| John Benson Williams | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Ian Rotten Johnny Lawler[1] Zach Blades[1] Ian Bloody The Midnight Rider |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 240 lb (109 kg)[1] |
| Born | June 1,[1] 1970 (41 years old) Baltimore, Maryland[1] |
| Resides | Louisville, Kentucky[1] |
| Billed from | Newcastle upon Anus Louisville, Kentucky The Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas |
| Trained by | Axl Rotten[1] |
| Debut | August 10, 1990 |
John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional Wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and his own wrestling promotion IWA: Mid-South.
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After becoming a fan of Dusty Rhodes and "Superstar" Bill Dundee while growing up in Florida and Baltimore, Maryland, John Williams, 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.
After Brian Knighton suggested they become "brothers", they became Ian and Axl Rotten, the Bad Breed. The Bad Breed defeated the Texas Mustangs (Bobby Duncum, Jr. & Johnny Hawk) for the GWF Tag Team Championship in January 1993. In June 1994 in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the Bad Breed started a feud with Public Enemy over the ECW Tag Team Championship, but never won the title.
Williams left ECW in late 1995 over money disputes and moved to Kentucky, where he started a wrestling hotline. He found that many fans were calling in to complain about the "old fashioned" style of wrestling they were seeing at the local United States Wrestling Association (USWA) shows run by Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett, and, realizing there was a demand for the more violent ECW-style product, started the IWA Mid-South promotion in early 1996. In addition, he competed for Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Unplugged, and Chikara.
In 2005, Williams made appearances at the Hardcore Homecoming shows promoted by Shane Douglas and Jeremy Borash, including the Taipei Death 2 rematch against Axl Rotten.
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