professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

Ian Rotten John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the United States Wrestlin ...

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Natio ...

Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

Hack Meyers Donald Haviland (December 7, 1973 – December 5, 2015) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Hack Meyers. He was best known for his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1993 to 1996. Professional wrestling ...

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

Ricky Lawless Medardo Jim "Jimmy" Leon Jr.Felsenthal, Mark. "Police Find Murder Suspect In Jail – Computer Aids in Tracking Down Fugitive." '' The Daily Press'' (Newport News). 18 Mar. 1989: D6. (December 3, 1959 – November 30, 1988) was an American profes ...

Joey Maggs Joseph Magliano (1968/1969 – October 2006), better known by the ring name "Jumping" Joey Maggs, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 1998. Professio ...

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsrockers Axl Rose and Johnny Rotten. Rotten won his first championship teaming with Lawless to win the tag team titles in Frank Cain's Star Cavalcade Wrestling during the summer of 1988. He also succeeded Lawless as the promotion's heavyweight champion when, shortly after reigning champion Ricky Lawless was murdered, he won the vacant title from The Psycho in

Thomasville, Georgia Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The population was 18,413 at the 2010 United States Census, making it the second largest city in southwest Georgia after Albany. The city deems itself the "City of Roses" an ...

, on November 30, 1988. In the early 1990s, Rotten trained

Ian Rotten John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the United States Wrestlin ...

, who formed a

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

with Axl, masquerading as his brother and taking his stage name from

Cheech Marin :''The surname'' Marin ''is of Spanish language origin. In Spanish, it is spelled'' Marín'', with an acute accent on the'' í. Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is an American actor, musician, comedian, and activist who gain ...

's character in '' Get Out of My Room''. The duo, known as The Bad Breed, wrestled primarily in the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation. Axl later opened his own

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails man ...

in Maryland called Universal Independent Wrestling. The promotion featured wrestlers such as the Bad Breed,

Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned mos ...

and Scotty The Body. It had a television series that aired on Saturday nights on the local ABC channel. The promotion closed in the mid-1990s. 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 ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

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)

300px, Rotten holding one of his signature chairs in 2009 In 1991, Rotten had a short stint with

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Natio ...

(WCW), where he feuded with P. N. News. During his time with WCW, Rotten befriended

Paul E. Dangerously Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight ...

, the future owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling

Bad Breed (1993–1995)

In 1993, the Bad Breed were hired by Paul Heyman, the then- booker of the

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

-based Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion as a fan favorite tag team, debuting for the promotion at NWA Bloodfest on October 1 by defeating Chad Austin and Todd Shaw. They made their televised debut on the October 5 episode of '' Hardcore TV'', losing to Badd Company. They competed in ECW's tag team division, where they unsuccessfully challenged Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody for the

Tag Team Championship A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...

at

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...

. They were initially allied with

Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – a ...

until the team were sent to United States Wrestling Association (USWA) in 1994. Bad Breed returned to ECW on the June 21 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', where they challenged The Public Enemy for the Tag Team Championship, which Public Enemy retained as the match ended in a no contest. Bad Breed defeated Hack Myers and Rockin' Rebel at

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

, and then unsuccessfully challenged Public Enemy for the World Tag Team Championship in a Baseball Brawl match at Hardcore Heaven. Bad Breed next entered a feud with The Pitbulls, to whom they lost in a match at

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...

. On the January 17, 1995, episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Bad Breed lost to Pitbulls in a rematch which stipulated that the losing team would be forced to break up. Both Rotten brothers blamed one another for the loss and Ian

turn Turn may refer to: Arts and entertainment Dance and sports * Turn (dance and gymnastics), rotation of the body * Turn (swimming), reversing direction at the end of a pool * Turn (professional wrestling), a transition between face and heel * Turn, ...

ed on Axl by hitting him with a chair after the loss, playing off real-life ill feelings, a

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

developed that ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

'' named Feud of the Year in 1995. The former partners traded wins at

Double Tables Double Tables was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on February 4, 1995 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The commentator for the event was Joey Styles. The e ...

and

Return of the Funker Return of the Funker was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on February 25, 1995 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The commentator for the ...

. They faced one another in a variety of hardcore matches over the next few months, including a

hair versus hair match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

at

Three Way Dance Three Way Dance was a professional wrestling live event produced by Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) on April 8, 1995. The event was held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was a "double header" event with ...

, a barbed wire baseball bat match at Hostile City Showdown and a barbed wire baseball bat barbed wire chair match at Enter the Sandman, all of which Axl won. A reunion was teased between Bad Breed at

Barbed Wire, Hoodies and Chokeslams Barbed Wire, Hoodies & Chokeslams was a professional wrestling live event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on June 17, 1995. The event was held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Excerpts from Ba ...

on June 17, where they were supposed to take on Public Enemy for the World Tag Team Championship but Bill Alfonso overruled the decision due to Bad Breed being banned from competing as a team. Their feud finally ended at Hardcore Heaven, when Axl defeated Ian in a Taipei Deathmatch. 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 World Heavyweight Championship against The Sandman at

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

, where Rotten failed to win the title. Rotten then floundered in the mid-card, defeating J.T. Smith at

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...

