 Rotten in 2008 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Benson Williams (1970-06-01)June 1, 1970 (age 55)[1] Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Ian Rotten Johnny Lawler[1] Zach Blades[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 279 lb (127 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Louisville, Kentucky The Fifth Ward,Houston, Texas Newcastle, England[3] |
| Trained by | Axl Rotten[1] |
| Debut | August 10, 1990 |
| Retired | June 14, 2022 |
John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an Americanprofessional wrestler andpromoter better known by hisring nameIan Rotten. He has wrestled in theGlobal Wrestling Federation (GWF),Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), theUnited States Wrestling Association (USWA), and his ownwrestling promotionIWA: Mid-South.
After becoming a fan ofDusty Rhodes and"Superstar" Billy Graham while growing up inFlorida andBaltimore, Maryland, John Williams, began his career under the nameJohnny Lawler, thestoryline illegitimate son ofJerry "The King" Lawler. After a short stint as hockey gimmickZach Blades, Williams went to wrestle in theGlobal Wrestling Federation.
In GWF, Williams formedThe Bad Breed, atag team withBrian Knighton as brothers Ian and Axl Rotten, respectively. They defeated the Texas Mustangs (Bobby Duncum, Jr. &Johnny Hawk) for theGWF Tag Team Championship in January 1993, losing the titles shortly thereafter. In June 1994 inExtreme Championship Wrestling, the Bad Breed started a feud withThe Public Enemy over theECW Tag Team Championship, but never won the title.
The Rotten brothers briefly feuded with each other prior to Williams' termination from ECW in late 1995. He moved toKentucky, where he started a wrestling hotline followed by theIWA Mid-South promotion in early 1996. IWA was controversial for its use of violent and bloodyhardcore wrestling. In 2008, IWA and Williams were investigated by Indiana State Police over the violence in their shows.[4] In 2011, IWA shut down and was restarted by a third party, with Williams making occasional appearances.
Williams is the father of John Calvin Glenn, known also by the ring name of J.C. Rotten.[5]
,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
Media related toIan Rotten at Wikimedia Commons