The tag team run of Kronik was considered one of the more successful acts of WCW’s final year. No one would rank Bryan Clark and Brian Adams above the Steiner Brothers or Harlem Heat, but they provided a slight positive during a horrible time. New acts for WCW in that woeful 2000 year for them typically flopped on the spot.
Kronik at least felt like a real team of two giant friends uniting to dominate the tag division. WCW trusted Adams and Clark more than they did in the past when showing this new side of their personas. Their tag run didn’t last as long as most would have expected, but they had a lot of interesting moments. The following things are worth knowing when looking back at Kronik’s success as a tag team.
10 Both Were Coming Off Failed Gimmicks
One reason for the Kronik tag team working was seeing Bryan Clark and Brian Adams completely changing things up together. Both wrestlers were coming off singles runs in WCW that didn’t go nearly as well as they hoped when signing.
Clark played the Wrath character that fell off after his winning streak ended to Kevin Nash without much excitement. Adams has a weak run in the New World Order and turned down The KISS Demon gimmick. The duo ended up rebuilding their careers together by forming Kronik in the tag division.
9 Debuted Helping Another Team Win Tag Titles
WCW introduced Kronik at the infamous Spring Stampede 2000 PPV when the entire show reset. Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff vacating all titles saw the New Blood and Millionaire’s Club competing all night to try to gain power.
Kronik actually debuted by helping Russo’s handpicked New Blood team of Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell win the WCW Tag Team Championship. Bagwell and Douglas defeated Ric Flair and Lex Luger thanks to Kronik, but it caused dissension between both heel teams wanting the tag gold afterwards.
8 The Undertaker Got Them A WWE Chance During Invasion Angle
Brian Adams became a close friend of The Undertaker back when he worked as Crush in his first WWE run. Undertaker viewed Adams as someone he wanted to stick around with him in WWE for the long haul, but the Crush character had more ups and downs.
Kronik joining WWE in 2001 for the Invasion storyline was not the typical story of the other WCW talents coming over that summer. Undertaker making a request to Vince McMahon led to Adams and Bryan Clark getting hired to feud with Undertaker and Kane.
7 Took Part In Episode Of Thunder With All "New York Rules" Matches
The Vince Russo era of WCW featured a lot of ridiculous concepts that all led to failure. One of these ideas featured an episode of Thunder when Russo declared that every match on the card would take place under New York Rules.
Russo being from New York was part of his heel character, so the name of the hardcore match was more for heat. Kronik defeated Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas in a non-title tag match with the use of weapons. This would have stood out more if every other match on the card had the same rules.
6 Won Tag Titles In All-Japan
WCW going out of business and WWE getting rid of Kronik is how most fans remember their tag team ending. However, there was another run in the early 2000s when Brian Adams and Bryan Clark opted to continue working internationally.
All Japan Wrestling booked the Kronik team since they loved having familiar faces from the United States promotions. Adams and Clark won the AJPW World Tag Team Championship by defeating the duo of Taiyo Kea and The Great Muta in their first match there.
5 Main Evented Halloween Havoc 2000 Vs Goldberg
Kronik’s biggest accomplishment that most fans have no memory of is main eventing Halloween Havoc 2000. Eric Bischoff has confirmed that WCW started treated Halloween Havoc as the second-biggest show of the year in the mid-90s, and it was a huge honor to close that event.
WCW unfortunately at rock bottom by the time the event came around in 2000. Goldberg facing Kronik in a handicap match with no real stakes involved as the main event of the PPV. Brian Adams and Bryan Clark losing to Goldberg in eight minutes remains one of the most unlikely main events in WCW history.
4 Faced Goldberg Again In Japan For Their Final Match Ever
Goldberg became associated with Kronik’s tag team in more ways than one after WCW ended. The duo had their biggest match against Goldberg at Halloween Havoc 2000, but they also had their final match against the legend in Japan.
All Japan booked Goldberg for a few dates in between WCW going out of business and WWE signing him. Kronik’s final match was a loss to Goldberg and The Great Muta in a cool match on paper. The passing of Adams shortly after and Clark’s retirement made this their respective final match ever in tag or singles action.
3 Tied Record For Most "Worst Tag Team" Awards In Wrestling Observer History
The Wrestling Observer have decades worth of history behind their annual year-end awards voted on by readers. Dave Meltzer used to have a “Worst Tag Team” award from 1984 to 2003 before he removed it from the ballot.
Kronik only teamed up for a few years, but they won the Worst Tag Team Award twice in 2000 and 2001. The Godwinns, the Bushwhackers and Andre the Giant & Giant Baba tied Kronik as the only teams to earn that horrible award twice. Wrestling Observer readers most valued work rate, and their weaker matches led to the fan vote dictating that.
2 They Were In The Last WCW War Games Match
The War Games match was arguably the greatest stipulation created in WCW by Dusty Rhodes. There are a handful of all-time great matches that showed how incredible the concept was. WCW found the most success when having multiple great feuds being told at once.
Unfortunately, WCW’s final War Games match was the worst to ever have that stipulation. Kronik made the cut to join the face team with Booker T, Goldberg and Sting against Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and the Harris Twins. The match was even more confusing since Nash’s WCW Championship was on the line in a tag bout.
1 Both Wrestlers Quit WWE When Asked To Go To Developmental
The failed WWE run for Kronik is infamous for one of the worst-case scenarios for a short-term deal. Kronik getting a chance to feud with The Undertaker and Kane for the WCW Tag Team Championship was a huge opportunity that turned into disaster.
The match was so bad that Vince McMahon wanted to send Bryan Clark and Brian Adams to developmental. Both wrestlers quit when feeling disrespected about going to developmental after over a decade wrestling on television. Kronik ended their United States run in the worst possible way on a big stage.