Old school professional wrestling magazines are one of my guilty pleasures. I currently have 1,300 magazines waiting to eventually be reviewed/recapped and I’ve only gotten to 48 of them as of this writing. But, what makes them so much fun to read is catching up on what was happening in wrestling when the action wasn’t readily available with footage. In 2024, there’s many different ways to watch professional wrestling that there’s only one wrestling magazine, PWI, that continues to produce material.
I say this to give reasoning behind the desire to do this article. I’ve noticed in the magazines that the writers would promote local wrestlers as being stars and being extremely popular. In this case, any time Portland Wrestling is brought up in the late 80s to early 90s, a man by the name Brian Adams is often times referenced. Of course, I know of Brian Adams from his days competing as Crush in the WWF or later on as Brian Adams in WCW. However, I hadn’t ever seen his work in Portland. What was he doing there to justify interest from the WWF? When he leaves the WWF, what did he do in Portland to make WWF want to bring him back? These are questions that I decided I needed to find out.
Luckily, the YouTube channel Testosterone Overload has a decent catalog of matches involving Adams both before his first run in WWF and his return to Portland before departing again for the WWF. There will be some familiar names that he competes against and a few wrestlers I have heard of, but never watched a match of theirs. Lets check out what made Brian Adams an interest for the WWF.
In case you are unfamiliar with Brian Adams, he is billed as being 6’6’’ and 300+lbs. So, in an era of the late 80s/early 90s he had the physique desired by Vince McMahon and the WWF.
“American Ninja” Brian Adams vs. Super Ninja — Career vs. Mask, Kendo Stick On A Pole, Chain Match December 5th, 1987 PNW
This is a unique match as it’s three stipulations in one. They are attached by the wrist with a chain and there’s a kendo stick on a pole. If American Ninja loses, he is forced to leave Oregon. If Super Ninja loses he’s forced to unmask.
Adams and Ninja grip the chain in the middle of the ring looking to gain the advantage. Adams delivers a kick and chop to the back. Ninja only staggers as Adams continues with kicks and an elbow strike. Adams chokes Ninja on the mat with the chain. Adams clotheslines Ninja with the chain and continues to choke Ninja on the mat. Adams delivers a spin kick to the midsection. Adams tries to climb the corner, but is kicked on the back by Ninja. Ninja continues to kick Adams on the mat to maintain the advantage. Adams delivers a leg drop to regain control. Adams tries to climb the corner again, but Ninja stops Adams with a kick to the leg. Ninja knocks Adams to the mat and delivers a strike to the head. Adams connects with a kick to the chin and delivers an elbow drop. Adams chokes Ninja some more on the mat with the chain. Ninja stops Adams with a kick to the chest. Ninja leaps off the top to deliver a strike to Adams on the shoulder followed by a leg drop to the throat for a two count. Adams fights back with a few strikes. Ninja jabs Adams on the throat to regain the advantage. Ninja wraps the chain around Adams eyes, but doesn’t get a submission.
Ninja stomps Adams on the mat a few times followed by a fist drop for a two count. Ninja clotheslines Adams with the chain. Ninja proceeds to whip Adams with the chain over the chest. Ninja climbs the corner, but is yanked down by Adams. Adams avoids a kick a couple of times. They trade several strikes in the middle of the ring until Ninja eye rakes Adams. Ninja traps Adams hand against his mouth and chokes Adams on the mat. Ninja strikes Adams on the mat a few times. Ninja uses the chain to strike Adams on the forehead. Adams has been busted open due to the chain. Ninja climbs the corner and grabs the kendo stick. Ninja whacks Adams over the back with the kendo stick. Ninja delivers a blow to the chest and face with the kendo stick. Ninja delivers another kendo stick shot to the chest to drop Adams to the mat. Adams sends Ninja into the ropes, but Ninja drops to the mat due to the chain. Adams gains possession of the kendo stick and Ninja begs off. Adams whacks Ninja over the back and chest several times. Adams is tripped by Chris Colt and Ninja whacks Adams over the arm. Adams spits green mist into Ninja’s face and manages to pin Ninja for the win. After the match, Ninja is unmasked, but is not seen. Rip Oliver runs into the ring and attacks Adams with the kendo stick. (*. The crowd popped well for the victory and Adams bled decently in the match. The match mostly restricted either man to shine all that much. However, Adams did display some skill with his kicks. Adams clearly has agility to go along with size.)
