Axl Rotten American professional wrestler Date of Birth: 21.04.1971 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Training
2. Debut and Formation of Bad Breed
3. Independent Promotion and WCW Stint
4. Global Wrestling Federation and ECW
5. Rivalry with Ian Rotten and Reunion
6. ECW Heavyweight Division and Tag Teams
7. Independent Years and WWE Debut

Early Life and Training

Brian Knight was born on April 21, 1971, in Baltimore, Maryland. After witnessing a professional wrestling match on television, he developed a passion for the sport and began training under former wrestler Jim Leon at a boxing gym in his hometown. He received additional guidance from former WCW World Heavyweight Champion and jobbing wrestler Joey Maggs.

Debut and Formation of Bad Breed

Knight made his wrestling debut in 1986 shortly after Leon was murdered. He adopted the ring name "Axl Rotten" and became known for his affiliation with Bad Breed, a tag team he formed with future professional wrestler Ian Rotten. This duo wrestled primarily in the Central Eastern Wrestling Federation.

Independent Promotion and WCW Stint

Rotten later established his own professional wrestling promotion, Universal Independent Wrestling, in Maryland. The organization showcased Bad Breed, featured stars like Bam Bam Bigelow and Scotty The Body, and produced a weekly television series airing on ABC's local affiliate. Universal Independent Wrestling ceased operations in the mid-1990s.

In 1991, Rotten had a brief stint in WCW, where he engaged in a feud with wrestler and rapper P. N. News.

Global Wrestling Federation and ECW

After leaving WCW, Knight and Ian Rotten joined the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) in Texas, where they were featured on ESPN cable television broadcasts. Axl Rotten won the GWF Commonwealth Championship and the GWF Tag Team Championship with Ian Rotten.

In 1993, Bad Breed moved to the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion, competing in the tag team division. The team disbanded at the November to Remember 1994 event, after losing a match stipulated that the losers would be forced to break up.

Rivalry with Ian Rotten and Reunion

The Rotten brothers turned on each other, igniting a heated rivalry. They first wrestled against each other on February 4, 1995. Their feud continued through several hardcore matches over the next 17 months and culminated at Hardcore Heaven on July 1, 1995, where Axl defeated Ian in a Taipei Deathmatch. They reconciled and re-formed their team in early 1996.

ECW Heavyweight Division and Tag Teams

Axl Rotten competed in the ECW heavyweight division through the end of 1996. In 1997, he teamed with Big Ball Mahoney, followed by alliances with Spike Dudley and New Jack, to battle their main rivals, The Dudley Boyz. Mahoney and Rotten remained a team into 1999, occasionally facing each other in the ring as well.

Independent Years and WWE Debut

Rotten departed ECW in 1999 and wrestled for Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Japanese Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling. He continued working independently throughout the early 2000s.

On June 6, 2005, Rotten made his WWE debut, invading the ring alongside several former ECW wrestlers. Bad Breed reunited briefly on June 10 at the Hardcore Homecoming event during a brawl against The Gangstanators. However, Axl Rotten turned on Ian and defeated him in a Taipei Deathmatch on the November 4 episode of Hardcore Homecoming. He never signed a contract with WWE.