.

Teaming with D-Von Dudley (1996–1997)

Rotten lost to the debuting

Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

in RVD's first ECW match at House Party on January 5, 1996. Rotten would then team with El Puerto Riqueño in a loss to The Headhunters at Big Apple Blizzard Blast. His failures in singles competition continued as he would lose against the likes of J.T. Smith, The Sandman and Shane Douglas in subsequent matches. Rotten began a rivalry with

The Full Blooded Italians The Full Blooded Italians (or F.B.I.) are an American professional wrestling stable and tag team that wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from the mid-1990s to early-2000s and for World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE) during the mi ...

, defeating FBI member Little Guido at Hostile City Showdown. At

A Matter of Respect A Matter of Respect was a professional wrestling supercard event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engage ...

, Rotten teamed with

Hack Meyers Donald Haviland (December 7, 1973 – December 5, 2015) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Hack Meyers. He was best known for his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1993 to 1996. Professional wrestling ...

against FBI members J.T. Smith and Little Guido in a losing effort. Rotten then formed a tag team with Meyers as they took on The Samoan Gangsta Party at Hardcore Heaven, which ended in a no contest due to interference by The Gangstas and The Eliminators. At

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

, Rotten competed against Tarzan Goto in a losing effort. 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

turn Turn may refer to: Arts and entertainment Dance and sports * Turn (dance and gymnastics), rotation of the body * Turn (swimming), reversing direction at the end of a pool * Turn (professional wrestling), a transition between face and heel * Turn, ...

ing into a villainous

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

for the first time in his ECW career. Beginning at Natural Born Killaz, Rotten and Dudley wrestled Dudley Brothers in a series of matches throughout the fall of 1996. Rotten defeated his former tag team partner Hack Meyers at

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...

. Rotten and D-Von pursued the World Tag Team Championship, receiving title shots against The Gangstas on the December 10 episode of ''Hardcore TV'' and The Eliminators at House Party on January 11, 1997, 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'' and

CyberSlam CyberSlam was a professional wrestling supercard event and fan convention produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1996 to 2000. Background It began in 1995 with the Double Tables event, held at the ECW Arena. The event was held for ...

.

Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks (1997–1999)

D-Von Dudley went on to form a tag team with Buh Buh Ray Dudley called Dudley Boyz at Crossing the Line Again, which broke up Rotten's team with D-Von and Rotten moved on to singles competition. Shortly after, he formed a tag team with newcomer Balls Mahoney called The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks, thus

turn Turn may refer to: Arts and entertainment Dance and sports * Turn (dance and gymnastics), rotation of the body * Turn (swimming), reversing direction at the end of a pool * Turn (professional wrestling), a transition between face and heel * Turn, ...

ing into a fan favorite again. The team began pursuing the World Tag Team Championship and feuded with teams such as Dudley Boyz,

The Full Blooded Italians The Full Blooded Italians (or F.B.I.) are an American professional wrestling stable and tag team that wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from the mid-1990s to early-2000s and for World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE) during the mi ...

and The Gangstanators for the title. Rotten made his

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...

debut at

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...

, where Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks competed against Gangstanators, FBI and Dudley Boyz in a four-way dance for the tag team titles, where they were the last team eliminated by defending champions Full Blooded Italians. Mahoney and Rotten often teamed with the likes of New Jack and Spike Dudley to feud with Dudley Boyz and The Full Blooded Italians. 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. 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. 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. They also entered a feud with

Danny Doring and Roadkill Danny Doring and Roadkill were a tag team in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1996 to 2001. They were the final ECW World Tag Team Champions, holding the titles until the promotion closed in 2001. History Extreme Championship Wrestling In ...

after beating Doring and Roadkill and FBI in a three-way dance at Guilty as Charged, 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. At

CyberSlam CyberSlam was a professional wrestling supercard event and fan convention produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1996 to 2000. Background It began in 1995 with the Double Tables event, held at the ECW Arena. The event was held for ...

, Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks and New Jack lost to Mr. Mustafa and the Dudley Boyz in an

Ultimate Jeopardy match WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of either four, five, or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not ...

. At Anarchy Rulz, Rotten issued a challenge to Mike Awesome for the World Heavyweight Championship, right before the World Television Championship main event match but was confronted and attacked by Impact Players and Johnny Smith, who was the scheduled opponent for World Television Champion

Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

. Balls Mahoney and Spike Dudley made the rescue for Rotten by attacking Impact Players and Smith, resulting in Mahoney substituting for Smith and went on to lose. Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks would feud with the likes of

The New Dangerous Alliance The Dangerous Alliance was a professional wrestling stable who was active in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in 1987 and in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s. The group derives its ...

and Da Baldies during the fall of 1999. At

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...

, the Freaks teamed with New Jack to take on Da Baldies (

Spanish Angel Angel Medina (born February 28, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Angel. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 as a member of Da Baldies. Profession ...

,

Tony DeVito Anthony DeVito (born January 20, 1972) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Ring of Honor. Professional wrestling career Early ca ...

