10 Things We Learned From VICE’s Dark Side Of The Ring: WWE Brawl For All
2. The Psychological Impact On Bart
WrestleMana XV would mark Bart's final appearance in the WWF/WWE for eight years (he returned for a Battle Royal in 2007). It was a sorry end for someone who told VICE he missed the adrenaline rush of performing, and he still wishes things hadn't gone the way they did.
This isn't something the doc goes too in-depth on, but it's worth mentioning that 'Brawl For All' left serious mental scars on the psyche of Gunn. He ended up leaving the company and chasing an MMA rematch with Butterbean in Japan; promoters finally offered him the fight he craved, but were only willing to give him a few days notice. Bart wanted 12 weeks to train properly, so plans changed and he'd later move on from fighting.
Hearing him talk now about his regrets at 'Mania XV is rather heartbreaking. The guy was an innocent bystander who was asked to fight for real in a worked business, and then punished for daring to win a tournament that should never have happened.
The image of an upset Bart staring at photographs of his glory days is a powerful one.