Top 20 WrestleMania moments: No. 18
Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn (WrestleMania XV, 1999)
The Brawl for All Challenge between the rotund heavyweight boxer and Gunn is the only shoot match in the history of WrestleMania. Had it been scripted, WWE certainly would have come up with a much different ending. Gunn, best known for being one-half of the Smokin’ Gunns tag team, had gained a reputation for being a real-life tough guy after he won WWE’s Brawl for All tournament, which consisted of shoot matches that were a hybrid of wrestling and boxing. So, WWE booked a Brawl for All match between Gunn and Butterbean at WrestleMania.
Even though Butterbean was far from a championship-level boxer, Gunn was no match for him. Butterbean knocked down Gunn within the first 30 seconds, and less than 10 seconds later he caught Gunn flush in the face with a big right, snapping Gunn’s head back and knocking him out cold. The ferocity of the punch elicited a collective gasp from the crowd, which I witnessed firsthand, as I was in attendance at the First Union Center in Philadelphia.
Comments
I remember that like it was yesterday. Butterbean knocked the stuffins outta Bart Gunn.
Posted by: Michael | March 13, 2008 4:09 AM
This may have been the greatest WM moment ever! I remember watching this puppy with a bunch of friends and seeing this "event." There was a pause for some stunned silence, then a lot of laughter. I mean, a lot of laughter. We still bring this up even in non-wrestling conversations and laugh. Thanks, Bart Gunn, for getting dropped in the fightin' city of Philadelphia!
Posted by: JTK | March 13, 2008 8:29 AM
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. One request though, can you include the year of the Mania, not just the roman numerals? I lose track of which was when and that would help me better place the matches you are describing in historical context since I haven't seen all of the Mania shows.
Posted by: Eric | March 13, 2008 9:13 AM
I remember this , Bart Gunn went down like he had been shot !
Posted by: jack in hebron | March 13, 2008 10:30 AM
Floyd Mayweather is no Butterbean.
Posted by: John | March 13, 2008 12:50 PM
I was a boxing fan at this point in time.
Ring Magazine had an article about the match. The article claimed that Butterbean "made boxing look good, at least in comparsion to wrestling."
Posted by: Christopher | March 13, 2008 2:10 PM
this was also the last wwf show for the late great gorilla monsoon. as he was a judge for the fight
Posted by: stan ritz | March 13, 2008 3:57 PM
Wouldn't Big Show vs. Akebono at Wrestlemania 21 in the sumo match make for 2 shoot matches? Or was it a work?
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I believe that was a work.
Posted by: mr. bronson | March 13, 2008 5:05 PM