, P. N. News and Vito LoGrasso) in a three-on-four handicap match, which they lost to Baldies. On the December 19 episode of '' ECW on TNN'', Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks defeated Baldies members P. N. News and Vito LoGrasso in a

falls count anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

, in which the loser of the fall would be forced to leave ECW, thus forcing Vito out of ECW. Rotten wrestled his last ECW match on December 9, in which he and New Jack defeated Tony DeVito and P.N. News.

Return to the independent circuit (1999–2014)

Rotten eventually left ECW in 1999 and appeared with Xtreme Pro Wrestling and the Japanese Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling promotion. Rotten then wrestled on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

throughout the early 2000s. Rotten performed at the ECW reunion event Hardcore Homecoming on June 10, 2005, reuniting with Ian Rotten in a loss to The Gangstanators. At the follow-up event, November Reign, on November 6, 2005, Rotten defeated Ian Rotten in a Taipei Death match. Rotten also wrestled at the Extreme Reunion event on April 28, 2012, facing Balls Mahoney.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2005)

In June 2005, Rotten was temporarily hired by

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

(WWE) for its ECW tribute

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...

, One Night Stand. He debuted in WWE on the June 6, 2005, episode of '' Raw'', storming the ring with several other ECW alumni. At One Night Stand on June 12, 2005, Rotten, Balls Mahoney and

Kid Kash David Tyler Cash (born July 31, 1969) better known by his ring name Kid Kash, is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, best known for his tenures with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...

brawled with The Blue World Order prior to the main event. Rotten went to wrestle several

dark matches Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...

for WWE in July 2005.

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".

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

Fell's Point Fell's Point is a historic waterfront neighborhood in southeastern Baltimore, Maryland. It was established around 1763 along the north shore of the Baltimore Harbor and the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco River. The area has many antique, music, ...

neighborhood of

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. He attended Southern High School, leaving in eleventh grade to pursue his ambition of becoming a professional wrestler. 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 Salisbury () is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, and the largest city in the state's Eastern Shore region. The population was 33,050 at the 2020 census. Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury ...

.

Death

Knighton was found dead by police in a

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold ...

bathroom next to the hotel he was staying at in

Linthicum, Maryland Linthicum is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 10,324 at the 2010 census. It is located directly north of Baltimore–Washington International Thurgoo ...

, on February 4, 2016. An autopsy showed that Knighton's cause of death was a heroin overdose. In July 2016, his estate was named part of a

class action A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The 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. On October 21, 2016, it was revealed Knighton experienced CTE. US District Judge

Vanessa Lynne Bryant Vanessa Lynne Bryant (born January 27, 1954) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Early life Bryant was born in Queens, New York, and graduated from Howard University with ...

dismissed the lawsuit in September 2018.

Wrestlers trained

*

Ian Rotten John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the United States Wrestlin ...

* James Ellsworth

Championships and accomplishments

*AAWA **AAWA cut up Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Allied Powers Wrestling Federation **APWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *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 The IWA World Championship is the major title in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South based in Louisville, Kentucky. The title debuted at the "Crowning of a Champion" event on April 3, 1997, when Tower of Doom won a twelve man tournamen ...

(

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outsid ...

) ** IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship (

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outsid ...

) – with Ian Rotten * Maryland Championship Wrestling ** MCW Hall of Fame (Class of 2009) *Mid-America Wrestling **MAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation ** MEWF Heavyweight Championship (

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outsid ...

) ** MEWF Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Corporal Punishment **Match of the Year Achievement Award (1996) - with Corporal Punishment *National Wrestling League ** NWL Hardcore Championship ( 1 time) ** NWL Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Morgus the Maniac *''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

'' **PWI ranked him #132 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996 **PWI ranked him # 437 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003 **

PWI Feud of the Year This is a list of both active and inactive ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' awards which are voted on by ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') readers every year from 1972 onwards, expanding to more categories in later years. Unlike other wrestling ...

(1995) vs.

Ian Rotten John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the United States Wrestlin ...

*Star Cavalcade Wrestling **SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **SCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with

Ricky Lawless Medardo Jim "Jimmy" Leon Jr.Felsenthal, Mark. "Police Find Murder Suspect In Jail – Computer Aids in Tracking Down Fugitive." '' The Daily Press'' (Newport News). 18 Mar. 1989: D6. (December 3, 1959 – November 30, 1988) was an American profes ...

*Universal Independent Wrestling **UIW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rotten, Axl 1971 births 2016 deaths American male professional wrestlers Drug-related deaths in Maryland ECW Originals members Professional wrestlers with chronic traumatic encephalopathy Professional wrestlers from Maryland Sportspeople from Baltimore American people with disabilities 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers GWF Tag Team Champions

Professional wrestling career

Training and independent circuit (1986–1993)

World Championship Wrestling (1991)

Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling

Bad Breed (1993–1995)

Teaming with D-Von Dudley (1996–1997)

Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks (1997–1999)

Return to the independent circuit (1999–2014)

World Wrestling Entertainment (2005)

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2010)

Other media

Personal life

Death

Wrestlers trained

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

External links