Brian Johnston (fighter)

Last updated

Brian Johnston
Born (1969-07-28) July 28, 1969 (age 55)
Other namesFury
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight242 lb (110 kg; 17.3 st)
Style Judo, Boxing, Wrestling, Taekwondo, Kick Boxing, Submission Wrestling
Fighting out of San Jose, California
Rank Black Belt in Judo
Mixed martial arts record
Total11
Wins5
By knockout1
By submission4
Losses6
By knockout1
By submission5
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Brian Johnston
Birth nameBrian Johnston
Born (1969-07-28) July 28, 1969 (age 55)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Brian Johnston
Billed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Billed weight246 lb (112 kg)
Debut1997
Retired2001

Brian Johnston (born July 28, 1969) is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who competed throughout the mid 1990s, most notably in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. His effective mix of precision striking and ground fighting, as seen with other fighters such as Erik Paulson, Matt Hume, and Marco Ruas, would set the standard for what are now common traits in modern-day fighting styles. Johnston holds a black belt in Judo and was a former Golden Gloves champion with an undefeated amateur Kickboxing record of 12-0 as well as an experienced Wrestler.

Contents

He fought many MMA legends in their prime such as Don Frye, Mark Coleman and Ken Shamrock while competing in the UFC.

Brian suffered a massive stroke in August 2001 while in Japan prior to a fight, at 32 years of age and 3 weeks after his wedding. [1]

Initially trained by Brad Rheingans. He made his pro wrestling debut in 1997, losing to Naoya Ogawa at NJPW G1 Climax Special 1997. [2] [3] Throughout his whole career Johnston was used as a tag team wrestler, teaming with such names like Don Frye, Osamu Kido, Tadao Yasuda, Dave Beneteau, and Kazuyuki Fujita. He had a notable appearance at the 1999 G1 Tag League, teaming with Takashi Iizuka. [4] After a massive stroke, he was forced to retire in 2001. [5] Johnston would train several team mates to impressive MMA victories, over notables such as Mark Kerr, K-1 fighter Jan Nortje and MMA fighters Ryan Gracie and Ken Shamrock.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
10 matches5 wins5 losses
By knockout32
By submission23
By decision00
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss5–5 Dan Bobish Submission(forearm choke) UFC 14 July 27, 199712:10 Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Win5–4John RenfroeSubmission (choke)Strikeforce - Strike ForceMay 31, 199712:10 San Jose, California, United States
Loss4–4 Kimo Leopoldo Submission (forearm choke)Ultimate ExplosionApril 16, 199711:43 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win4–3Dennis ReedSubmission (rear-naked choke)Extreme Challenge 3February 15, 199710:48 Davenport, Iowa, United States
Win3–3Egidio Amaro da CostaTKO (submission to punches and headbutts)Universal Vale Tudo Fighting 5January 30, 199711:34Brazil
Loss2–3 Ken Shamrock Submission (forearm choke) Ultimate Ultimate 1996 December 7, 199615:48 Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Loss2–2 Mark Coleman TKO (submission to punches) UFC 11 August 20, 199612:20 Augusta, Georgia, United States
Win2–1Reza NasriTKO (punches) UFC 11 August 20, 199610:28 Augusta, Georgia, United States
Loss1–1 Don Frye TKO (submission to elbow) UFC 10 July 12, 199614:37 Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Win1–0Scott FiedlerTKO (submission to punches) UFC 10 July 12, 199612:25 Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Shamrock</span> American professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter

Ken Shamrock is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract, under the ring name Ken Shamrock. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), WWE and other combat sports. An inaugural inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame, Shamrock is widely regarded as an icon and pioneer of the sport. He has headlined over 15 main events and co-main events in the UFC and Pride FC and set numerous MMA pay-per-view records. In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named "The World's Most Dangerous Man" by ABC News in a special called "The World's Most Dangerous Things". The moniker has stuck as his nickname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Severn</span> American wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter

Daniel DeWayne Severn, nicknamed "the Beast", is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. A UFC Hall of Fame member, Severn is considered one of the leading pioneers of mixed martial arts and the first true world-class wrestler to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is best known for his success in the early years of the UFC where he became the first UFC Triple Crown champion in history by winning the UFC 5 tournament, Ultimate Ultimate 1995, and UFC Superfight Championship. Severn has also competed in King of the Cage, PRIDE FC, Cage Rage, WEC, RINGS and MFC, and holds a professional MMA Record of 101–19–7.

Donald Frye is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. In MMA, he was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and won the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments and finished as runner-up at UFC 10 in his first year of competition. He retired from MMA in 1997 to pursue a career in professional wrestling with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and quickly became one of the company's leading heels. After spending four years as one of Japan's top gaijin wrestlers, he returned to MMA with the Pride Fighting Championships in September 2001, much more muscular and sporting an American patriot persona in response to the September 11 attacks. He fought bouts with Ken Shamrock and Yoshihiro Takayama during his two years in Pride. He departed the promotion to compete in K-1 and Hero's in 2004 but returned for the final Pride event in 2007. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masahiro Chono</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Masahiro Chono is a Japanese-American retired professional wrestler and actor best known for his 26-year stint with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). As the leader of nWo Japan, Team 2000 and Black New Japan, he was the promotion's top heel for much of his career, beginning in 1994 when he adopted a yakuza inspired gimmick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensuke Sasaki</span> Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist

Kensuke Sasaki is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and founder of the now-defunct wrestling promotion Diamond Ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IWGP Heavyweight Championship</span> Championship of New Japan Pro-Wrestling

