Brian Knighton, who wrestled as Axl Rotten in the original Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was found deceased in a Baltimore motel on Thursday. The retired pro-wrestler was just 44 years old.
Knighton gained fame and notoriety in the mid-’90s, when he and his fictitious brother did battle all over the ECW area in a variety of weapons matches that saw carnage and buckets of blood. The feud helped put ECW on the map as one of the most violent wrestling organizations in North America. The blond grappler would go on to team with Balls Mahoney in a tandem that was immensely popular with the ECW crowd, but Paul Heyman released Rotten in 1999. Knighton appeared in TNA briefly, for one of Tommy Dreamer’s Hardcore Justice shows, but he never made it to the grand stage of WWE. Throughout his bloody battles in ECW and elsewhere, Knighton ended up with scars all over his face and body.
In the years since ECW, PWInsider claims that Knighton fell on hard times, delving into drug addiction and isolation. As of this writing, there is no cause of death, and there has been no mention of any drugs that may have been present at the scene of his demise. WWE has issued the following statement in the wake of his passing:
WWE is saddened to learn of reports that Brian Knighton, best known for competing in ECW as Axl Rotten from 1993 to 1999, has passed away. WWE extends its condolences to Knighton’s family, friends and fans.
