Brian Adams

At 43 years old, Brian Adams has this physical status:

Brian Keith Adams (April 14, 1964-2007) was an American professional wrestler.

Adams is best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), under the banner Crush, and for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name Brian Adams.

Antonio Inoki was a two-time WCW Tag Team Champion, a one-time WWF Tag Team Champion, and a one-time AJPW World Tag Team Champion, among other things.

He was a challenger to many singles titles in the WWF and WCW, including the WWF Championship.

He briefly tried a boxing career before resuming due to back and shoulder pains.

He died of accidental respiratory disease caused by a combination of buprenorphine, carisoprodol, chlordiazepoxide, and alprazolam five years ago.

Early life

Brian Adams was born in Kona, Hawaii, and he was educated in Kealakekua, Hawaii, where he attended Konawaena High School. Adams began boxing after graduating from high school. He was also exposed to wrestling during his time in the USAF, while stationed in Japan. Adams was brought up by famed Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist Antonio Inoki. Adams came from Japan in 1986 and began working in Portland, Oregon's Pacific Northwest Wrestling. (PNW).

Personal life

Adams was arrested at his Kona, Hawaii, home on March 13, 1995, after narcotics investigators searched his house and discovered 500 units of anabolic steroids without prescriptions and several unregistered automatic weapons. He was released on $10,275 bail. Since pleaded no-contest to 11 counts of drug and weapons charges, he was sentenced to five years probation on October 28, 1995.

Adams played an uncredited role in the Bollywood film Khiladi in 1996. He played "Crush" and was killed by "The Undertaker" (played by Brian Lee) in a wrestling match.

Adams had surgery to try to heal his spinal injury, but it left him unfit to continue wrestling. Adams, a longtime friend, wrestler-turned-rapper Randy Savage, who was touring to market his album Be a Man after his retirement, became a bodyguard for his longtime buddy, wrestler-turned-rapper Randy Savage, who was touring to promote his album. Adams was reportedly living on the money from a Lloyd's of London insurance policy. Adams expressed keen interest in opening a health club in Tampa, Florida, which would be based on Marc Mero's "Body Slam" training center's franchise. Adams and his wife shared two children together.

He was one of Mark Calaway's most popular fans, who later became known as The Undertaker in WWE.

Source

Professional wrestling career

In 1986, Brian Adams made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut. However, his work visa came to an end after a tour in September 1987, requiring him to return to the United States.

Adams earned the nickname The American Ninja in November 1987 when he first appeared in the NWA Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) competition. Upon arrival, he feuded with Super Ninja, resulting in a loser-leaves match that Adams won. Adams left PNW in February 1988 to return to NJPW for a tour, this time under the assumed name of The Midnight Soldier. From February 29 to March 19, the NJPW tour ran from February 29 to March 19.

On returning to Portland, he did not return to PNW but instead joined Billy Jack Haynes, the Oregon Wrestling Federation. Adams competed in Portland, Oregon, until November 1988, when he joined Mike Miller in Memphis to fight for the Continental Wrestling Association, despite the fact that OWF quickly folded. Jerry Price lost to Lex Luger and Sting in a match for the World Championship Wrestling team later this month. Adams and Miller were drafted into All Japan Pro Wrestling in January 1989. The AJPW Tour ran from January 2 to 28.

Adams returned to PNW in March 1989, where he collaborated with Lord Jonathan Boyd and Carl Styles, feuding with The Barbarian, and Buddy Rose. Adams revived the masked Midnight Soldier persona in April 1989, causing The Grappler to pay $5000 to The Grappler for the mask. Adams was unveiled and heeled in September 1989 and joined forces with The Grappler in a tag team named "The Wrecking Crew." Adams and Grappler were the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champions for a time, and they were involved in a feud with the Southern Rockers, Steve Doll, and Rex King. He was in charge of Billy Jack Haynes' brief-lived Oregon Wrestling Federation in May 1988. He won the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship in 1990 after defeating Larry Oliver in Portland for the vacant title on April 21, 1990. In Portland, he lost the title to Scott Norton on May 12, 1990.

Adams won the WWF Wrestling Challenge in a tough match on August 9, 1989, defeating Barry Horowitz.

