BREAKING: Axl Rotten dead at age 44

[Scotch Hall]

Brian Knighton, professionally known as Axl Rotten, was found deceased today in Baltimore, Maryland. According to sources we have spoken with, he was found by authorities in a motel. He had tweeted earlier today, so the belief is he passed away sometime in the last ten hours. Knighton was only 44 years old.



Knighton was best known for his run in the original Extreme Championship Wrestling, where a feud with his storyline brother and former tag team partner Ian Rotten resulted in ECW getting a ton of magazine press and online buzz for the usage of barbed wire baseball bats and a level of blood and violence that wasn't the norm in 1995 anywhere but some of the Japanese death match promotions. The feud was named the 1995 "Feud of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated Magazine and at the time, the throwback to the old days of wide-eyed, bloody photos in the magazines, mixed with the storyline of two "brothers" trying to maim each other with barbed wire, led to ECW far more coverage than it would have likely

r.i.p breh only dude in wrestling New Jack fukked with

 

[InstantKlassik]

Damn. R.i.P.

 

[jerniebert]

Damn that Era of wrestling was living crazy. Rip

 

[MushroomX]

 

[Xane Vic]

It's a bad month for pro wrestling.

R.I.P. to the man.

 

[The Rainmaker]

That extreme life can take a toll on anyone. R.I.P.

 

[SAJ!!]

The 90s were a crazy era for wrestling that we will never see again

RIP

 

[COQWAVE]

od?

 

[DoubleJ13]

Can't believe he was only 44

 

[DamonDashsRocAFellaChain]

rip

 

[Scotch Hall]

od?

most likely

While the circumstances of his death are not yet known, the fear (and in some cases, belief) among those who knew him is that it was likely drug-related as the motel he was found in was well known locally in Baltimore as being a seedy location. If that is indeed the case, Brian Knighton deserved better but moreso than that, his family did.

 

[Green Ranger]

only 44dude had alot more living to do

 

[Mastamimd]

RIP

 

[Honga Ciganesta]

Very sad story. His body was destroyed at a pretty young age from that ECW style and he had serious drug issues. Classic sleazy and depressing wrestling story tbf.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Jesus Christ

I remember watching him and Balls Mahoney have some ridiculous matches with the Dudleys and teaming up with Tanaka. Nothing but chair shots to the head.

R.I,P. to him, a crazy time he wrestled in.