Real name: Brian Adams
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 322 lbs.
Date of birth: January 31, 1963
Date of death: August 13, 2007
From: Kona, HI
Pro debut: 1986
Trained by: NJPW
Finishing move: High Time
Audio: Adams interviewed on the Gerweck Report Hotline
Biography
– Adams joined the US Air Force out of high school and was stationed in Japan. During his time in the country, he discovered puroresu and trained under Antonio Inoki
– Adams debuted for NJPW in 1986, regularly battling fellow rookie Kenichi Oya, but work permit issues forced him to return to the US in late 1987
– Adams continued his wrestling career in the Portland territory, working both under his real name, and as the masked ‘American Ninja’
– Adams returned to Japan for a tour with NJPW in early 1988
– After a brief stint in Memphis, Adams returned to Japan, this time working for All Japan
– Adams wrestled a WWF dark match in August 1989
– On December 14, 1989, Adams & The Grappler defeated The Southern Rockers (Steve Doll & Rex King) to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On January 6, 1990, Adams & The Grappler defeated Jeff Warner & Beetlejuice to retain the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On April 21, Adams defeated Larry Oliver in the final of a tournament to win the vacant NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title, but would drop it to Scott Norton three weeks later
– Adams debuted for the WWF in June 1990, working as a member of the Demolition group, eventually being named ‘Crush’
– On the July 16, 1990 episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Demolition (Crush & Smash) defeated The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) to retain the WWF Tag Team Titles
– Crush was briefly involved with WWF’s SWS crossover shows in Japan
– Adams departed the WWF in the summer of 1991 and returned to the Portland territory, still using the Crush name
– On July 27, Crush & Steve Doll defeated The Bruise Brothers (Ron & Don Harris) to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On November 16, Crush defeated Billy Jack Haynes to retain the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title
– On December 25, Crush defeated Buddy Rose to retain the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title
– On January 25, 1992, Crush defeated The Harris Brothers (Ron & Don) in a Handicap Match to retain the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title
– Adams returned to the WWF in early 1992, still under the Crush name, but using a new ‘surfer’ gimmick
– At Summerslam 1992, Crush defeated Repo Man
– Crush wrestled a dark match on the first episode of Monday Night Raw, defeating Bam Bam Bigelow by DQ
– At the 1993 UK Rampage event, Crush defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels by DQ
– On November 15, 1993, Crush defeated Jeff Jarrett to win the USWA Heavyweight Title
– Crush was fired from the WWF in March 1995 due to an arrest for purchasing steroids, but would return to the company in the summer of 1996
– In late 1996, Crush joined the Nation of Domination
– At In Your House 13, The Nation Of Domination (Crush, Faarooq & Savio Vega) defeated Flash Funk, Bart Gunn & Goldust
– At In Your House 15, The Nation Of Domination defeated Ahmed Johnson in a Gauntlet Match
– In the summer of 1997, Crush (along with the rest of the faction) was ‘fired’ by Nation leader Faarooq. Crush would go on to form his own faction, The Disciples of Apocalypse (DOA)
– At In Your House 18, DOA (Crush, Chainz, Skull & 8-Ball) defeated Los Boricuas (Savio Vega, Miguel Perez, Jose Estrada & Jesus Castillo)
– Adams walked out on the WWF following the Montreal Screwjob in November 1997. He would soon surface in WCW and join the nWo
– At Starrcade 1998, Adams & Scott Norton defeated Fit Finlay & Jerry Flynn
– Adams won the MTV SnowBrawl Battle Royal in January 1999
– Following the demise of the nWo in its original format, Adams was repackaged as ‘The Demon’, a KISS-themed wrestler. He would portray the character twice before switching back to working under his real name
– In the spring of 2000, Adams was partnered with Bryan Clarke as ‘KroniK’
– On the May 15 Nitro, KroniK defeated The Franchise & The Wall to win the WCW Tag Team Titles
– At The 2000 Great American Bash, KroniK defeated The Mamalukes (Big Vito & Johnny The Bull)
– At Bash At The Beach 2000, KroniK defeated The Perfect Event (Chuck Palumbo & Shawn Stasiak) to regain the WCW Tag Team Titles
– On the July 24 Nitro, KroniK fought Jeff Jarrett to a no-contest in a Handicap Match to retain the WCW Tag Team Titles
– A week later, KroniK defeated Sean O’Haire & Mark Jindrak and The Great Muta & Vampiro to retain the WCW Tag Team Titles
– On the August 7 Nitro, KroniK defeated Sean O’Haire & Mark Jindrak by DQ to retain the WCW Tag Team Titles
– On the following episode of Thunder, KroniK defeated O’Haire & Jindrak and The Perfect Event (Chuck Palumbo & Shawn Stasiak) to retain the WCW Tag Team Titles
– At New Blood Rising, KroniK defeated The Perfect Event, O’Haire & Jindrak and The Misfits In Action (Corporal Cajun & General Rection) to retain the WCW Tag Team Titles
– At Millennium Final, KroniK defeated The Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman & Rey Misterio Jr)
– KroniK’s contracts were picked up by the WWF upon their purchase of WCW. They would debut on the September 4, 2001 episode of Smackdown, attacking The Undertaker
– Following an infamously bad match at Unforgiven 2001 against The Undertaker & Kane, KroniK were sent back to WWF developmental. Clarke walked out of the company in disgust, whilst Adams had a short stint in HWA before his contract was bought out in November
– KroniK reunited for WWA’s The Revolution event in February 2002, defeating Navajo Warrior & Ghostwalker
– On July 17, KroniK defeated Keiji Muto & Taiyo Kea to win the AJPW Tag Team Titles
– On August 30, KroniK defeated Mike Barton & Jim Steele to retain the AJPW Tag Team Titles
– Adams vacated his half of the titles in October 2002, following his decision to leave wrestling in favour of a career in boxing
– Adams was scheduled for his first boxing match on November 16, 2002, but was forced to pull out due to injury. Interestingly, Randy Savage was scheduled to be Adams’ cornerman
– Adams returned to All Japan in January 2003, but would suffer a spinal injury in his first match back, forcing his retirement from in-ring competition
– In retirement, Adams would work as a bodyguard and had plans to open a gym in Tampa
– Adams passed away on August 13, 2007. It was reported that his death was caused by an overdose of prescription drugs