Adams made his debut in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in June 1990, while still working for the PNW, as Crush, the third member of the Tag Team Champions Demolition. With Adams and Demolition, the trio began exercising the Freebird Law, which enabled any combination of the three individuals to defend the tag team title, allowing Crush to become a Tag Team Champion. With Smash, he was brought in as a back-up for Ax in order to defend the titles. Crush debuted against the Rockers at a live event on June 5, where he and Smash successfully defended the titles against the Rockers. On the June 23 episode of Superstars, Crush made his television debut with Demolition, partnering with Smash in a quick victory over Paul Diamond and Joe Champ. After Ax (the illicit man) clotheslined and pinned Shawn Michaels on Saturday Night's Main Event XVII, Crush and Smash retained the titles against The Rockers. Demolition, with new member Crush, lost the title to The Hart Foundation in a two-out-of-three falls match, with Crush pinned for the final fall to lose the title. Demolition's attention shifted from the belts to their now-incipient rivalry with The Legion of Doom, which had escalated after the former team interfered in the title change match. Adams continued to perform as part of Demolition until WrestleMania VII, in which he and Smash lost to Genichiro Tenryu and Koji Kitao. The WWF decided not to disband Demolition as a unit after WrestleMania, but Demolition continued to function until September 1991.

Adams, who continued to use the Crush gimmick, returned to PNW after his release from WWF. On his return to action, he quickly became a fan favorite and was portrayed as a dominant wrestler, winning both the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship and the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship. Adams won the first of these two championships during his time in the PNW, alongside former competitor Steve Doll and defeating The Bruise Brothers for the Tag Team Championship in Portland, Oregon, on July 27, 1991. They remained champions until September 1, 1991, when they lost the championship to The Grappler and Don Harris. Adams earned his second Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title on October 12, 1991, in Portland, after defeating Rip Oliver via submission to the Full Nelson hold. Adams was the champion for just over three months, losing the title to Ron Harris at a show in Portland on January 18, 1992.

Adams returned to work with the WWF in 1992, retaining the Crush name and also a fan favorite, but this time using a new two-handed skull vice finisher named the Cranium Crunch. On May 9, 1992, episode of Superstars, Crush made his televised debut in WWF under his new name. According to the month, the two will continue to work at home. Crush defeated Repo Man (Barry Darsow, who also played Crush's former Demolition partner, Smash) at SummerSlam, in his first pay-per-view appearance under the gimmick. After being confronted with a deadly prosthetic arm while telling the clown about his cruel pranks on children at ringside, which caused Crush to miss the 1993 Royal Rumble, Crush became involved in a feud with Doink the Clown. The feud came to an end at WrestleMania IX, where Crush lost after a second, identical Doink appeared underneath the ring and struck Crush with the prosthetic arm. Crush met Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship at the first King of the Ring pay-per-view, but lost the match due to Doink's distraction.

Crush hurt his back in the Stars and Stripes Challenge on July 4, when attempting to slam the WWF Champion Yokozuna, who had a bill weight of 580 lb (260 kg). On the US Navy Aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the bodyslam challenge took place. Crush was the first wrestler to get Yokozuna off his feet, but his back was adamant, forcing him to stop. Lex Luger took the challenge. Crush unsuccessfully challenged Yokozuna for the WWF Championship on Monday Night Raw on July 12th. Yokozuna sent Luger a note by performing several Banzai Drops to Crush during the match. This was used to write Crush off television to recover from his back injury; he returned the following October.

Crush returned to WWF on Sunday Night Raw on Monday Night Raw's October 18 episode, versus on-screen friend Randy Savage because Savage had encouraged him to participate in the Body Slam Challenge and had failed to reach him during recovery. Crush allied himself with Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji, becoming a villain. The Gorilla Monsoon referred to the 'Tribal Hawaiian' on its gimmick. The latest Tribal gimmick featured a goatee, using a new face paint scheme distinct from his Demolition character, and a darker color scheme than the purple and orange Kona Crush characters. He was also billed as being from Kona, Hawaii (Hometown) & Polynesia, and occasionally Japan. Crush headlined the event against All-Americans (Lex Luger, The Undertaker, and The Steiner Brothers) at Survivor Series. In any match against Savage, which he lost, this rivalry resulted in a loss of a falls count.