‘American Ninja’ Brian Adams vs. Rip Oliver — Collegiate Rules— January 23rd, 1988
Oliver demands that Adams start the match on all fours, but Adams suggests that Oliver goes down first since he’s the expert. They flip a coin and Oliver loses the coin toss. Oliver goes to all fours and gets frustrated by Adams taking his time. Adams keeps control of Oliver on the mat despite Oliver’s best effort to counter forcing Oliver to go to the ropes. Adams drops down to all fours to allow Oliver the opportunity to take the advantage. Oliver stalls for a bit. Oliver rubs chalk into Adams face and delivers a clothesline. Oliver pummels a blinded Adams on the mat until the locker room empties to make the save. (NR. While there’s not of a match here, Adams was impressive with his ability on the mat. Adams showed off impressive speed and mat wrestling ability in the short outing.)
‘American Ninja’ Brian Adams vs. The Terminator — May 14th, 1988 — OWF
Terminator backs Adams against the ropes and delivers a few strikes to gain the advantage. Terminator elbows Adams coming off the ropes and taunts the crowd. Terminator forearms Adams a few times. Adams ducks an elbow and tries for a kick, but is caught. Adams uses his free leg to kick Terminator to the mat. Adams backdrops Terminator coming off the ropes. Terminator fights back with right hands out of the corner. Adams clotheslines Terminator coming off the ropes. Adams nails Terminator with a standing dropkick and controls Terminator on the mat with a headlock. Terminator rolls over to try and pin Adams, but isn’t successful. Adams keeps the headlock on for a few moments. Terminator counters with a head scissors on the canvas. Adams goes back to the headlock. Adams scoop slams Terminator followed by a leg drop and elbow drop for a two count. Adams keeps Terminator on the mat with a sleeper. Terminator breaks free with a back suplex and stomps Adams on the mat. Terminator continues with stomps and chokes Adams over the bottom rope. Terminator continues to work over Adams in the corner. Terminator takes Adams down to the mat and keeps control with a headlock. Terminator sends Adams into the ropes and delivers a powerslam. Adams ducks a clothesline to deliver a savant kick. Terminator pulls Adams through the ropes to the floor. Terminator delivers a strike from the apron and tries for a piledriver on the floor, but Adams counters with a backdrop. The referee ends up counting both men out and they trade forearms on the floor. (1/2*. We’ve yet to reach the point in Adams career were he’s having matches of much substance.)
Brian Adams vs. John Nord — Strap Match — April 8th, 1989
Nord and Adams pull on the strap trying to gain leverage at the start of the match, but neither man can get the clear advantage. Nord and Adams trade boots to the midsection until Adams backs Nord into a corner and they lockup. Adams strikes Nord a few times to the midsection, but Nord whips Adams over the back with the strap and stomps Adams on the mat several times. They go to the floor where Adams pulls the strap and Nord gets rammed into the ring post shoulder first. Adams whips Nord over the back with the strap in the ring, but Nord fights back with strikes and chokes Adams with the strap. Nord yanks Adams down to the mat with the strap and delivers a knee drop. Nord continues to choke Adams with the strap on the mat. Nord wraps the strap around Adams eyes and pulls back. Nord backs Adams against the ropes to deliver a few strikes. Adams kicks Nord and locks in a chokehold. Nord backs Adams into the corner, but Adams chokes Nord with the strap. Adams clotheslines Nord with the strap and continues to choke Nord on the mat. Nord whips Adams with the strap while being choked, but Adams doesn’t break the hold. Nord flips Adams over with the strap to counter the choke and continues to whip Adams on the mat. Nord nails Adams with a big boot as Adams came off the ropes. Nord stomps Adams on the mat several times and delivers several whips with the strap.
Adams fights back with a few strap shots to Nord’s back. Adams sends Nord into the corner, but is met with a boot to the face and Nord goes back to whipping Adams over the back. Nord chokes Adams to the mat with the strap. Nord strikes Adams over the back several times and kicks Adams in the ribs. Nord continues to whip Adams on the mat and chokes Adams with the strap. Nord goes to the middle rope, but Adams yanks Nord off the middle rope. Adams fights back with whips over the back. Nord misses a clothesline with the strap and Adams kicks Nord over the top to the floor. Adams traps Nord around the ring post and whips Nord several times over the back. The Grappler comes out and throws powder into Adams face. Grappler assists Nord in beating down Adams and decks the referee. Nord ties the strap to the top rope and Grappler ties Adams right hand to the other side. Adams is stuck in the middle of the ring with nowhere to go. Nord returns with a shopping cart and slides milk cartons into the ring. Nord dumps milk onto Adams and dumps cereal on Adams. I’ve never seen that before. Carl Styles comes out and makes the save for Adams. (*. Thus far the matches that Adams has had he’s certainly been protected and limited in what he can do. The strap match was never going to allow him to showcase his skill in a meaningful manner. I can confidently say I’ve never seen someone get milk and cereal dumped on them, ever. That was rather unique.)
