10 Fascinating WWE WrestleMania 17 Facts

4. George Gray Could No Longer Fit Into The Akeem Costume

The first Texas Wrestlemania main event.
WWE.com

The Gimmick Battle Royal was little more than an excuse to parade a horde of throwback characters before a crowd that hadn't yet been waterlogged by nostalgia. That said, the charming look at the silliness of yesteryear was certainly a lot of fun, and anyone who says otherwise shouldn't breed.

The monstrous George Gray was originally slated to appear in the battle royal as his preposterous Akeem character, but had lost so much weight by 2001 that apparently the tribal garb no longer fit his frame. Instead, Gray dressed as his other well-known character, the Chicago brawler known simply as The One Man Gang.

In either case, we can all agree that whether he was Gang or Akeem, Gray not making his entrance to "Jive Soul Bro" was an unspeakable crime against humanity.

Contributor
Contributor

Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.