{{short description|American professional wrestler (1963-2019)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox professional wrestler | name = Max Muscle | birthname = John Czawlytko | names = Big Bad John<ref name="Linder"/><br>The Brute<ref name=Cage/><br />Max Muscle<ref name="Linder"/><br />Maxx<ref name=Cage/><br />Maxx Muscle<ref name="Linder"/> | image = Max Muscle.jpeg | image_size = | caption = | alt = | height = {{height|ft=6|in=4}}<ref name=Cage/> | weight = {{convert|330|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name=Cage/> | birth_date = February 22, 1963<ref name=Cage/> | birth_place = Texas, U.S.<ref name=Cage/><ref name=OWOW>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/m/maxx-muscle/|title=OWOW profile}}</ref> | death_date = {{death date and age|2019|06|27|1963|2|22}} | death_place = Dundalk, Maryland, U.S. | resides = | billed = | trainer = WCW Power Plant<ref name="Linder"/> | debut = 1992<ref name=Cage>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=9263|title=Cagematch profile}}</ref> | retired = 2009 | website = }} '''John Czawlytko'''<ref name=Cage/><ref name="92article"/> (February 22, 1963 – June 27, 2019<ref name=Cage/><ref name="92article"/>) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling under the ring names '''Max Muscle''', '''Maxx Muscle''' and '''Maxx'''.
==Professional wrestling career==
===Early career (1992–1993)=== After a career as a bodybuilder,<ref name=Cage/> Czawlytko began training to become a professional wrestler. Following his training, Czawlytko adopted the ring name The Brute and began competing as part of a tag team called The Skull Crushers alongside Bryan Carreiro, who performed under the ring name The Beast.<ref name="92article">{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-11-01/features/9202270010_1_bob-roop-fake-punches-brute |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203113645/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-11-01/features/9202270010_1_bob-roop-fake-punches-brute |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |title=The Beast The Brute And The Brains A Bounty Hunter, A Bouncer And An Ex-olympian Hope To Conquer Pro Wrestling --- A Weird World Where Women Toss Babies, Men Pull Guns And Fans Scream Hate In Your Face |first=Matt |last=Schudel}}</ref>
=== World Championship Wrestling (1993–1997) === In 1993, Czawlytko signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling. He was sent to the WCW Power Plant for seasoning.<ref name="Linder">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/kevin-sullivan-on-the-dungeon-of-doom/page-19|title=The ring's forgotten big men|date=October 31, 2013|accessdate=February 1, 2014|author=Linder, Zach|publisher=WWE|work=WWE.com}}</ref> Later in the year, he debuted on WCW television under the name Big Bad John, making appearances on the promotion's secondary television shows ''Saturday Night'', ''Main Event'', and ''Pro''.<ref name=CageMatches>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=9263&page=4|title=Cagematch match listings}}</ref> In 1995, he was repackaged as a heel under the ring name Max Muscle and became Diamond Dallas Page's bodyguard, where he consistently helped Page cheat in arm wrestling contests. However, Muscle's alliance with Page ended by 1996, as Muscle broke away from Page and briefly turned face.<ref name=OWOW/> However, this was short-lived, as Muscle joined the Dungeon of Doom later on in the year under the ring name Maxx, reverting into a heel in the process.<ref name=OWOW/> While a member of the Dungeon, Maxx wrestled and lost to Page on the March 15, 1997 episode of ''Saturday Night'' and then again on the March 17 episode of ''Nitro''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/19970317.htm|title=WCW weekly report from March 15-17, 1997}}</ref> During the 3rd August 1997 episode of ''WCW Worldwide'', Czawlytko wrestled his final match in a tag team match for WCW against the Steiner Brothers .<ref name=CageMatches/>
===Retirement=== After leaving WCW, Czawlytko took a two-year-long hiatus from wrestling. On March 11, 1999, Czawlytko competed in his return match, then under the tweaked ring name Maxx Muscle, where he and Corporal Punishment wrestled to a no contest for Maryland Championship Wrestling.<ref name=CageMatches/> On April 8, Muscle lost to Punishment in a rematch.<ref name=CageMatches/> Following losses in both singles and tag team matches, Czawlytko left MCW in mid-October and wrestled his final match on January 29, 2000, when he resumed his Maxx ring name as he defeated Felony in a match for Xtreme Pro Wrestling.<ref name=CageMatches/> In 2008 he returned to wrestling working for IHWE in Texas. Then he retired in 2009.<ref name=CageMatches/>
==Death== On July 1, 2019, longtime friend Diamond Dallas Page revealed on his Facebook account that Czawlytko had died on June 27, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwmania.com/diamond-dallas-page-announces-death-of-former-wcw-wrestler|title = Diamond Dallas Page Announces Death of Former WCW Wrestler|date = 2 July 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|3674517|John Czawlytko}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muscle, Max}} Category:1963 births Category:2019 deaths Category:American male professional wrestlers Category:American people of Polish descent Category:Professional wrestlers from Texas Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets