Johnny Grunge

{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name = Johnny Grunge

|image = JohnnyGrungeMarch2002.png

|birth_name = Michael Lynn Durham

|caption = Grunge in 2002

|names = Johnny Grunge
Johnny Rotten

|height = {{height|ft=6|in=3}}{{cite book|title=The Rise and Fall of ECW|last=Loverro|first=Thom|pages=[https://archive.org/details/risefallofecw00thom/page/28 28–29]|publisher=Pocket Books|year=2006|isbn=978-1-4165-1058-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/risefallofecw00thom/page/28}}{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/j/johnny-grunge.html|title=Johnny Grunge profile|publisher=OWOW|access-date=2009-08-14}}

|weight = {{convert|263|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1965|7|10|mf=y}}

|death_date = {{death date and age|2006|2|16|1965|7|10|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Sulphur, Louisiana, U.S.

|death_place = Peachtree City, Georgia, U.S.{{cite news|first=Hicks|last=Brady|title=2006: The year in wrestling|work=PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts|publisher=Kappa Publications|id=2007 Edition|page=18}}

|billed = Compton, California

|debut = 1987

}}

Michael Lynn Durham (July 10, 1965 – February 16, 2006) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Johnny Grunge. He is known for his appearances with Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as one-half of the tag team The Public Enemy with Rocco Rock. In the course of his career, Grunge held championships such as the ECW World Tag Team Championship and WCW World Tag Team Championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/public-enemy|title=The Public Enemy|publisher=WWE|work=WWE.com|access-date=January 18, 2015}}

Professional wrestling career

=Early career (1987–1993)=

Grunge made his professional wrestling debut in 1987. In 1993 in Woodbridge, New Jersey, Grunge formed a tag team in the UWF with Rocco Rock known as The Public Enemy. This was not the first time they had met though as The Public Enemy faced one another in Austria {{Circa|1991}}, with Grunge (using the name "Johnny Rotten") losing to Rock (using the name "Cheetah Kid" and was masked).{{Cite book|last=Williams|first=Scott E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pGyCDwAAQBAJ&dq=Johnny+Grunge&pg=PT65|title=Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW|date=2011-11-01|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-61321-582-1|language=en}}

=Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1996)=

File:Johnny Grunge - March 2002 - Chair Shot.jpg]]

In 1993, The Public Enemy joined Eastern Championship Wrestling, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion soon to be renamed Extreme Championship Wrestling.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jDtaAAAAYAAJ&q=Johnny+Grunge|title=Wrestling Observer Newsletter|date=July 2004|publisher=Wrestling Observer Newsletter|language=en}} Between March 6, 1994 and October 28, 1995, The Public Enemy held the ECW Tag Team Championship on four occasions.{{Cite web|title=ECW World Tag Team Title|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html|access-date=2021-07-02|website=www.wrestling-titles.com}} While in ECW, they were involved in two infamous incidents - the first when the ECW audience hurled folding chairs into the ring until The Public Enemy (both "unconscious") were submerged, and the second when the ECW audience invaded the ring to celebrate with The Public Enemy, with the ring collapsing as a result of the additional weight.{{Citation|title=Public Enemy and the ECW fans make the ring collapse: Extreme Warfare Vol. 1|url=https://www.wwe.com/videos/public-enemy-and-the-ecw-fans-make-the-ring-collapse-extreme-warfare-vol-1|language=en|access-date=2021-07-02}} They were known for their hardcore wrestling style and usage of tables, a gimmick that was later adopted by the Dudley Boyz.{{Cite book|last1=Kleinberg|first1=Adam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ozcg4p1OZh4C&dq=Johnny+Grunge&pg=PT121|title=Mysteries of Wrestling: Solved|last2=Nudelman|first2=Adam|date=2005|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55022-685-0|language=en}} The Public Enemy's wrestling style was referenced in Weezer's song "El Scorcho"; the line "watchin' Grunge legdrop New Jack through a press table" was derived from a caption for a photograph of Grunge fighting wrestler New Jack that was published in Pro Wrestling Illustrated.{{Cite web|title=Is This the ECW Match Weezer References in El Scorcho?|url=https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/is-this-the-ecw-match-weezer-references-in-el-scorcho-01dm0jy6be1a|access-date=2021-07-02|website=The Big Lead|date=21 May 2015 |language=en-US}}

=World Championship Wrestling (1996–1998)=

In 1996, The Public Enemy joined the Atlanta, Georgia based World Championship Wrestling promotion. They debuted on January 15, 1996, defeating The American Males.{{Cite web|title=Public Enemy - OWW|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/p/public-enemy/|access-date=2021-07-02|website=Online World of Wrestling|language=en-US}} On September 23, 1996 in Birmingham, Alabama, The Public Enemy defeated Harlem Heat to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, but Harlem Heat regained the titles on October 1, 1996 in Canton, Ohio.{{Cite web|title=WCW World Tag Team Title|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html|access-date=2021-07-02|website=www.wrestling-titles.com}}

