In 1998, the WWE staged its singular Brawl for All tournament, an unscripted fighting contest that was clinched by Bart Gunn.
On a recent airing of the “Something to Wrestle” podcast, famed wrestler JBL weighed in on potential contenders if the WWE were to reintroduce the shoot-fighting tournament. He offered his insight, stating,
“In the ring, we’ve got some skilled fighters. Chad Gable is an excellent fighter and wrestler. There are also some rugged contenders. Sheamus, in my mind, would excel, given his size and toughness.”
Moreover, JBL tipped AEW’s Bobby Lashley as one to watch, suggesting it would be a ‘safe’ gamble to back the current AEW World Tag Team Champion.
JBL, known as Bradshaw at the time, made it to the final of the premier Brawl for All, overcoming Mark Canterbury, Marc Mero, and Droz before forfeiting the title to Gunn.
Gunn, after his victory at the Brawl, mysteriously disappeared from the screen. However, his ‘reward’ was a prompt knockout dealt by Butterbean at WrestleMania 15.
Rumors have circulated for some time that Jim Ross had created the Brawl for All with the purpose of crowning Steve Williams as the winner, thereby instigating a rivalry with Steve Austin. However, Williams was taken down by Gunn.