead to Dark Angel crumbling.
• Force and Finesse: She was the finesse half when tagging with Johnny Wiseguy, Phil Lafon, Christie Ricci, Amapola and Goya Kong, and the force half when tagging with Princesa Sugehit, Io Shira(every other member of Planet really), Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne and Rosita. Amapola tried to be as fancy as Dark Angel, but couldn't, but at the same time was said by commentary to be the stronger woman. Sugehit tried to rely on power as much as Dark Angel but was held back on that front by her short stature...but LuFisto was not. Marcela, Estrellita(after bulking up) and Taylor Wilde(even before bulking up) were also about even with her in both categories.
• Honorary True Companion: After participating in Fuka's retirement show in 2010, Dark Angel was to wrestle at one more show on April 3rd at Shinkiba First Ring before leaving for USA but ended up wrestling an extra day there on the 5th under the Estrella★Japan banner, where she was awarded the Sky High of Arsion belt, after participating in a battle royal and beating Princesa Sugehit in a singles match, even though Arsion had been defunct before Dark Angel ever made it to Japan and no promotions recognized its titles anymore.
• Hot-Blooded: So she might not be of Latin ancestry but Amapola would learn Dark Angel's temper could easily become a match for her own after a series of questionable calls kept the belt around Amapola's waist during their CMLL world title feud. Dark Angel was also the member of Planet most vocal and passionate about crushing their opposition.
• I Have Many Names: Started as Sarah Stone, picking up Dark Angel, Sarah Swayze, Natasha Graves, Sweet Sarah, Sarah Griffin, Sara la Canadiense and Sarita along the way.
• Immigrant Patriotism: Most of the foreigners in LLF ended up embracing Mexican, or at least Monterrey culture, but few if any did so to the degree of Dark Angel. She continued on with most of the regional mannerism well after moving back to Canada, and everywhere else she wrestled for that matter.
• Ink-Suit Actor: In the horror comic book Dark Legacy, based on her pre CMLL appearances in Monterrey(yes there is an English version).
• International Showdown by Proxy: Besides Sugehit, there was also Dark Angel and LuFisto against Simply Luscious & Persephone billed as Canada vs Estados Unidos, among others.
• It's Personal: She debuted in CMLL pared alongside La Amapola, but after losing four matches in a row she decided she wasn't cut out for being a ruda and went back to her tecnica roots. What's more, Angel's first CMLL victory was alongside her former arch foe Sugehit against Amapola. La Amapola felt betrayed and was never able to move past it.
• Jobber: Served as one in Ring of Honor and Ohio Valley Wrestling, making her an underdog when she debuted in SHIMMER despite the warning of Allison Danger, in a tournament to crown the first singles champion no less. She also served as one in her initial TNA appearances but these were dark matches that were ignored when she made her televised debut.
• Leitmotif
  • A remix of "I'm Everything" in TNA.
  • Either "5150" or "Stand up", both by F.I.L.T.H.E.E. / Brickman Raw as part of Mexican America.
• Lesser of Two Evils: The "evil" versus Portuguese Princess Ariel, India Sioux and Marcela in Nuevo Generation Xtrema but the lesser compared to Polly Star and La Nazi.
• Lightning Bruiser: Cmllgaceta.wordpress has actually given stats to luchadores, giving Dark Angel 80% in fuerza, 100% for both velocidad and agilidad, suggesting she's more "lightning" than "bruiser" but her spinning Reinera rack has won her countless submissions. She has a surprising amount of lifting and hauling strength but it doesn't carry over to her striking power. Her punches still shouldn't be slept on, as The Haze can attest.
• Kick Them While They Are Down: Yuhi was slow to rise after failing to take the Wonder Of from Dark Angel at STARDOM Golden Age but still tried to kick her while she was strutting past. Angel responded by stomping on Yuhi's legs and then...patting her on the back.
• Mistaken for Foreigner: Has been mistaken for Mexican a few times, even by people who should really know better like Portia Perez.
• One-Steve Limit: Dark Angel and American Angel in LLF and NGX. They were both unmasked as Sarah Stock and Sara Del Rey, which got on Dave Prazak's nerves when the SHIMMER crowd started an unspecific chant and Danger revealed she had bet money on Sara(h) winning the singles title tournament.
