Ian Rotten

Infobox Wrestler
name=John Williams

---

names=Ian Rotten Johnny Lawlercite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/i/ian-rotten.html | title=Ian Rotten Profile| accessdate=2008-09-11|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com] Zach Blades
The Midnight Rider
Ian Bloody
height=5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
weight=240 lb (109 kg)
birth_date = June 1, 1969
death_date =
birth_place =Baltimore, Maryland
resides=Louisville, Kentucky
billed=Newcastle upon Tyne
Louisville, Kentucky
The Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas
trainer=Axl Rotten
debut=August 10, 1990|

John Williams is a American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in GWF, ECW, and his own .

Career

After becoming a fan of Dusty Rhodes and Superstar Billy Graham while growing up in Florida and Baltimore, MD, John Williams, former real name John ( Johnny) Hawk, began his career under the name Johnny Lawler, the storyline illegitimate son of Jerry "The King" Lawler. However, after heat from Jerry Lawler, and a short stint as hockey gimmick Zach Blades, Williams went to wrestle for Skandor Akbar in the Global Wrestling Federation. Akbar wasn't a fan of the Zach Blades gimmick, and after Brian Knighton suggested they become "brothers", they became Ian and Axl Rotten, the Bad Breed. The Bad Breed would go on to defeat the Texas Mustangs (Bobby Duncum, Jr. & Johnny Hawk) for the GWF Tag Team Championship in January 1993.

The Bad Breed entered Extreme Championship Wrestling together in 1993, and after feuding for a number of months, they lost a tag match against The Public Enemy, where the losing team could never team up again. This led to what was probably ECW's bloodiest ever feud, during the first six months of 1995, where Ian and Axl Rotten engaged in a number of violent gimmick matches, culminating in a Taipei Death Match, which saw both men tape their fists, and then glue broken glass onto their taped fists.cite book|title=Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW|author=Scott E. Williams|pages=65|publisher=Sports Publishing LLC|date=2007|isbn=1596700211]

Ian left ECW in late 1995 over pay disputes, and moved to Kentucky to be with his wife and started a wrestling hotline. Ian found that many fans were calling in to complain about the "old fashioned" style of wrestling they were seeing at the local USWA shows run by Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett, and, realising there was a demand for the more violent ECW-style product, started the IWA Mid-South promotion in early 1997. Throughout the next ten years, Ian would be involved in many of the most violent matches that IWA Mid-South held, as well as wrestling for Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Unplugged, Chikara and many others. In 2005 Ian made appearances at the Hardcore Homecoming shows promoted by Shane Douglas and Jeremy Borash, including the Taipei Death 2 rematch against Axl Rotten.

Rotten wrestled for IWA Mid-South's 499th event, against "his best trainee" Mickie Knuckles, in Plainfield, Indiana on December 7, 2007, JCW and Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as appearing for IWA-MS to cover for no-shows at Extreme Intentions (as Midnight Rider) and King of the Deathmatch 2008 (as Ian Bloody).

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**"Rotten Rush" (Double underhook DDT)
**"Career Killer" (Diving elbow drop)
**"This Is Gonna Hurt" (Chair shot)
**Sambo suplex
**Falling chokebomb
**Brainbuster
**Corkscrew elbow smash
**Head vice
**Snap suplex
**Pumphandle slam

*Nicknames
**The King of Hardcore

*Entrance themes
**"The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson
**"When I'm Gone" by Three Doors Down
**"Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy

Championships and accomplishments

*Global Wrestling Federation:*GWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Axl Rotten [cite web|url=http://solie.org/titlehistories/ttgwf.html | title=GWF NORTH AMERICAN TAG TEAM TITLE HISTORY| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=solie.org]

*Independent Wrestling Association Deep South:*IWA Deep South Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mickie Knuckles [cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/IWA_Deep_South.htm | title=IWA Deep South Tag Team Championships| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=titlehistories.com]

*Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South:*IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship (8 times) [cite web|url=http://solie.org/titlehistories/mshtiwassoc.html | title=IWA - MID-SOUTH HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=solie.org] :*IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Axl Rotten twice, with Cash Flo, Tarek The Great and Mad Man Pondo once [cite web|url=http://solie.org/titlehistories/msttiwassoc.html | title=IWA - MID-SOUTH TAG TEAM TITLE HISTORY| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=solie.org] :*IWA Mid-South King of the Deathmatch (2 times) 1997 [cite web|url=http://paulos-puro.com/page30.htm | title=IWA Mid South Results 1997| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=paulos-puro.com] and 2001 [cite web|url=http://paulos-puro.com/page34.htm | title=IWA Mid South Results 2001| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=paulos-puro.com]

*Juggalo Championship Wrestling:*JCW Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) - with Lane Bloody

*Mid-American Wrestling:*MAW World Heavyweight Championship (8 times) [cite web|url=http://solie.org/titlehistories/hwtmaw.html | title=MAW HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=solie.org] :*MAW Hardcore Cup Winner (2 times - 2001 and 2003)

*National Wrestling Alliance:*NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Blaze [cite web|url=http://solie.org/titlehistories/usttnwa.html | title=NWA UNITED STATES TAG TEAM TITLE HISTORY| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=solie.org]

*NWA Revolution:*NWA Revolution Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Danny McKay [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2004-10.html | title=Independent Wrestling Results - October 2004 | accessdate=2008-07-05|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com]

*"'Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked him # 178 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996 [cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/500/1996/index.htm | title=PWI 500 1996 | accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=wwe-zone.com] :*PWI Feud of the Year - 1995 (Axl Rotten vs. Ian Rotten) [cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/feud_of_year/index.htm | title=Pro-Wrestling Illustrated Feud of the Year| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=wwe-zone.com]

*Pro Wrestling Unplugged:*PWU Hardcore Championship (1 time) [cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/Pro_Wrestling_Unplugged.htm | title=Pro Wrestling Unplugged Hardcore Championship| accessdate=2008-07-17|publisher=titlehistories.com]

*westside Xtreme wrestling:*wXw World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/Westside_Xtreme_Wrestling.htm | title=Westside Xtreme Wrestling Title Histories | accessdate=2008-07-11|publisher=titlehistories.com] :*wXw Hardcore Championship (1 time) [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/wxw-germany/ | title=Westside Xtreme Wrestling
accessdate=2008-07-06|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com]

References

External links

* [http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1155351051.shtml Interview with Ian Rotten by In Your Head]
* [http://www.genickbruch.com/index.php?befehl=interviews&art=1&jahr=2004&interview=132&version=1 Interview with Ian Rotten by Genickbruch.com]
* [http://prowrestlingpress.com/rotteninterview.wma ProWrestlingPress.com Interview with Ian Rotten]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/i/ian-rotten.html Ian Rotten profile at Online World of Wrestling]
* [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/gwf/gwf-t.html Global Wrestling Federation Tag Team history]
* [http://www.wxw-wrestling.com/index2.php?content=title_history WXW title histories]
* [http://www.prowrestlingunplugged.com/titlehistory.html Pro Wrestling Unplugged title histories]
* [http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/other/mawtit.htm MAW title histories]