"a hard way to make a living, even by Hamilton standards". The decline of the steel industry in Hamilton ensured that anyone from Hamilton who was successful at anything, even as a wresting jobber was bound to become a celebrity in Hamilton. The mere fact that Croitoru had wrestled Hulk Hogan made him famous in his hometown, all the more so as many of the blue-collar people of Hamilton were fans of professional wrestling. Langton wrote that at the height of his fame, Croitoru "...could barely walk a block in downtown Hamilton without someone offering to buy him a beer". After leaving the WWF, he wrestled on a tour of Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling; he later returned to Japan to compete for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling and Wrestle Association R. In the late 1980s, Croitoru also worked as a promoter along with Mike Kelly and Bob Clarke, operating the short-lived Canadian International Championship Wrestling in Hamilton, Ontario. During his wrestling career, Croitoru's persona changed from that of Middle Eastern or Eastern European villains such as the Terrible Turk and Taras Bulba to working class heroes such as Bruiser Bedlam. In 1989, Croitoru was convicted of drug possession. At his trial, Croitoru stated that the lengthy road trips required by his wrestling career had led him to abuse cocaine to ease the tedium of his existence. Croitoru also admitted to his weakness for the "fast life", saying he liked expensive cars and staying out late at nightclubs too much. In 1993, Croitoru opened up a gym called Bad Boy's in Burlington , named after the gym he had patronized in his youth. In September 1993, Croitoru was convicted of forgery, being fined $500 dollars and placed on probation. With his forgery conviction came the failure of his gym as he was unable to pay the rent. Smoky Mountain Wrestling (1994) Croitoru joined Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) in 1994, where he was given the ring name Bruiser Bedlam. According to the storyline, he was brought in by manager Jim Cornette to help settle Cornette's feud with Bob Armstrong. Cornette explained his reasons for the Bruiser Bedlam moniker as: "He was 6’0" tall, 270 lbs (billed at 300), built like a fireplug, bald-headed, barrel-chested with tattoos and a legitimate 600 lbs bench presser with a mean look. I was always looking for heels to take back to Smoky Mountain, and Johnny K-9 was