Achim Albrecht

Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Achim Albrecht is a German personal trainer and former bodybuilder and professional wrestler He is best known for winning the over 90 kilograms category of the International Federation of Body Building & Fitness Mr. Universe contest in Malaysia in 1990. In 1996, Albrecht transitioned to professional wrestling, where he appeared with North American promotions such as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) under the ring name Brakkus (also spelled Brakus) until retiring due to injury in 1999. Albrecht was recalled to the WWF in March 1998, making his WWF television debut on the March 17, 1998, episode of WWF Shotgun Saturday Night, losing to The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust. Albrecht then travelled to Europe with the WWF, losing to Jeff Jarrett at WWF Mayhem in Manchester on April 4, 1998. He went on to wrestle Jarrett at live events in Oberhausen, Berlin and Bayreuth during the DX in Germany tour. During this period, Albrecht routinely wore a chainmail vest to the ring.

In the summer of 1998, Albrecht was entered in the WWF Brawl for All, a shootfighting tournament. Albrecht faced Savio Vega in a first round match on the July 6, 1998, episode of Monday Night Raw. Albrecht was eliminated from the tournament after Vega won the match on points, with Albrecht sustaining a bloodied nose. Vega later claimed that Albrecht was originally not aware that the Brawl for All was a shootfighting tournament and had initially believed it would be worked.

Abrecht went on to defeat Jesús Castillo, Jr. of Los Boricuas in a squash match on the July 27, 1998, episode of Raw is War in his final televised WWF match.

Independent circuit and retirement (1999)

Albrecht left the WWF in 1999. He competed briefly on the Canadian independent circuit under his real name, wrestling for promotions such as Stampede Wrestling. While on the independent circuit, Albrecht formed a short-lived tag team with the English wrestler Davey Boy Smith called "The European Alliance".

Albrecht retired from professional wrestling in 1999 as a result of injuries to his knee and shoulder sustained in the bout with Vega in 1998. He went on to work as an International Sports Sciences Association-certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist in San Francisco, California