• Overly Long Name: Her doble palancha con tijera a la cabeza, a grounded double chicken wing with a leg hooked on the head, tabla marina con medio cangrejo invertido, which is basically a standing a single leg trap surfboard to a face down opponent, ammare doble a los brazos con torsion al cuello, which is a standing double over hook neck crank, and her enganche al brazo seguido de toque de espaldas, which is an arm drag floated over twice into a double chicken wing pinning combination. Apparently Dark Angel could think up moves more easily than witty names.
• Power Stable
  • Was affiliated with Los Un-Mexicans in NGX during 2006 and 7.
  • Was one of the main members of Mexican America.
  • Planet in Wonder Ring STARDOM with Arisa Hoshiki, Mayu Iwatani, Natsumi Showzuki and Io Shirai.
• Power Trio: El Sexy Team with Goya Kong and Estrellita.
• Put on a Bus: Out of TNA when her contract expired.
• Sensible Heroes, Skimpy Villains: Wore long pants-like tights when teaming with Taylor Wilde as a face, but around the time of her heel turn she began sporting the hot trunks she's more accustomed to wearing on the indies, while Wilde stuck with the longer tights.
• Show With In A Show: Fitness Con Dark Angel, which CMLL archived on youtube.
• Signature Move
  • A double toed Argentine backbreaker drop called La Arkangelina and Variente De La Shadina(forcing the opponent to kneel in a double chicken wing against her legs). Also a belly to belly suplex, head scissors takedown, La Tapatía, float over DDT, Tope con hilo, tope con giro, shoulder lock, wheelbarrow victory roll, spring board arm drag, turnbuckle climbing arm drag, arm+leg trap suplex, Fujiwara armbar, and la de a caballo. Yes, you have to be ready for them all if Dark Angel could conceivably be in position for any of them.
  • In LLF and Shimmer she experimented with combining the figure four leg lock and figure four stump puller into pinning combinations that doubled as submission holds, as well as many variations of the STF.
• Spicy Latina: Her gimmick in TNA due to her billing as Rosita's cousin and by extension, WWC.
• Spirited Competitor: She wasn't a fan of pro wrestling and actually developed an aversion to it when she dated a fan but decided to try it out when she realized it offered more bookings than kick boxing. Mexico was to be a spring board to Japan but she ended up enjoying life there even before she picked up much Spanish, and with the the collapse of Zenjo and GAEA she had little financial incentive to wrestle anywhere but CMLL. Still, she made frequent departures for the sake of learning more styles and testing herself against interesting opponents. One example was meeting Natalya Neidhart in Japan and agreeing to meet her for a best of five series in Canada to test her speed and see if she could tire Neidhart out. Stock had a tendency to talk trash but would freely acknowledge the qualities of her adversaries and hold few grudges.
• Stripperiffic: During her volume 18 rematch with Cheerleader Melissa in SHIMMER, ClickWrestle commentary was that they had never seen such a distracting outfit on a wrestler who doesn't rely on seduction(this was before Sarita's salsa dancing). She just as often wrestles mostly covered and in fact had in most of her previous SHIMMER matches but started cutting back at volume 12.
• Student–Master Team: Phil Lafon joined her in the Can-Am Wrestling Federation when she faced Samantha Slides, who tended to seconded by Mad Man Martin and Massive Damage.
• Sweet Tooth: Dark Angel has a weakness for donuts, but she suppresses it when training for body building competitions.
• Sympathy for the Devil: Some of it was Tears of Joy at having further cemented her own legacy but having gone through losing a mask herself, Stock did feel sorry for Amapola having to be the first luchadora to lose hers in Arena Mexico. Amapola wasn't having it though and stormed off, later getting punished by CMLL for this exceptionally poor sportsmanship.
• Tag Team: On the Mexican independent circuit, Sexy Girls with Christie Ricci, a precursor to Stock's Sexy Team trio in CMLL
• Take That!
  • Downplayed. Stock hasn't been shy to speak her mind on what AAA was lacking after she jumped to CMLL but whatever state they're in you can be sure she will have compliments for the luchadoras on its roster. She's a big fan of Cynthia Moreno, Martha Villalobos, Faby Apache and Diabolica, to name a few.
  • During an episode of TNA Impact she stole a fan's purse and began choking Taylor Wilde with it, leading Tazz to exclaim some people had been fired for such actions.
