On January 31st I called Brian for what turned out to be the last time. He told me that he was on the road heading from Ians back to Baltimore where he was planning on moving back into a place he had previously rented and was about to start a new courier job set up by a friend. He was going to be independent again for the first time in a while and he was excited about it, but also anxious. He was worried about driving through the night in his clapped out old car and getting home. He then said a sentence that didnt mean a great deal at the time, but upon looking back has taken on a whole new level of significance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBhOBE3f1uo&feature=youtu.be "Finally, everything is planned out the way I want it, but now I am more scared than ever about not making it back." Brian did make it back that night and made sure to send me a message the next day letting me know he had arrived safely. I was relieved and told him I would give him a call in the next few days once he was back on his feet so we could carry on with his book. It was then that we had the following exchange, which now haunts me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHkerO-Yk0E Axl: "I wanna get this book done before I die." Me: "Well that gives us, what, forty years?" Axl: "More like four days." On Wednesday, the day before he died, I was going to give Brian a call but, for whatever reason, I didnt. I figured I would call him tomorrow instead. Then, late Thursday evening UK time, I received a series of frantic text messages from some friends in the industry, all asking me, Have you heard about Axl? Immediately, I knew what had happened. Sure enough as soon as I went online I found out the horrible, heart-breaking news. Brian was dead.
The author of the highly acclaimed 'Titan' book series, James Dixon has been involved in the wrestling business for 25 years as a fan, wrestler, promoter, agent, and writer. James spent several years wrestling on the British independent circuit, but now prefers to write about the bumps and bruises rather than take any of them. His past in-ring experience does however give a uniquely more "insider" perspective on things, though he readily admits to still being a "mark" at heart.
James is the Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk and is responsible for the best-selling titles Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed, as well as the Complete WWF Video Guide series, and the Raw Files series.