Brian Adams vs. Steve Doll — October 28th, 1989
Scotty The Body is at ringside talking to Ginger and offers her a box of candy. Ginger didn’t seem all that interested. Doll avoids Adams in the corner and plays to the crowd a couple of times. Adams backs Doll against the ropes, but misses a strike. Doll puts a full nelson on Adams, but Adams quickly breaks free showing his strength advantage. Doll dropkicks Adams from behind and delivers an arm drag as Adams had offered to be put in a full nelson again. Doll keeps an arm bar on Adams, but doesn’t get a submission. Adams shoulder rams Doll in the corner and delivers a right hand several times. Adams drives Doll down with a backbreaker. Adams has Doll over his shoulder and hits a running powerslam. Adams comes off the ropes, but misses an elbow drop a couple of times. Doll heads to the top rope hitting a crossbody for a three count. Doll misses another crossbody, but apparently the match isn’t over? Adams superkicks Doll through the ropes to the floor. Adams comes off the apron to fist drop Doll on the floor. Adams continues to work over Doll on the floor. Adams scoop slams Doll onto the floor. The referee has disqualified Adams. Adams decks the referee and press slams Doll over the top rope into the ring. Rex King runs out to help his partner and brawls with Adams on the floor. Adams pummels King and sends King into the ring post. Adams rolls King into the ring and is met with a double dropkick a couple of times by Doll and King. A third double dropkick sends Adams to the floor to end the segment. (*1/2. Adams has much more charisma when playing the heel role. The fans seemed to react stronger to him when they are suppose to dislike him. I enjoyed the aftermath as the Southern Rockers came across well together. This is the first match/segment that Adams has been presented well and he executed his performance better than the previous matches.)
Brian Adams vs. Billy Jack Haynes — January 13th, 1990
Adams works over Haynes and quickly sends Haynes into the referee in the corner. Adams stomps Haynes on the mat. Adams clotheslines Haynes in the corner and nails Haynes with a superkick right on the chin. Haynes sends Adams into the corner and delivers a clothesline. Haynes staggers Adams with a few chops and drops Adams to a knee with strikes. Haynes punches Adams on the mat followed by stomps. Haynes elbows Adams coming off the ropes. Haynes snapmares Adams, but misses an elbow drop. Adams stops Haynes with a kick to the midsection and delivers a vertical suplex. Adams signals for the full nelson, but Haynes breaks free with an arm drag. Haynes kicks Adams in the midsection to keep control of the match. Haynes delivers a backbreaker and plays to the crowd. Haynes tries for the full nelson, but Adams arm drags free. Haynes regains control with a chop and knee lift. Adams elbows Haynes coming off the ropes. Adams superkicks Haynes on the chin again. Adams puts a front face lock on Haynes, but doesn’t get submission. Adams nails Haynes with a clothesline coming off the ropes. Haynes elbow strikes Adams to gain the advantage. Haynes dropkicks Adams, but Adams comes back with an atomic drop. Adams savant kicks Haynes in the corner and the show goes off the air as the match continues to air, which they warned would likely happen. (NR. There’s no denying that Adams is far more comfortable playing a heel this early in his career. He’s relying a lot on superkicks and kicks in general, but for such a big man he should focus on using powerful moves. That has to happen at some point because he adapts that approach in his WWF run.)
Brian Adams & Grappler (c) vs. Southern Rockers (Doll & King) — Tag Titles — January 20th, 1990
Grappler and King kickoff the match with Grappler sending King into the corner, but King hits a crossbody off the top for a two count. King counters a backdrop and dropkicks Grappler followed by a right hand. Adams tags into the match to try his luck with King. Adams gains wrist control on King, but King springboards off the ropes to knock Adams off his feet. Adams decides he wants Doll to enter the match. Doll tags into the match and Adams taunts the fans. Doll gets a headlock on Adams, but Adams sits Doll on the top turnbuckle and poses. Doll decides to flex on the middle rope. Doll head scissors Adams to the mat and hits a clothesline off the ropes. Grappler tags into the match as Doll remains in the ring. Grappler sends Doll into the ropes, but Doll gets a sunset flip for a two count followed by a backslide. King tags into the match and delivers a running kick to the ribs. Grappler kicks King followed by a jab and a clothesline. Adams returns to the match and press slams King to the mat. King comes off the ropes and is met with a double dropkick. Grappler spikes King with a piledriver for a two count. Grappler can’t believe King kicked out. Grappler runs the ropes and they collide heads.