• The Lancer: While Io Shirai was the leader of Planet and the main target of Trouble2Maker, Dark Angel was the veteran of the group and Act Yasukawa's initial failure to defeat her lead to Dark Angel becoming Planet's first champion, freeing up Shirai to take down Alpha Female of Kimura Monster Gun and win the World Of Stardom. Angel's Wonder of signifying best in the promotion, Shirai's signifying best in the world.
• The Rival
  • Early on in Canada, she was known for wrestling Kyle Kruze in Main Stream Wrestling and defeated him in a "Kiss My Ass" match and even took him on in bra and panties match. She also had a long running feud with Samatha Slides.
  • Angel Williams, as well as the latter's The Beautiful People stablemate Velvet Sky were enemies in the USA but Dark Angel teamed with Talia Madison in LLF.
  • In Mexico she had several confrontations with Las Ladies de Polanco Princesa Blanca and Princesa Sugehit, who were also affiliated with Raven Hiroka in a trio known as Las Zorras. Hiroka would also antagonize Stock alongside Mima Shimoda as "La 5000% Guapa" but sometimes tagged with Stock in Japan.
  • La Comandante and Zeuxis, the women of CMLL's Comando Caribeño stable.
  • Tiffany was one of the few opponents Dark Angel faced in AAA after losing her mask and a rivalry would form later, especially after Estrellita left Tiffany and Los Independientes\Invasores to join El Sexy Team.
  • Even after Sugehit stopped trying to cut Dark Angel up with broken bottles she went out of her way to beat Angel in wrestling matches. Even when Sugehit was teaming with Dark Angel in the ring she tried to beat her at everything else, which included studying in a futile attempt to end Dark Angel's winning streak in bodybuilding. Marcela was similar competitive but an even more friendly fashion.
• The Vamp: Subverted when Eric Young was one half of the TNA Knockout Champions. Sarita and Rosita tried to seduce him but he only had eyes for his partner, ODB.
• The Worf Barrage
  • Her version of Shadina, various figure fours and leg hook holds rarely ever beat anyone. Dark Angle has more success with her comparatively simpler head scissor chicken wing combo.
  • Is she applying La Reinera? If it's during her TNA run and it's 2010 or later, it's going to fail spectacularly.
• The Worf Effect: On the last Impact of 2010 she beat two baby faces, Velvet Sky and Angelina Love, in two back to back encounters, a clean win a match and a fight where Love got the jump on her. So big things for Sarita in 2011? No, Sarita's first singles match of the year was to put over the powerhouse Winter in her first singles match.
• Theatrics of Pain: In 2005, she had the privilege of wrestling in Japan, and the misfortune of personally learning why Mariko Yoshida was called the best woman's wrestler in the country. If there was anything effective about Lacey Von Erich's TNA debut, it was Sarita's reaction to the family claw.
• Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Made the actual motion to Grappler #3 during a Pro Wrestling Revolution mixed tag match after a series of tag outs between him, Cheerleader Melissa and her own partner Pistolero.
• Time to Unlock More True Potential: Signed a six week exclusive contract with LLF at the end of 2004 then used her off time to train in the CMLL gym in preparation for her move from Monterrey to Mexico City when said contract ran out. Also got further training from El Satánico Dr. No(which might explain her ruda debut in CMLL) and studied Olympic wrestling.
• Too Many Belts: One of her black sets has two belts across her waste and three belts across her torso.
• Took a Level in Badass: She started out as the valet of Johnny Wiseguy in the Maritime area promotions such as Real Action Wrestling but eventually became his tag team partner
• Tournament Arc
  • Dark Angel won AULL's Copa Internacional Femenil in 2007
  • Sarita and Taylor Wilde won a tournament on the 20th of September in 2009 to become TNA's first Knockout Tag Team Title Holders.
• Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Her body suits tend to have a maple leaf around her stomach and Dark Angel did wear the actual Canadian flag, usually on top of black, during her masked run.
• What He Said: During their partnership, Sarita and Taylor Wilde had a habit during their interviews of Sarita firing off some lines in Spanish and Taylor going "What she said." In the exact same time period, Sarita's future Mexican America teammate Hernandez was doing the same thing with his tag team partner at the time, Matt Morgan. Nobody ever mentioned on-air that both duos were doing the exact same thing, presumably to avoid drawing attention to it.
• Winged Humanoid: Griffin wore a pair of wings as part of her entrance.