The IWGP Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IWGP tournament. It was unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on March 4, 2021, to form the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuji Nagata</span> Japanese professional wrestler (born 1968)

Yuji Nagata is a Japanese professional wrestler, and former mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Considered one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, he is the fifth longest-reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion with a reign of 392 days, and formerly held the record for most successful title defenses with 10, until Hiroshi Tanahashi broke the record at Wrestle Kingdom VI. He is the only wrestler to have won Japanese professional wrestling's three biggest singles tournaments; New Japan Pro-Wrestling's G1 Climax, All Japan Pro Wrestling's Champion Carnival and Pro Wrestling Noah's Global League. In addition, he is the only man to have held all four major heavyweight championships in Japanese professional wrestling, the IWGP, World, GHC and Triple Crown heavyweight championships, making him the only "Grand Slam" champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazuyuki Fujita</span> Japanese professional wrestler and MMA fighter

Kazuyuki Fujita is a Japanese professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a one-time GHC Heavyweight Champion. He has most recently fought in Road FC, but is also known for his work in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1, Rizin Fighting Federation, and World Victory Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minoru Suzuki</span> Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist

Minoru Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, former two-time NEVER Openweight Champion, former one-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, former one-time NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion and a former Provisional KOPW Champion. He also makes appearances for Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he is a member of Contra Unit and is one-half of the current MLW World Tag Team Champions, with Ikuro Kwon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimate Ultimate 1996</span> UFC mixed martial arts event in 1996

UFC: The Ultimate Ultimate 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 7, 1996. The event took place at the Fair Park Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and released on home video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazunari Murakami</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Kazunari Murakami is a Japanese professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah. Murakami is best known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) during the late 1990s and early 2000s, where he primarily competed as a member of the villainous Makai Club stable. Aside from pro wrestling, Murakami was also part of the first fight in PRIDE history, defeating John Dixson by submission in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadao Yasuda</span> Japanese rikishi and professional wrestler

Tadao Yasuda is a Japanese retired sumo wrestler (rikishi), professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He competed in sumo from 1979 to 1992 under the shikona of Takanofuji Tadao, achieving the rank of komusubi, and afterward turned to professional wrestling, in which he competed from 1994 to 2011, most notably in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He also fought in mixed martial arts from 2001 to 2003, holding a notable win over Jérôme Le Banner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kota Ibushi</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist who is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenure with New Japan-Pro Wrestling (NJPW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zack Sabre Jr.</span> British professional wrestler (born July 1987)

Luke James Uggles Eatwell, known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. and its abbreviated form ZSJ, is an English-born professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. In NJPW, he is the second and current leader of the group The Mighty Don't Kneel (TMDK) and is a former two-time and inaugural NJPW World Television Champion. He also makes sporadic appearances for partner promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katsuyori Shibata</span> Japanese professional wrestler and trainer

Katsuyori Shibata is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also makes appearances for AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former ROH Pure Champion. In professional wrestling, he is known for his hard hitting offense. He spent most of his career with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as both a wrestler and trainer. In NJPW, he is a former three-time NEVER Openweight Champion, a one-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, and the winner of the 2017 New Japan Cup. He is also a former holder of Revolution Pro Wrestling's RPW British Heavyweight Championship. From March 2018 to July 2023, Shibata served as the head coach of NJPW's dojo in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Lawlor</span> American mixed martial arts fighter (born 1983)

Thomas Joseph Lawlor is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and podcast host. He is signed to both New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was the inaugural and longest reigning NJPW Strong Openweight Champion; and Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he is a former one-time MLW World Tag Team Champion, one-time MLW World Heavyweight Champion and the winner of the first-ever Battle Riot in 2018 and the 2020 Opera Cup tournament.

Ryūshi Yanagisawa is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer. His real name is Atsushi Yanagisawa. As a martial artist, he competed in K-1, Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling (Pancrase) and Fighting Network RINGS. As a professional wrestler he competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Inoki Genome Federation (IGF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsuya Nagai</span> Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler

Hirokazu Nagai, better known as Mitsuya Nagai, is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional MMA competitor from 1991 until 2013, he fought the majority of his career in Fighting Network RINGS. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Satoru Sayama and Akira Maeda, Nagai holds notable victories over former King of Pancrase Super Heavyweight Champion Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Nobuaki Kakuda, four-time world kickboxing champion Andre Mannaart, Russian sambo champion Mikhail Ilyukhin, RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament runner up Valentijn Overeem, ADCC bronze medallist and RINGS Light Heavyweight title contender Chris Haseman, and Pancrase veteran Takaku Fuke. He also fought for K-1 in kickboxing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Owens</span> American professional wrestler

Steven Owens, better known by the ring name Chase Owens is an American professional wrestler signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club. He is a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, having won the belts twice with Kenta and once with Bad Luck Fale. Owens has also won the provisional KOPW trophy once.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great-O-Khan</span> Japanese professional wrestler (born June 1991)

Tomoyuki Oka, better known by his ring name Great-O-Khan, is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the United Empire stable and a two-time and current Provisional KOPW Champion. He also wrestles for NJPW's United Kingdom based partner promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where he is the former Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. In NJPW, he is a three-time (current) IWGP Tag Team Champion.

References

  1. "Brian Johnston: Where is He Now? - A Survivor's Tale".
  2. "NJPW G1 Climax Special 1997 - Tag 11 ~ Grapple Climax « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  3. "Matches « Brian Johnston « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  4. "G-1 Climax Tag Team League1999". ProWrestlingHistory.com. September 10–23, 1999. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  5. "Wrestling and head trauma: More than just Chris Benoit and Test". December 9, 2009.