King crawls to the corner and Doll gets tagged in. Doll cleans house with strikes to Grappler. King goes after Adams in the opposite corner and they send the champs into each other. Adams is met with a double clothesline. Adams plants King with a powerslam. Doll hits a crossbody on Grappler and the referee counts a double pin. This is ending in a double pin. (*1/2. I’m enjoying the Southern Rockers, who would be known as Well Dunn in the WWF a few years later. It’s amazing how much they sucked in the WWF, but they are solid here in Portland. Adams continued to be limited, but he displayed more of his power focused offense here. Adams continues to do well as a heel, too.)
Brian Adams & Grappler vs. Southern Rockers (Doll & King) — Tag Titles — January 27th, 1990
Southern Rockers go around ringside hugging the fans since they are going to Japan for a tour soon. They return to the ring and go after Adams and Grappler with strikes. Adams backs King into the ropes to deliver a hip toss. King tries for a hip toss, but settles for a dropkick. Adams controls King with a hammerlock. King breaks free and trips Adams to the mat. Grappler tags into the match and King keeps wrist control before tagging in Doll. Doll splashes onto Grappler’s arm. Doll avoids Grappler in the corner and hits a middle rope crossbody for a two count. Doll plays to the crowd. Grappler atomic drops Doll, but Doll delivers an atomic drop and an elbow strike to knock Grappler down and plays to the crowd. King comes off the top to splash onto Grappler’s arm. King runs the ropes, but is yanked down by Adams from the apron. Grappler tosses King to the floor as the referee is distracted by Doll. Adams kicks King from the apron to maintain the advantage for Grappler. Grappler hooks King for a suplex and drives King to the mat for a near fall.
Adams tags into the match and kicks King in the ribs. Adams catches King on a leapfrog attempt to deliver an atomic drop. Adams delivers a knee drop to King’s forehead and King crawls to the corner where Grappler decks King. Adams grabs King to deliver a backbreaker. Adams continues with a leg drop for a two count. Adams pummels King on the mat with right hands. Grappler tags into the match and collides with King. King manages to tag in Doll as Adams tags in, as well. Doll fires away on Adams and hits a leaping clothesline. King knocks Grappler to teh floor. Adams savant kicks Doll and collides into the kendo stick held by Grappler. Grappler jabs Adams from the top with the kendo stick. Doll covers Adams to win the match. After the match, Jonathan Hollida enters the ring and attacks the Southern Rockers with the kendo stick. Adams leaps off the top to deliver a stuff piledriver on King onto a steel chair. (*1/2. An interesting choice to have the Southern Rockers win the tag titles when they are leaving the area. The shine was mostly on the Southern Rockers and not much for Adams to showcase here.)
Brian Adams vs. Billy Jack Haynes — Handcuff Match — April 7th, 1990
Adams is sporting a black trench coat and a black hat, which comes across very similar to what the Undertaker character would use when debuting in November 1990. Grappler and Rip Oliver are handcuffed together at ringside to prevent interference.
Adams controls Haynes with a headlock and a shoulder block. Haynes hip tosses Adams coming off the ropes and continues with right hands to send Adams to the floor. Haynes strikes Adams and drives Adams face first to the mat. Haynes continues with right hands to knock Adams to the floor. Adams sunset flips into the ring for a two count on Haynes. Haynes clotheslines Adams into the corner and follows up with a knee lift to knock Adams to the floor. Haynes chases Adams around ringside, but Adams clotheslines Haynes. Adams nails Haynes with a savant kick to maintain control of the contest. Adams catapults Haynes throat first into the bottom rope. Adams continues to work over Haynes in the corner and drops Haynes throat first over the top rope and falls to the floor. Adams climbs to the top rope hitting an axe handle. Adams forearms Haynes in the corner and sends Haynes across the ring into the corner. Adams delivers a kick to drop Haynes to the mat and stands on Haynes for a moment.
