Axl Rotten
Axl Rotten | |
---|---|
Heroin overdose | |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Axl Rotten[1][2] Brian Knighton |
Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[3] |
Billed weight | 277 lb (126 kg)[3] |
Billed from | "Hostile City" Newcastle, England[4] |
Trained by | Ricky Lawless Joey Maggs |
Debut | 1987 |
Retired | October 30, 2014 |
Brian Knighton (April 21, 1971 – February 4, 2016), better known by the
Bad Breed competed in ECW's tag team division in the early years of the company until the team was forced to disband after losing to The Pitbulls and engaged in a rivalry against each other that Pro Wrestling Illustrated named Feud of the Year in 1995.
After an unsuccessful singles career, Rotten formed short-lived tag teams with Hack Meyers and D-Von Dudley before forming Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks with Balls Mahoney in 1997. The team lasted until he departed ECW in 1999. He then wrestled on the independent circuit and appeared at World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view in 2005.
Professional wrestling career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/AxlRottenApril2009Turnbuckle.png/250px-AxlRottenApril2009Turnbuckle.png)
Training and independent circuit (1986–1993)
Knighton was trained to wrestle by
In the early 1990s, Rotten trained
From 1991 to 1993, Axl and Ian Rotten had a run with the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) in Texas, being featured on their daily ESPN show. While in GWF, Axl succeeded in winning both the GWF Commonwealth title and the GWF Tag Team Championship, with Ian Rotten.
World Championship Wrestling (1991)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/AxlRottenChair2009.png/300px-AxlRottenChair2009.png)
In 1991, Rotten had a short stint with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he feuded with P. N. News. During his time with WCW, Rotten befriended Paul E. Dangerously, the future owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling.[1][6]
Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1999)
Bad Breed (1993–1995)
In 1993, the Bad Breed were hired by
Bad Breed next entered a feud with
Following his feud with Ian Rotten, it was announced on the July 4 episode of Hardcore TV that Axl would receive his very first opportunity for the
Teaming with D-Von Dudley (1996–1997)
Rotten lost to the debuting
At The Doctor Is In, Rotten competed against D-Von Dudley in a match which ended in a no contest after interference by Dudley Brothers. Rotten left with D-Von after the match and formed a tag team with D-Von, thus turning into a villainous character for the first time in his ECW career.[35] Beginning at Natural Born Killaz, Rotten and Dudley wrestled Dudley Brothers in a series of matches throughout the fall of 1996.[36][37][38] Rotten defeated his former tag team partner Hack Meyers at November to Remember.[39] Rotten and D-Von pursued the World Tag Team Championship, receiving title shots against The Gangstas on the December 10 episode of Hardcore TV[40] and The Eliminators at House Party on January 11, 1997,[41][42] but failed to win the titles. Rotten followed with a feud against Dudley Brothers member Spike Dudley, whom he defeated in matches at Winter Blowout[43] and CyberSlam.[44]
Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks (1997–1999)
D-Von Dudley went on to form a tag team with
Mahoney and Rotten were frequent contenders for the World Tag Team Championship but came up short in their bid for the titles. They received several title shots against Chris Candido and Lance Storm for the tag team titles including one at Wrestlepalooza on May 3, 1998, but came up short in their title opportunities.[47] Rotten was out of action due to injury in September and returned to ECW on December 4 by attacking Buh Buh Ray Dudley with a barbed wire baseball bat after a match between Dudley Boyz and The Gangstanators.[48] Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks would then challenge Rob Van Dam and Sabu for the World Tag Team Championship on numerous occasions including the House Party event on January 16, 1999, but failed to win the title.[49] They also entered a feud with Danny Doring and Roadkill after beating Doring and Roadkill and FBI in a three-way dance at Guilty as Charged,[50] resulting in Mahoney and Rotten taking on Doring and Roadkill in a series of matches including one at Crossing the Line, which Mahoney and Rotten won.[51] At CyberSlam, Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks and New Jack lost to Mr. Mustafa and the Dudley Boyz in an Ultimate Jeopardy match.[52]
At
Return to the independent circuit (1999–2014)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Axel_Rotton.jpg/220px-Axel_Rotton.jpg)
Rotten eventually left ECW in 1999 and appeared with
Rotten performed at the ECW reunion event
On October 30, 2014 Rotten's back gave away, and was left agony on the floor. He was hospitalized making him retire form the sport.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2005)
In June 2005, Rotten was temporarily hired by
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2010)
Rotten made a one-night appearance with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on August 8, 2010, at the ECW tribute show Hardcore Justice. Rotten teamed with Kahoneys (Balls Mahoney), losing to Team 3D in a "South Philadelphia Street Fight".[63]
Other media
Rotten appeared in an uncredited, non-speaking role on the first episode of the show Homicide: Life on the Street, entitled "Gone for Goode", seen being questioned in "The Box" while Lieutenant Al Giardello gives Det. Tim Bayliss his introductory tour of the Homicide Unit.
