Brian Adams was a WWF mainstay from the summer of 1990 up until he departed for WCW in late 1997. Originally the third member of Demolition, he was added to bear some of the load as Ax had been hospitalised to due a shellfish allergy and Vince McMahon wanted to add a third member to the team just in case the illness put Bill Eadie out of action for an extended period of time. From there Crush became easy-going surfing Hawaiian wearing bright neon tights, feuding with Doink the Clown into WrestleMania IX. He turned heel by attacking ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage in 1993 and joined Mr. Fuji, teaming alongside Yokozuna at Survivor Series and fought Savage in a Falls Count Anywhere bout at WrestleMania X. Crush’s next character evolution followed an arrest and subsequently stint in jail for purchasing steroids and possessing an illegal hand gun. Adams was brought back to the WWF in July 1996 with a new biker look featuring denim clothing and a nose piercing chain, with his real-life incarceration being referenced as part of his persona as he was managed by lawyer Clarence Mason. That led to Crush joining the Nation of Domination with Mason’s other client Faarooq. When Faarooq failed in his bid to win the WWF Championship thanks to Crush and Savio Vega arguing at ringside, Faarooq fired both men from the Nation. Crush formed the Disciples of Apocalypse with Chainz (Brian Lee), Skull and 8-Ball (Ron and Don Harris). Partially in reaction to the Montreal Screwjob, Brian Adams departed the WWF and signed with WCW. He would later have success in the tag team KroniK alongside Bryan Clarke.
Crush never won a Championship in the World Wrestling Federation, despite being featured in a number of high-profile matches. He would win the WCW Tag Team Championship twice in the year 2000 with the cumulative total of the reigns being 50 days, which is a really poor return for a wrestler that was trusted in key bouts and positions. It’s difficult to compare with modern WWE but when somebody like Wade Barrett has five Intercontinental titles to his name, Bobby Lashley and Big E have had WWE title reigns, you can’t help but feel like Crush was short-changed.
Crush could easily have been WWF Champion and a legitimate one at that.
Crush as WWF Champion.
The storyline with Randy Savage was superb, keep all of that. The heel turn led to some classic moments at Survivor Series 1993 where Savage was a replacement so he could be in the same building as Crush, then the two brawled during the main event. They went through the Royal Rumble with Crush dumping Savage out before they met in the first real attempt at a Falls Count Anywhere match in Madison Square Garden. The stipulation would be improved over the years, the pinfall happening out of the ring and then a ten count inside the squared circle hampered the match in truth.
Having lost to Savage at WrestleMania X, Crush becomes even more vicious. He’s not content with submitting opponents with the Head Vice, he begins snapping opponents necks to completely devastate them. Crush qualifies for the King of the Ring tournament, overcoming old rival Doink the Clown in the qualifiers.
At the King of the Ring pay-per-view, Crush puts away Tatanka in the quarter-final round. Owen Hart loses by disqualification to 1-2-3 Kid after shoving down the referee, he then locks the Kid in a Sharpshooter and won’t let him go in frustration having failed to replicate the feat accomplished a year before by brother Bret. Randy Savage beats Bam Bam Bigelow, a finalist in 1993, while Razor Ramon overcomes rival IRS. In the semi-finals, Crush takes advantage of Owen’s attack on 1-2-3 Kid to win and thanks to unseen interference from IRS, the ‘Macho Man’ defeats Ramon. That sets up a final between Randy Savage and Crush, the big man avenges his WrestleMania defeat to become 1994 King of the Ring. On the same night, Bret Hart retains the WWF Championship against Diesel with Jim Neidhart fending off Shawn Michaels. Yokozuna and Lex Luger go to a double count out, Yokozuna a late replacement for the injured Mr. Perfect. The Quebecers challenge for the WWF Tag Team Championship against the Headshrinkers is unsuccessful.
Moving onto SummerSlam, Razor Ramon defeats IRS and Lex Luger finally gets his big win over Yokozuna when Paul Bearer returns with the Undertaker inside a casket. Randy Savage faces Shawn Michaels and wins thanks to an errant boot from Diesel. On an edition of Raw prior to SummerSlam, Neidhart nailed Bret from behind on the King’s Court and joined with Owen in stomping him. They handed Bret over to Crush, who destroyed the WWF Champion and posed with the title belt. At SummerSlam, Owen and Neidhart win the WWF Tag Team Championship against the Headshrinkers and Crush is victorious in his bid to claim the WWF Championship from the ‘Hart-Broken Hitman’.
Survivor Series 1994 is built around two matches. A casket match rematch for the Undertaker against Yokozuna with Chuck Norris on hand as troubleshooting enforcer and a five-on-five elimination bout featuring some major players. Bret Hart teams with Randy Savage, Tatanka, Lex Luger and Razor Ramon to face Crush, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, Diesel and Shawn Michaels. Tatanka is out early but a misplaced Super Kick by Shawn gifts Ramon an elimination on Diesel. Ramon then rolls HBK up as he argues with Diesel. Luger and Ramon are next to go, before Crush and Randy Savage brawl to the back in a double count out. That leaves Bret two-on-one against the WWF Tag Team Champions. Bret fights admirably, eliminating Neidhart with a running Hart Attack before a Victory Roll, reminiscent of Owen’s winning move at WrestleMania X, earns a hard-fought victory for the ‘Hitman’.
The Royal Rumble in 1995 sees Crush defend the WWF Championship against Randy Savage, while the British Bulldog is back in the company to team with Bret against Neidhart and Owen for the tag titles. Crush manages to defeat the ‘Macho Man’ but Owen and Neidhart retain thanks to the ‘Rocket’ nailing Bret with his tag title belt behind the back of the referee. The Intercontinental Championship changes hands as Ramon beats Diesel thanks once again to Shawn Michaels screwing up interference. Despite looking very groggy, Bret enters the Royal Rumble and survives to the final four of the ‘Hitman’, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and Lex Luger. Hart prevails to set up a title rematch.
WrestleMania XI is the night when the Allied Powers form to challenge Owen and Neidhart for the tag team titles, Diesel defeats Shawn Michaels in a grudge match prompting HBK to seek out a new bodyguard in Sid and Million Dollar Corporation member Bam Bam Bigelow is the Undertaker’s next victim on the grandest stage of them all. Yokozuna beats Razor Ramon for the Intercontinental Championship. As for Crush versus Bret Hart, there are different ways to go. Bret can regain the title and go on from there with Crush established in the upper card to perhaps begin a rivalry with somebody like the Undertaker or maybe Randy Savage does the unthinkable… the ‘Macho Man’ costs Hart the match, Savage then hands Crush the WWF Championship and becomes his mentor.