=World Wrestling Federation and return to WCW (1999)=

The Public Enemy left WCW in 1999, and briefly wrestled for ECW before joining the World Wrestling Federation. Both men made their debut on the February 22, 1999 episode of Raw is War, but were released from the WWF two months later. They had previously performed in the company at Survivor Series 1995 facing The Smoking Gunns.{{Cite web|date=2006-02-16|title=ECW star Johnny Grunge dies|url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2006/02/16/ecw-star-johnny-grunge-dies/|access-date=2021-07-02|website=Slam Wrestling|language=en-US}} On July 18 at Bash at the Beach 1999, The Public Enemy returned to WCW and took part in the "Junkyard Invitational".{{Cite web|title=411MANIA|url=http://411mania.com/wrestling/random-network-reviews-bash-at-the-beach-1999/|access-date=2021-07-02|website=Random Network Reviews: Bash at the Beach 1999|language=en-US}}

File:The Public Enemy - March 2002 - Table.jpg

=Later career (1999–2006)=

They then returned to the independent circuit, making appearances with the X Wrestling Federation as The South Philly Posse, where they were managed by Jasmin St. Claire. In the early 2000s, Public Enemy performed for the short-lived i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling among other independent promotions. The team won various independent tag team titles. Following the death of Rocco Rock in 2002, Grunge teamed with his kayfabe brother Joey Grunge as The New Public Enemy throughout August 2003. He also made appearances with Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling (3PW) until his last match in 2004. He participated in a memorial segment for deceased ECW wrestlers at Hardcore Homecoming on June 10, 2005, and at the end of that year, Grunge was preparing for a comeback.{{Cite web|last=Crenshaw|first=Holly|title=**SECOND FUNERAL FOR JOHNNY GRUNGE {{!}} WrestlingFigs|url=https://wrestlingfigs.com/wrestlingnews/second-funeral-for-johnny-grunge/|access-date=2021-07-02|language=en-US}} His cousin, Jason Ray, who wrestled for Big Japan Wrestling, helped book him for BJW's upcoming spring tour.{{cn|date=March 2021}}

Personal life

Grunge was a neighbor of Chris Benoit and helped Benoit cope with Eddie Guerrero's death in November 2005.{{Cite web|date=2007-09-13|title=Fish: Chris Benoit's doctor prescribed for other wrestlers|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=3014744|access-date=2021-07-02|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}

Grunge died on February 16, 2006, in his residence in Peachtree City, Georgia, as a result of sleep apnea complications, which was most likely caused by a coronary artery blockage due to obesity. He was 40 years old.{{Cite web|last=Crenshaw|first=Holly|date=February 22, 2006|title=Mike Durham Obituary|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/atlanta/name/mike-durham-obituary?id=39625910|access-date=August 27, 2024|website=Legacy}} Other reports say he was visiting a friend at the time of his death where he was unable to breathe.{{Cite web|last=O'Connor|first=Ryan|date=December 8, 2015|title=Johnny Grunge - Dead at 39|url=https://wrestlerdeaths.com/johnny-grunge-death/|access-date=July 2, 2021|website=Wrestler Deaths}} He was morbidly obese and had ingested a huge quantity of Soma pills that were prescribed by doctor Phil Astin.{{Cite book|last=Muchnick|first=Irvin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LXUvEAAAQBAJ&dq=Johnny+Grunge&pg=PT61|title=Chris & Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling's Cocktail of Death, The Ultimate Historical Edition|date=2021-05-25|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-77305-766-8|language=en}}

Championships and accomplishments

Image:Public Enemy Hardcore Hall of Fame.jpg banner in the former ECW Arena]]

Cauliflower Alley Club
Other honoree (1995)
Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling
ECW World Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Rocco Rock
Hardcore Hall of Fame
Class of 2007
i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling
i-Generation Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Rocco Rock
International World Class Championship Wrestling
IWCCW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Equalizer Zip
Main Event Championship Wrestling
MECW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rocco Rock
National Wrestling Alliance
NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rocco Rock
NWA New Jersey
NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rocco Rock
New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
Class of 2010
New-Wave Championship Wrestling
NWCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rocco Rock
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 465 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
Superstars of Wrestling
SOW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Rocco Rock
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
TCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rocco Rock
Ultra Championship Wrestling
UCW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Jason Ray
Universal Wrestling Alliance

:*UWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rocco Rock{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}