Crush's new boss, Jeff Jartt, will win a King of the Ring qualifying match against Lex Luger on May 21 in a count-out, causing him to lose by countout. On the June 6 episode of Raw, Luger cost Crush a King of the Ring qualifier lumberjack match against Tatanka in revenge. As a result, the pair began a short course. During the war, Crush formed "Revenge of the Ancient Chieftains," a rivalry with Fuji's Yokozuna, battling The Headshrinkers for the Tag Team Championship at King of the Ring. They lost the game after Luger distracted Crush. Their rivalry came to a conclusion in a match on Sunday Night Slam's August 21 episode, which Luger defeated after Ted DiBiase distracted Crush. Crush began losing a series of non-televised matches to The Undertaker in early September and then departed the WWF.

Crush returned to the WWF in 1995 at Royal Rumble in the Royal Rumble game as the #30 entrant. Billy Gunn, Bart Gunn, Adam Bomb, and Headshrinker Fatu were all out before being banned by British Bulldog. In 1995, the Royal Rumble was Adams' first wrestling appearance for the WWF. He was arrested and jailed on March 13, while home in Hawaii, for purchasing steroids and carrying an illegal handgun. On the 25th anniversary of WWF Mania, Todd Pettengill revealed that Crush was arrested and dismissed (a public departure from WWF).

Adams was brought back to the WWF in July 1996 with a new biker glimpse at the beginning of the Monday Night Wars, with his real-life incarceration being included as part of a storyline on Raw. During his matches, the fans will chant 'jailbird' to follow the storyline.' On the September 12, 1996 episode of WWF, he made his surprise return to WWF, with Clarence Mason, his (kayfabe) advocate, as his boss. With a complete nelson, he stunned Savio Vega with a full nelson and launched the heart punch as his new finishing move. In a Survivor Series match against Marc Mero, Jerry Lawler, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Crush was paired with Goldust, Jerry Lawler, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Crush's staff was on the losing side. Crush and Clarence Mason formed Nation of Domination (NOD) under Faarooq, another Mason client.

When he came to the country in early 1997, Crush's rivalry with Vega came to an end. Faarooq was assisted by Crush in his feud with Ahmed Johnson. Crush argued with Savio Vega during Faarooq's WWF Championship title shot, which disconceived Faarooq, causing him to miss the game. Faarooq fired Raw is War, Crush, and Vega, as well as the majority of the world, on Saturday night, bringing Crush Face Crush Face for the first time since 1993. As a result, Crush became bitter rival with Faarooq and formed his own biker group, Disciples of Apocalypse, which was first introduced on Raw is War's June 23 episode.

During the late 1997, Crush led the DOA into a gang war against Faarooq's Nation of Domination and Savio Vega's Los Boricuas, which has since become a fan favorite. The three leaders fought at Ground Zero, which Vega won in a triple threat match. At SummerSlam, Badd Blood: In Your House, and the November 22 episode of Shotgun Saturday Night, there are trade winners among the DOA. DOA had their next rivalry with The Truth Commission, which culminated in a Survivor Series match between the two teams at Survivor Series, which the Truth Commission won.

Adams left the WWF in 1997, partially in opposition to the Montreal Screwjob. On the November 24 episode of Raw is War, his absence was explained by a storyline injury suffered during a brawl with Kane. Crush's last appearance was on Shotgun Saturday Night's November 29 episode, where DOA defeated enhancement specialists Steve Corino, Marty Garner, Jason Ahrndt, and Mike Hollow.

Adams made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on Feb. 16, 1998, as the newest member of the New World Order, revealing himself as the newest member of the New World Order. Adams made his in-ring debut on February 19th in a tag team match against Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart, resulting in a double disqualification. Adams left the nWo fort in April 1998 and joined Hollywood Hogan's nWo Hollywood group. In a losing effort, Adams made his pay-per-view (PPV) debut against Lex Luger at Slamboree.

Adams had a shot against Goldberg on the July 27 episode of Nitro, but didn't win the title. On the August 30 episode of Monday Nitro, Guerrero lost to Steve McMichael at Road Wild and pulled out a dramatic victory over Eddie Guerrero on Monday's Monday Nitro, only after Guerrero dropped down for Adams on purpose due to his struggle with WCW leadership.

Adams, a lower card wrestler, often tag-teamed with Scott Norton and Stevie Ray, occasionally losing matches against younger and less popular wrestlers. However, he has also won quick victories over development talents in singles competitions. Due to his massive build, he was often used by the nWo as a henchman. In Adams' debut at Starrcade, Adams and Norton defeated Fit Finlay and Jerry Flynn.