Personal life
Knighton was born in the
Knighton experienced a spine injury in his final years that forced him out of the ring and required the use of a wheelchair. He was living in Anchorage Rehab Center in Salisbury, Maryland. [64]
Death
Knighton was found dead by police in a McDonald's bathroom next to the hotel he was staying at in Linthicum, Maryland, on February 4, 2016. An autopsy showed that Knighton's cause of death was a heroin overdose.[65][66]
In July 2016, his estate was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[67] On October 21, 2016, it was revealed Knighton experienced CTE.[68] US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed the lawsuit in September 2018.[69]
Wrestlers trained
Championships and accomplishments
- AAWA
- AAWA cut up Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Allied Powers Wrestling Federation
- APWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[5]
- Eastern Wrestling Alliance
- EWA Hardcore Championship (1 time)
- Global Wrestling Federation
- GWF Commonwealth Championship (1 time)
- GWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ian Rotten
- Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
- IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[71]
- IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ian Rotten
- Maryland Championship Wrestling
- MCW Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)[72]
- Mid-America Wrestling
- MAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation
- MEWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- MEWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Corporal Punishment
- Match of the Year Achievement Award (1996) - with Corporal Punishment[73]
- National Wrestling League
- 1 time)
- NWL Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Morgus the Maniac
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #132 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996[74]
- PWI ranked him # 437 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
- PWI Feud of the Year (1995) vs. Ian Rotten
- PWI ranked him #132 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the
- Star Cavalcade Wrestling
- SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[5]
- SCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ricky Lawless[5]
- Universal Independent Wrestling
- UIW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[5]
See also
- The Bad Breed
- List of premature professional wrestling deaths
References
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- ^ Nix, Marc (2000). "Axl Rotten". IGN. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ a b "Axl Rotten". OWW.
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- ^ "ECW Winter Blowout". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
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- )
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- ^ Keller, Wade (June 13, 2005). "WWE Draft flashback - 2005 edition (06-06-05)". PWTorch.com. Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
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- ^ "Balls & Axl receive WWE tryout". WWE.com. WWE. July 13, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
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- ^ Title Match Wrestling (June 14, 2015). "Extreme Injuries, Hardcore Recovery - Pro Wrestling Documentary". Title Match Wrestling. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "Axl Rotten Passes Away [Updated". PWInsider.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Shaffer, Jonas. "Professional wrestler Axl Rotten died from overdose in Linthicum, according to police report".
- ^ "WWE sued in wrestler class action lawsuit featuring Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka, Paul 'Mr Wonderful' Orndorff". FoxSports.com. Fox Entertainment Group (21st Century Fox). July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "First case of CTE diagnosed in MMA fighter - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Robinson, Byron (September 22, 2018). "Piledriver: WWE uses 'Hell in a Cell' as springboard to future shows". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ "James Ellsworth profile". Cagematch. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ "Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
- Maryland Championship Wrestling (2009). "Axl Rotten". 2009 Inductee. MarylandWrestling.com. Archived from the originalon May 2, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
- ^ "[MEWF] MEWF Arena, Dundalk, MD - Feb. 2 [LONG]".
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 - 1996". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Brian Knighton at IMDb
- Axl Rotten's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database