10 Old WWE Gimmick Matches That Need To Say In The Past
3. Brawl For All
The Brawl For All was a series of legitimate shoot fights that taking place on WWE programming over the space of two months in 1998. The goal was the capitalise on the growing popularity of strongman competitions and mixed martial arts, with the UFC entering its fourth year of operation.
‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams was brought in for the competition, and the intention was that he’d win the tournament and establish himself as the baddest man in the company. Things didn’t quite go to plan in the unscripted environment, however. Williams was knocked out by Bart Gunn in the quarter finals, tearing his hamstring in the process, and immediately ending any hope WWE had of pushing him as a legitimate tough guy.
Savio Vega aggravated an old arm injury, and never competed for the company again. Brakkus suffered major knee and shoulder injuries that would eventually lead to his retirement. Gunn, the tournament winner, was knocked out by Butterbean in just 35 seconds at WrestleMania XV, and the list goes on.
The gimmick was a massive failure that bored the fans, injured the participants, and cost WWE a lot of money. They’d be insane to ever revisit it, but with the UFC now standing as their main source of competition, you never know...