Brian Adams

On August 13, 2007, Adams was found unconscious by his wife at their Tampa, Florida home. The medical examiner concluded that he died as a result of mixing the painkiller buprenorphine with the muscle relaxant carisoprodol and the sedatives chlordiazepoxide and alprazolam. The coroner determined the drugs in his system were individually at therapeutic levels, but their combination impeded his respiratory system enough to kill him. He was 43 years old.

After recovering from his shoulder injury, 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. In January 2003, he made his last in-ring appearance, teaming with Bryan Clark, and facing Bill Goldberg and Keiji Mutoh in a losing effort. He suffered a spinal injury in this match that forced him into retirement.

Adams and Clark briefly worked for World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) in early 2002. They then traveled to Japan to work for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). On July 17, 2002, at an AJPW pay-per-view, Adams and Clark defeated Keiji Mutoh and Taiyō Kea for the World Tag Team Championship. Adams and Clark remained champions until November 2002 when AJPW declared the title vacant, because Adams had left the promotion to pursue a boxing career.

Adams was scheduled 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. This bout was to air on the Never Surrender boxing pay-per-view, but during his training for the bout, Adams injured his shoulder and was unable to fight.

KroniK helped The Boogie Knights battle The Filthy Animals in subsequent matches at Mayhem and Millennium Final. As the year ended, KroniK were hired by their former enemies, the Natural Born Thrillers, during which they helped them at the Starrcade event, by facing Reno and Big Vito in a tag team match, during which Reno turned on Vito and had been revealed as the one who had paid KroniK to assault Vito in the previous weeks. A month later, at Sin, KroniK turned faces by ending their association with Thrillers, as they turned on Thrillers leader Mike Sanders by helping Ernest Miller beat Sanders to become the WCW Commissioner. The following month, at SuperBrawl Revenge, KroniK made their final pay-per-view appearance, where they were scheduled to face Totally Buffed (Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell), in a #1 contender's match for the tag team titles. Clark was injured by Mike Awesome before the match, leaving Adams to face them in a handicap match, which he lost. KroniK remained with WCW until the company was purchased by WWF on March 23, 2001.

After the WWF's purchase of WCW, KroniK appeared in WWF as part of the Alliance storyline. During their time in WWF, they were managed by Steven Richards and were placed in a short feud with The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane). Adams and Clark faced, and lost to, the duo at the 2001 Unforgiven pay-per-view. They were both released soon after.

In the spring of 2000, Adams received the biggest push of his WCW career when he was put into a tag team with Bryan Clark called KroniK. The team debuted at Spring Stampede as Vince Russo's mercenaries in the New Blood stable, helping Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell to beat Ric Flair and Lex Luger to win the World Tag Team Championship by delivering a High Times to Luger.

Following the title loss, KroniK lost a first blood chain match to The Harris Brothers at Fall Brawl. In the fall of 2000, KroniK began working as "hired muscles", based on WWF's tag team Acolytes Protection Agency. On the October 2 episode of Nitro, KroniK turned heels after Vince Russo managed to bribe them in order to have them attack Goldberg, resulting in a handicap elimination match at Halloween Havoc, which Goldberg won.

In 1999, Adams was put into nWo Black and White or nWo B-Team, a group of mid-card nWo wrestlers of the nWo Reunion after both nWo factions united. Adams was put into a partnership with Horace Hogan and the two participated in a tournament to crown the new World Tag Team Champions. They ousted Billy Kidman and Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Faces of Fear before losing to Curt Henning and Barry Windham and Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko in semi-final matches.

Adams signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and made his debut on the February 16, 1998 episode of Nitro as a heel by attacking Bret Hart, revealing himself as the newest member of the New World Order (nWo). Adams made his in-ring debut on the February 19 episode of Thunder in a tag team match with nWo teammate Curt Hennig against Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart, with the match resulting in a double disqualification. The nWo split in April 1998 and Adams chose to join Hollywood Hogan's nWo Hollywood faction. Adams made his pay-per-view (PPV) debut at Slamboree against Lex Luger in a losing effort.

Crush's rivalry with Vega ended when he joined the Nation in early 1997. Crush aided Faarooq in his feud with Ahmed Johnson. After his loss to Goldust at King of the Ring, Crush argued with Savio Vega, during Faarooq's WWF Championship title shot, which distracted Faarooq, causing him to lose the match. The following night on Raw is War, Crush and Vega, along with the rest of Nation were fired by Faarooq, turning Crush face for the first time since 1993. As a result, Crush began feuding with Faarooq and formed his own biker faction called Disciples of Apocalypse, which was introduced on the June 23 episode of Raw is War.

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

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

After a brief stint in jail, Adams was brought back to the WWF with a new biker look at the beginning of the Monday Night Wars, with his real-life incarceration being referenced as part of a storyline on Raw. He made his surprise return to WWF on the August 12, 1996 episode of Monday Night Raw, with Clarence Mason, his (kayfabe) lawyer as his manager. He defeated Savio Vega with a full nelson and began using the heart punch as his new finishing move. At Survivor Series, Crush was paired with Goldust, Jerry Lawler and Hunter Hearst Helmsley against Marc Mero, Jake Roberts, Rocky Maivia and Barry Windham in a Survivor Series match. Crush's team was on the losing end. In the fall of 1996, Crush began a rivalry with Vega, during which, he and Clarence Mason joined Nation of Domination (NOD) under the leadership of Faarooq, another client of Mason.

In 1996, Adams had an uncredited role in the Bollywood movie Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. In the movie, he played "Crush" and was killed by "The Undertaker" (played by Brian Lee) in a wrestling match.