Adams decks Haynes to the mat to maintain control of the bout. Adams puts a chin lock on Haynes, but doesn’t get a submission. Adams stomps Haynes on the neck and delivers a chop. Adams elbows Haynes coming off the ropes. Adams chokes Haynes over the top rope and drops over the top to the floor to send Haynes backwards to the mat. Adams drives Haynes down with a neckbreaker for a near fall. Adams chokes Haynes on the mat before keeping the advantage with a strike to the face. Adams spikes Haynes with a tombstone piledriver. Adams signals for the end. Adams puts the full nelson on Haynes, but Haynes manages to avoid submitting. Haynes drops to his knees while stuck in the full nelson. Haynes prevents his arm from dropping three times. Haynes manages to break free from the full nelson, but Adams delivers an axe handle to the back. Haynes runs the ropes and they collide on a double clothesline. Adams gets to his feet first and tries for a suplex but Haynes counters with a suplex of his own. Adams recovers first and misses a leg drop.
They trade strikes in the middle of the ring with Haynes gaining the advantage. Haynes drops Adams with a discus chop. Haynes follows up with a backbreaker. Haynes snapmares Adams and heads to the middle rope nailing Adams with a forearm drop. Haynes rubs Adams face on the mat as there is brawling on the floor. Equalizer nailed Rip Oliver with a cane. Haynes puts a full nelson on Adams, but Equalizer enters the ring and hits Haynes with a cane. Haynes is double teamed as the match is thrown out. Haynes and Oliver regroup and clean house. (**1/2. This is the first match that Adams showed consistent offense and it maintained my interest. It probably helped that Haynes is a solid worker and they put together an enjoyable TV match.)
PNW Heavyweight Champion Brian Adams vs. Scotty The Body — PNW Heavyweight Championship — April 28th, 1990 PNW
Scotty gains control with a waist lock, but Adams quickly counters and they counter each other on the mat a few times. Scotty drop toe holds Adams to the mat and keeps control with a front face lock. Adams counters with a wrist lock, but Scotty counters again with a hammerlock. Adams counters, but Scotty hip tosses Adams to the mat and they have a standoff. Adams strikes Scotty in the corner several times followed by chops. Scotty elbows Adams coming out of the corner. Scotty comes off the ropes and gets a rollup for a two count. Scotty arm drags Adams a couple of times and they have another standoff. Adams offers a handshake, but Scotty doesn’t appear all that interested. Adams eye rakes Scotty and delivers a boot scrape. Adams decks Scotty to the mat with a right hand. Adams continues with a backbreaker. Adams strikes Scotty to the mat with a throat thrust. Adams chokes Scotty over the middle rope. Adams delivers a tilt a whirl backbreaker and leg drops Scotty for a near fall. Adams keeps Scotty on the mat with a nerve hold. Scotty counters a suplex with an inside cradle for a two count.
Adams nails Scotty with a savant kick to send Scotty to the apron. Adams sends Scotty into the ring post face first. Adams powerslams Scotty to the mat for a near fall. Adams puts Scotty in a Torture Rack and drops to the mat for a backbreaker for a near fall. Adams keeps Scotty on the mat with a front face lock. Scotty strikes Adams, but is met with a shoulder block a few times. Adams runs the ropes, but Scotty delivers a strike and a knee lift. Scotty kicks Adams a few times and forearm strikes Adams. Scotty clotheslines Adams to the mat and is fired up. Scotty rams Adams into the top turnbuckle several times. Adams runs the ropes and collides with the referee. Scotty knee strikes Adams and grabs the kendo stick. Scotty whacks Adams over the back and covers. Scotty uses the referees arm to count the fall, but the referee is knocked out. Grappler comes out and whacks Scotty with another kendo stick and wakes up the referee. Adams is on top, and the Grappler convinces the referee that he counted the fall already. (**1/2. Another solid TV match, but man these finishes to big matches are awful. It’s insulting to the fan for these silly finishes to transpire. Adams continues to look like a good heel with some solid power offense and Scotty worked great playing the face role when he’s typically a heel.)
Brian Adams vs. Ricky Santana — May 5th, 1990 PNW
Adams shoves Santana into a corner and flexes his muscles. Adams chops Santana in the corner several times. Santana sends Adams into the corner several times, but is decked by a clothesline. Adams strikes Santana into the corner and throat thrusts Santana. Adams elbow strikes Santana to the mat. Adams nails Santana with another strike to the throat. Adams misses a clothesline and Santana drives Adams to the mat face first. Santana dropkicks Adams and delivers an elbow strike. Santana overhand strikes Adams in the corner. Adams kicks Santana to avoid a backdrop attempt. Adams drives Santana to the mat with a backbreaker for a two count. Adams dropkicks Santana coming off the ropes. Adams snapmares Santana and delivers a boot scrape to the face. Santana tries to fight back, but Adams stops Santana with a strike against the ropes. Adams keeps a sleeper on Santana, but doesn’t get a submission. Santana elbows Adams, but doesn’t break free and Adams elbow strikes Santana. Adams continues with a chop against the ropes. Santana yanks Adams to the mat by his hair and delivers a boot to the head. Adams knee lifts Santana and catches Santana with an atomic drop to counter a leapfrog attempt. The referee counts Santana out after an atomic drop and Adams wins the match. (*. I thought we have turn a corner, but this wasn’t much of a showcase for Adams. I can’t recall a time where a guy won a match with an atomic drop to result in a TKO. There’s no denying that Adams has found his footing as a heel, though.) After the match, Adams attacks Santana by hitting a press slam and a powerslam on the floor. They brawl backstage.
