One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY WWE WrestleMania

27. WrestleMania 15 | The Bet

bart gunn dr death
WWE

The Brawl For All is widely remembered as a terrible and reckless idea that did not even accomplish the one thing all those risks were taken for: noted hard-man Dr. Death Steve Williams did not in fact win. It’s a shame that there does not exist a medium in which sport is emulated and fictionalised, the writer of which can control the outcomes. That would have been an ideal way of presenting Williams as a threat to Stone Cold Steve Austin for a pay-per-view cycle. 

Williams was knocked out in the second round by eventual winner Bart Gunn. Bart was literally an unexpected commodity: nobody expected him to win the deranged shoot fight tourney, and it made an exceptionally bland performer somewhat marketable. 

Contrary to Vince Russo’s narrative - the man has for years boasted that he had an idea for every wrestler - he had no ideas for Bart Gunn. Gunn, possibly because they resented him, disappeared from the WWF outright. Someone as limited but suddenly credible as Gunn could have at least tore through the emerging hardcore division in late 1998. He was brought back only to get his sh*t rocked by amateur boxing cult hero Butterbean at WrestleMania 15. 

Bart did have one supporter in the WWF…sort of: Steve Austin. Austin wanted to make money with Bart Gunn. No, not by elevating him in defeat on PPV, but by betting on him to knock Butterbean out. 

The Rock thought otherwise, and according to him, Austin never paid up their bet.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!