In 1995, Crush returned to the WWF at Royal Rumble and took part in the Royal Rumble match as the #30 entrant. He eliminated Billy Gunn, Bart Gunn, Adam Bomb, and Headshrinker Fatu before being eliminated by British Bulldog. The Royal Rumble was the only wrestling appearance for Adams in 1995 for the WWF. On March 13, while home in Hawaii, he was arrested and subsequently jailed for purchasing steroids and possessing an illegal hand gun.

On March 13, 1995, Adams was arrested at his home in Kona, Hawaii, after narcotics officers searched his home and discovered 500 units of anabolic steroids and several unregistered semi-automatic guns. He was released on $10,275 bail. On October 28, 1995, he was sentenced to five years probation after pleading no-contest to 11 counts of drug and weapons charges.

Adams went back to work for the WWF in 1992 and was given a new fan favorite character of an easygoing surfing Hawaiian who wore bright neon tights and utilized a new two-handed skull vice finisher called the Cranium Crunch. Crush made his televised debut in WWF under his new character on May 9, 1992 episode of Superstars, defeating Kato. The two would continue to work at house shows that month. Crush made his first pay-per-view appearance under the gimmick with a win over Repo Man (Barry Darsow, who also played Crush's former Demolition partner, Smash) at SummerSlam. Crush then engaged in a feud with Doink the Clown, after he was attacked with a loaded prosthetic arm while confronting the clown about his cruel pranks on children at ringside, which caused Crush to miss the 1993 Royal Rumble. The feud culminated at WrestleMania IX, where Crush lost after a second, identical Doink appeared from underneath the ring and struck Crush with the prosthetic arm. At the first King of the Ring pay-per-view, Crush challenged Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship, but lost the match after a distraction by Doink.

Upon his departure from the WWF, Adams, who continued to use the Crush gimmick, returned to PNW. He was portrayed as a dominant wrestler, winning both the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship and the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship. Adams received the first of these two championships during this stint in the PNW while teaming with previous rival Steve Doll and defeating The Bruise Brothers for the Tag Team Championship on July 27, 1991 in Portland, Oregon. They remained the champions until September 1, 1991 when they lost the title to The Grappler and Don Harris. A little more than a month later, Adams received his second Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title, on October 12, 1991, in Portland after he defeated 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.

In the Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) promotion, he was given the nickname The American Ninja and was put in a tag team called "The Wrecking Crew" with Len Denton, who wrestled under a mask, billed as "The Grappler". Adams and Denton were the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champions for a time and worked a feud with the Southern Rockers, Steve Doll and Rex King. In May 1988, he took part in Billy Jack Haynes' short-lived Oregon Wrestling Federation. In 1990, he won the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship after winning a tournament final match against Larry Oliver in Portland on April 21, 1990 for the vacant title. He lost the title to Scott Norton on May 12, 1990 in Portland.

In June 1990, while still working for the PNW, Adams debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Crush, the third member of the Tag Team Champions Demolition. With Adams joining Demolition, the trio exercised the Freebird Rule allowing any combination of the three to defend the tag team title, which allowed Crush to become a Tag Team Champion. He was brought in as a substitute for Ax to defend the titles with Smash. Crush debuted at a live event on June 5, where he and Smash successfully defended the titles against The Rockers. Crush made his televised debut with Demolition on the June 23 episode of Superstars, teaming with Smash in a quick victory over Paul Diamond and Joe Champ. On the July 28 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event XXVII, Crush and Smash retained the titles against The Rockers, after Ax (who was the illegal man) clotheslined and pinned Shawn Michaels. At the SummerSlam pay-per-view, Demolition, with new member Crush, lost the title to The Hart Foundation in a two out of three falls match with Crush getting pinned for the final fall to lose the title. After SummerSlam, Demolition shifted focus from the belts to their already incipient feud with The Legion of Doom which had intensified after the latter team interfered in the title change match. Adams continued to perform as part of Demolition until after WrestleMania VII where he and Smash lost to Genichiro Tenryu and Koji Kitao. After WrestleMania, the WWF decided to disband Demolition as a team.

In January 1989, Adams went to All Japan Pro Wrestling for its New Year's Giant Series tour.

In September 1987, Adams returned to NJPW with a couple of victories over Kenichi Oya. By February 1988, he began wearing a mask and going by the name The Midnight Soldier. Although he was usually on the losing end of most of the matches, he wrestled to a double countout with George Takano and held a victory over Tatsutoshi Goto.

Brian Adams was born in Kona, Hawaii and was raised in Kealakekua, Hawaii and attended Konawaena High School. After graduating from high school, Adams joined the US Air Force, where he began boxing. It was during his time in the USAF, while stationed in Japan, that he was also exposed to wrestling. Adams was trained in wrestling by famed Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist Antonio Inoki. In 1986, after training in Japan, Adams came to the United States and began working in Portland, Oregon's Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW).

Brian Adams made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1986. However, his work visa expired, forcing him to return to the United States.

Brian Keith Adams (April 14, 1964 – August 13, 2007) was an American professional wrestler. Adams is well known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), under the name Crush, and for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name Brian Adams. Trained in Japan by Antonio Inoki, he was a two-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, a one-time WWF Tag Team Champion and a one-time AJPW World Tag Team Champion, among other accomplishments. He was a challenger for various singles titles in the WWF and WCW, including the WWF Championship. In 2002, he briefly tried a career in boxing until retiring due to back and shoulder injuries. Five years later, he died of accidental respiratory failure from a combination of buprenorphine, carisoprodol, chlordiazepoxide and alprazolam.