PNW Heavyweight Champion Brian Adams vs. Scott Norton — May 12th, 1990 PNW
Adams casually stands in the corner to taunt Norton, who is ready for a fight. Adams offers a handshake, but Norton isn’t interested. Adams shoves Norton, who responds with a shove and they trade right hands. Adams knee lifts Norton, but Norton responds with a hip toss and a shoulder block to send Adams to the floor. Adams strikes Norton several times to gain control in the corner. Adams chokes Norton over the top and drops to the floor. Adams leaps off the top to axe handle Norton. Adams drives Norton to the mat with a neckbreaker leading to a near fall. Adams misses a short arm clothesline, but Norton connects with a clothesline. Adams hits Norton with the kendo stick, but Norton ducks and clotheslines Adams. Norton nails Adams with the kendo stick and picks up the win to win the title. (*. That wasn’t very good especially knowing what both men are capable of. The finish protects Adams since Adams is exiting the area for a bit.)
Adams ends up going to the World Wrestling Federation making his first appearance on June 5th at a live event, and his TV debut on the June 23rd edition of WWF Superstars. Adams became the third member of Demolition, which consisted of Ax and Smash and they were the WWF Tag Team Champions. Adams became known was Demolition Crush and ended up being the replacement for Demolition Ax, as Ax couldn’t medically compete anymore.
Adams remained with the WWF until May 1991 before departing the company and returning to the Portland area. Despite no longer working in the WWF, Adams continued to be promoted as Crush in Portland, and continued to present himself under the Demolition gimmick.
Brian Adams vs. PNW Heavyweight Champion Rip Oliver – October 12th, 1991 PNW
Oliver controls Adams with a side headlock to kickoff the title match. Oliver keeps the headlock on Adams by using a hair pull to maintain the advantage. Oliver tries for a shoulder block, but Adams doesn’t go down and savant kicks Oliver to the floor. Adams grabs Oliver onto the apron and delivers a strike to the chest. Oliver drops Adams throat first over the top rope and walks around ringside before returning to the ring. Oliver axe handle strikes Adams and delivers a knee strike against the ropes. Oliver rubs Adams eyes onto the ropes and delivers a strike to stagger Adams into the corner. Oliver rams Adams face first into the corner and puts another headlock on Adams taking Adams down to the mat. Oliver knee strikes Adams over the back and rams Adams into the corner head first. Oliver continues with an open hand strike, but Adams stops Oliver with a backbreaker. Adams stomps Oliver on the mat before backing Oliver into the corner. Adams yanks Oliver out of the corner and plays to the crowd. Adams stomps Oliver over the back followed by an axe handle strike.
Adams puts a bearhug on Oliver in the middle of the ring, but doesn’t get a submission. Oliver breaks free with an eye rake, but Adams puts the bearhug back on Oliver. Adams drives Oliver to the mat with a backbreaker and climbs to the top rope. Adams misses a top rope knee drop and crashes hard to the mat. Oliver drives Adams knee over the apron and drags Adams to the corner. Oliver wraps Adams left knee around the ring post. Oliver kicks Adams on the knee and takes Adams down to the mat to lock in a leg lock, but Adams refuses to submit. Oliver continues with a step over heel lock, but Adams doesn’t give in. Oliver stomps Adams on the knee several times and splashes down onto Adams knee. Oliver stomps Adams before going back to a leg lock, but Adams kicks free. Oliver kicks Adams on the knee to regain control and drives Adams knee down onto the mat. Oliver stomps Adams knee several times. Oliver elbow strikes Adams on the knee, but Adams kicks Oliver away.
