Axl Rotten

Real name: Brian Knighton
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 285 lbs.
Date of birth: April 21, 1971
Date of death: February 4, 2016
From: Baltimore, MD
Pro debut: 1986
Trained by: Ricky Lawless & Joey Maggs
Finishing move: S.S.T.

Biography

– Knighton began his career in the mid-1980s, taking his ringname as a portmanteau of Axl Rose and Johnny Rotten
– Rotten had a short stint with WCW in late 1991
– On January 29, 1993, Bad Breed (Axl & Ian Rotten) defeated Bobby Duncum Jr & John Hawk to win the GWF North American Tag Team Titles
– In late 1993, Bad Breed were signed to ECW and debuted at the October 1 ‘Bloodfest’ event
– On November 14, Bad Breed defeated Rich Myers & Jimmy Jannetty, Southern Destruction (I & II) and Tony Stetson & Johnny Hotbody in an Elimination Match to win the ASWA and MEWF Tag Team Titles
– At Hostile City Showdown 1995, Rotten defeated Ian Rotten in a Barbed Wire Baseball Bat Match
– At Hardcore Heaven 1995, Rotten defeated Ian Rotten in a Taipei Death Match
– At November To Remember 1995, Rotten defeated JT Smith
– At Hostile City Showdown 1996, Rotten defeated Little Guido
– At Hardcore Heaven 1996, Rotten & Hack Myers fought The Samoan Gangsta Party (Sammy Silk & Mack Daddy Kane) to a no-contest
– On June 30, Rotten & Corporal Punishment defeated Joe Thunder & Johnny Gunn in a Cage Match. Rotten then defeated Punishment in a singles encounter to win what was Gunn’s MEWF Heavyweight Title
– On August 11, Rotten defeated Hack Myers to retain the MEWF Heavyweight Title
– On August 16, Rotten & Corporal Punishment defeated Darkside (Glen Osbourne & Rockin’ Rebel) to win the MEWF Tag Team Titles
– At November To Remember 1996, Rotten defeated Hack Myers
– On November 23, Rotten defeated Mark Shrader to regain the MEWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 27, Rotten defeated Mark Shrader to retain the MEWF Heavyweight Title
– At Cyberslam 1997, Rotten defeated Spike Dudley
– At Hardcore Heatwave 1997, Rotten & Balls Mahoney (later dubbed ‘The Hardcore Chair Swinging Freaks’) defeated The FBI (Tracy Smothers & Little Guido)
– At Ultimate Jeopardy 1997, Rotten defeated John Kronus, Tracy Smothers & D-Von Dudley in an Elimination Match
– At House Party 1998, Rotten, Balls Mahoney & Tommy Dreamer defeated The FBI (Tracy Smothers, Tommy Rich & Little Guido)
– On February 13, 1998, Rotten defeated Bull Pain to win the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
– At Cyberslam 1998, Rotten, Balls Mahoney & The Sandman defeated John Kronus, New Jack & Spike Dudley and The Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray, D-Von & Big Dick) in an Elimination Match
– On February 27, Rotten defeated Mad Man Pondo to retain the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
– On April 19, Rotten defeated Sheik Abdul Hassan to win the APWF Heavyweight Title
– On August 16, Rotten, Corporal Punishment and The Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher) defeated The Pitbulls (1 & 2), Jimmy Cicero & Julio Sanchez to win the MCW Tag Team Titles for The Headbangers
– At Guilty As Charged 1999, Rotten & Balls Mahoney defeated Danny Doring & Roadkill and The FBI (Tracy Smothers & Little Guido) in an Elimination Match
– Rotten left ECW in December 1999
– On April 1, 2000, Rotten defeated Blaze in a Lumberjack Strap Match to win the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
– On March 2, 2002, Bad Breed (Axl & Ian Rotten) defeated Corporal Robinson & Cash Flo and Mitch Page & Rollin’ Hard in a 3-Way Dance to win the vacant IWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
– On March 8, Bad Breed defeated Mitch Page & Rollin’ Hard to retain the IWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
– The next day, Rotten defeated CM Punk to win the MAW Heavyweight Title
– On February 5, 2005, Rotten & Mogus The Maniac defeated Headshrinker Samu & The Super Destroyer to win the vacant NWL Tag Team Titles
– On March 18, Rotten defeated Storm Trooper to retain the NWL Hardcore Title
– On April 25, Rotten defeated Chuckie Manson & Switchblade to retain the NWL Hardcore Title
– On July 9, Bad Breed (Axl & Ian Rotten) defeated The Iron Saints (Sal & Vito Thomaselli) to win the IWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
– Rotten made a pair of appearances on WWE Heat later that month
– On August 5, Bad Breed (Axl & Ian Rotten) defeated The Iron Saints (Sal & Vito Thomaselli) to retain the IWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
– Rotten competed at TNA Hardcore Justice 2010
– On February 4, 2016, Rotten was found dead of a heroin overdose