After all nWo wrestlers united, Adams was integrated into the nWo Black and White (nWo B-Team, a group of mid-card nWo wrestlers of the nWo Reunion. Adams was brought into a Horace Hogan partnership, and the two teams were competing in a tournament to determine the new World Tag Team Champions. Billy Kidman and Chavo Guerrero Jr. were voted out of office by Faces of Fear before losing to Curt Henning and William Benoit and Dean Malenko in semi-final matches.

After walking out on the New World Order and stepping inside a limousine that allegedly had the band inside, he was selected to represent "The Demon." He appeared in the character for the first time on the August 23 episode of Nitro, in which KISS also appeared live on KISS. He'll return to face Vampiro for a few minutes before ending it without wrestling. The Demon mantle was then moved to Dale Torborg, with no explanation given. Adams returned to fighting under his given name and regained his title shot against Sid Vicious on October 4 of Nitro, where he lost. Adams took a hiatus after defeating Horace Hogan on the October 13 episode of Thunder.

Adams made the biggest splash of his WCW career in 2000 when he was put into a tag team with Bryan Clark dubbed KroniK. Vince Russo's mercenaries in the New Blood stable at Spring Stampede, assisting Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell in defeating Ric Flair and Lex Luger in the World Tag Team Championship by delivering a High Times to Luger.

However, KroniK changed allegiances to The Millionaire's Club after Russo betrayed them, winning the World Tag Team Championship for the first time on May 15th, putting faces on the record. On the May 31 episode of Thunder, KroniK dropped the belts to New Blood members. KroniK defeated The Mamalukes at The Great American Bash to gain a championship shot at the tag team championships and began their second reign by defeating Perfect Event at Bash at the Beach. After losing them to Vaino and The Great Muta in a Four Corners match, KroniK entered a feud with the entire Natural Born Thrillers group and preserved the tag team titles against the Thrillers and Misfits.

At Fall Brawl, KroniK lost his first blood chain match to The Harris Brothers following the title loss. KroniK began working as "hired muscle" in the fall of 2000, based on WWF's tag team Acolytes Protection Agency's tag team. KroniK turned heels after Vince Russo managed to bribe them in order to force them to confront Goldberg, resulting in a handicap elimination match at Halloween Havoc, which Goldberg won.

In subsequent matches against the Filthy Animals in Mayhem and the Millennium Final, KroniK assisted the Boogie Knights defeating The Filthy Animals. KroniK were recruited by their former rivals, the Natural Born Thrillers, after they assisted them at the Starrcade tournament against Reno and Big Vito in a tag team match, during which Reno switched on Vito and learned who had paid KroniK to assault Vito in the previous weeks. KroniK turned against Thrillers founder Mike Sanders by assisting Ernest Miller in his quest to become the WCW Commissioner a month later. KroniK made their final pay-per-view appearance in a top contender's match for the tag team championships the following month, at SuperBrawl Revenge, where they were supposed to face Totally Buffed (Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell). Clark was hurt by Mike Awesome before the game, causing Adams to face them in a handicap contest, which he lost. KroniK remained with WCW until it was purchased by WWF on March 23, 2001.

KroniK appeared in WWF as part of the Alliance storyline following the WWF's acquisition of WCW. They were supervised by Steven Richards during WWF and were placed in a short feud with The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane). At the 2001 Unforgiven pay-per-view, Adams and Clark faced, and lost to, the pair. Adams was sent by Heartland Wrestling Association, a WWF development territory. They were all released shortly after.

In early 2002, Adams and Clark briefly appeared for the World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA). They then travelled to Japan to work for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). Adams and Clark defeated Keiji Mutoh and Taiy Kea for the World Tag Team Championship on July 17, 2002, at an AJPW pay-per-view. Adams and Clark were champions until November 2002, when AJPW announced the title vacant because Adams had left the field to pursue a boxing career.

Adams returned to wrestling for "Wrestle 1," a pay-per-view for the Japanese promotion W-1, which was held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, after recovering from his shoulder injury. In January 2003, he made his last in-ring appearance, assisting Bryan Clark, and losing to Bill Goldberg and Keiji Mutoh in a losing battle. In this match that prompted him to withdraw, he sustained a spinal injury, which forced him to withdraw.

Boxing career

Adams was supposed to have his first boxing match against Rick Zufale on November 16, 2002, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, with professional wrestler Randy Savage in his corner. Adams strained his shoulder during his preparations for the match and was unable to fight, but it was scheduled to air on the Never Surrender boxing pay-per-view.

Source