Oliver stops Adams in the corner and wraps Adams knee over the ropes. Oliver grabs Adams leg, but Adams nails Oliver with a kick to the head and both men are down. Adams manages to get a full nelson on Oliver! Oliver can’t reach the ropes at first. Adams keeps the full nelson on Oliver, but Oliver reaches the ropes. Adams pulls Oliver off the ropes and keeps the full nelson locked in. Oliver passes out and Adams wins the match to become the new champion. (**. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Adams would get the title shortly after his WWF run in order to get the max return on a national TV star working the regional area. A clean finish was a nice surprise, too. Adams didn’t get a bunch of showcase as he worked underneath more so than as the aggressor. The crowd popped big time for the title change, too.)
Brian Adams vs. Billy Jack Haynes October, 19th 1991 PNW
This is a non-title match since Adams is still the PNW Heavyweight Champion. Adams gets control with a side headlock and takes Haynes down to the mat. Haynes breaks free with a back suplex. Haynes knee lifts Adams to the mat and delivers an elbow strike as Adams came off the ropes. Haynes snapmares Adams and comes off the ropes to deliver a knee drop. Haynes rams Adams face first into the turnbuckle and his boot. Haynes maintains control with chops in the corner. Adams nails Haynes with a boot to the side of the head. Adams signals for the full nelson, but Haynes escapes to the floor. Adams chops Haynes on the floor followed by a headbutt. Adams drops Haynes to the mat with a throat thrust. Adams drops Haynes over the top rope by leaping over the top rope to the floor. Adams leaps off the top to axe handle Haynes. Adams press slams Haynes to the mat. Adams leaps off the middle rope, but misses a fist drop. Haynes drives Adams face first onto the mat. Haynes rubs Adams face over the ropes.
Haynes tries for the full nelson, but Adams reaches the ropes. Haynes jabs Adams in the ribs, but Adams comes back with a backdrop. Adams savant kicks Haynes coming off the ropes. Adams drives Haynes down with a backbreaker and is fired up. Adams nails Haynes with a headbutt and Haynes struggles between the ropes. Adams savant kicks Haynes through the ropes to the floor. Adams rams Haynes face onto the apron, but is sent shoulder first into the ring post. Haynes rams Adams face first onto the apron. Adams strikes Haynes several times on the floor, but the referee has apparently counted both men out and the match is over. Haynes gets on a microphone and tells Adams to get in the ring and they’ll finish the match anyway. Adams returns to the ring, but the referee isn’t approving of restart. Adams pummels Haynes, but Haynes low blows Adams as the locker room empties to keep them apart. (*1/2. Adams is significantly better in the ring by this point. I’m sure working in the WWF has helped that, but he flows a lot better and comes across as a star, which is something he had accomplish during his heel run in Portland. This match is clearly setting up a bigger match, though.)
Brian Adams vs. Billy Jack Haynes — NO DQ — October 26th, 1991 PNW
Haynes attacks Adams from behind and drops Adams throat first over the top rope. Haynes tosses Adams over the top to the floor and grabs a microphone to taunt Adams saying the match is no disqualifications and can’t get DQ’d for tossing Adams over the top to the floor. Haynes leaps off the apron to knee drop Adams. Haynes sends Adams into the ring post head first and taunts the referee. Haynes rams Adams into the railing chest first. Haynes rolls Adams back into the ring and leaps off the middle rope to forearm strike Adams to the mat. Haynes kicks Adams in the lower midsection area. Haynes clotheslines Adams coming off the ropes. Haynes tries for the full nelson, but Adams reaches the ropes to avoid the hold. Haynes clubs Adams over the back several times followed by chops against the ropes. Adams ducks an elbow strike and superkicks Haynes to the mat. Haynes tries for a suplex, but Adams counters with a suplex of his own. Haynes clotheslines Adams to stop the momentum shift.
Haynes goes to the top rope missing a fist drop attempt. Haynes strikes Adams from behind against the ropes. Adams strikes Haynes in the corner and delivers a press slam. Adams delivers a leg drop and plays to the crowd. Adams delivers a backbreaker to drive Haynes to the mat. Adams headbutts Haynes to the mat and delivers a clothesline. Adams goes for the full nelson, but Haynes falls to the floor. Adams axe handles Haynes from the apron. Adams whacks Haynes with a chair shot over the back. Adams rolls Haynes back into the ring and kicks Haynes in the midsection. Adams savant kicks Haynes and signals for the full nelson. Haynes avoids the move and bails to the floor. Adams sends Haynes into the ring steps. Haynes tries for the full nelson, but Adams bails to the outside. Haynes kicks Adams from the apron. Haynes chops Adams on the floor, but Adams responds with strikes. Adams kicks Haynes on the floor, but Haynes responds with strikes. Adams sidesteps Haynes and locks in a full nelson on the floor, but is attacked on the floor by the Bruise Brothers. Steve Doll, Grappler and Mike Miller rundown to cause the match to be thrown out. (*. I’ve always hated non-finishes in these kinds of matches since the rules state there are essentially no rules and the interference should have been allowed and kept the match going. These kind of non-finishes done too much can drive a fanbase away. There wasn’t much in the form of breaking rules anyway, so this was a bit disappointing.)
