10 Things We Learned From VICE’s Dark Side Of The Ring: WWE Brawl For All

2. The Psychological Impact On Bart

VICE Dark Side Of The Ring Brawl For All Bart Gunn
VICE

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.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.