Brian Adams vs. Billy Jack Haynes — I Quit, Lumberjack Match — November 2nd, 1991 PNW
Adams backdrops Haynes coming off the ropes and delivers a savant kick to send Haynes into a corner. Adams drops Haynes with a headbutt and Haynes rolls to the floor, but is rolled back into the ring by lumberjacks. Adams elbow strikes Haynes to the mat. Adams sends Haynes into the ropes and delivers a backbreaker. Adams locks in a single leg Boston Crab, but Haynes doesn’t submit. Adams kicks Haynes on the knee and splashes down onto Haynes knee. Adams puts a sharpshooter on Haynes, but doesn’t get a submission. Haynes reaches the ropes to break the hold. Haynes tries to escape the ring, but is sent into the ring by the lumberjacks. Haynes eye rakes Adams and comes off the ropes to drive Adams face first to the mat. Haynes strikes Adams several times and delivers a knee lift to drop Adams to the canvas. Haynes chops Adams several times to gain control followed by a savant kick. Haynes sends Adams through the ropes to the floor, but Adams is rolled back into the ring. Haynes tries for a slam, but Adams blocks it and Haynes strikes Adams. Haynes nails Adams with a boot to the face. Haynes put an arm bar on Adams, but Adams quickly gets to his feet. Haynes keeps a top wrist lock on Adams, but doesn’t get a submission as Adams reaches the ropes to break the hold. Haynes chokes Adams over the middle rope and yanks on the ropes to send Adams backward to the mat.
Haynes comes off the ropes to deliver a fist drop. Haynes strikes Adams several times on the mat. Haynes signals for the full nelson, and manages to get the hold locked in and Adams drops to his knees. Adams tries to break free from the full nelson, but fails to do so. Haynes keeps the full nelson on Adams, but Adams prevents his arm from dropping three times. Adams powers to his feet and breaks free. Haynes and Adams collide on stereo clotheslines. Adams works over Haynes in the corner with right hands and delivers a powerslam. Adams delivers a leg drop and signals for the full nelson. Adams puts the full nelson on Haynes, but Haynes breaks free with a low blow. Haynes decks the referee, and that leads to all the lumberjacks getting into the ring a massive brawl takes place. (*1/2. Yet another non-finish. The match also had a stipulation that the loser would leave the area forever. That probably should have been a hint that neither man was going to lose the match. There’s no way that these non-finishes wouldn’t piss off fans. It should get to a point of not believing a match being booked as having any kind of outcome. The crowd absolutely loves Adams at this point and he should probably ditch the Demolition gear to move on in his career.)
From what was available on YouTube there wasn’t a standout singles match for Adams that would make wrestling fans think that Adams is some kind of huge star. Adams was never an in-ring stud by any means, but it is clear that over time Adams found his groove and a style that he could use each match to pop the crowd. Towards the end of his heel run before leaving for WWF, Adams worked a more power based offense and it came across as he was far more confident as a heel at that point in time.
Upon his return from the WWF, Adams carried himself differently and there was confidence in the ring. Adams came across as a huge face star towards the end of ’91. Did the magazines overstate how good Adams was? Yeah, probably. Adams has the size that WWF tends to love and he’s an average worker at best, which is more than enough for the WWF to profit off his abilities.
By late February ’92, Adams returned to the WWF and for the next year and a half competed as Crush, but as a friendly Hawaiian. In late ’93, Adams turned heel on his longtime friend Randy Savage and had a successful heel run through ’94. After a departure in ’95, Adams returned as a convict Crush in ’96 and evolved into the DOA Crush before departing for WCW to join the NWO in early ’98. Adams remained in the NWO for over a year, and eventually in the spring 2000 formed a popular team with Bryan Clarke known as Kronik. When WCW went out of business in 2001, Kronik had two matches in the WWF before being sent to developmental and later terminated marking the end of Adams in-ring career in professional wrestling.
What are your memories of Brian Adams in Portland, or during his run in WWF and WCW? Leave your thoughts below!
Thanks for reading.