WWF Brawl For All: Where Are They Now?

WWF Brawl For All: Where Are They Now?

May 27, 2024

By Ryan Porzl

The Brawl For All. If you are a long time wrestling fan or at least an Attitude Era fan, you're well aware of this infamous concept. Created in the summer of 1998, the Brawl For All was a sixteen man tournament. However, instead of being a scripted wrestling tournament that you would expect from the WWF, it was actually a legit toughman contest where wrestlers would put on boxing gloves and attempt to legit knock out their opponents. To say the Brawl For All was a disaster would be an understatement. Just about every way you can think of to make something like this a disaster: injuries, lack of audience interest, wrestlers losing credibility, failing to produce stars, and the man the promotion wanted to win not only did not but saw his reputation go down the toilet just as he was starting, this tournament had it. The BFA was a disaster. However, there were some silver linings as it did produce good ratings especially with talent most fans didn't care about and the eventual winner found doors opened for opportunities in Japan when the WWF had no further use of him. This summer will mark 26 years since the infamous tournament took place and since I didn't think of this idea a year ago, I'll do it now as we'll take a look at the participants, their backgrounds, and what became of them.

Note: I don't own the pictures, I found them on Google. Credit to WWE or whoever the owners are. I apologize for not knowing who owns what.

Background

The Brawl For All was the brainchild of then WWF writer and one of wrestling's more polarizing figures Vince Russo. According to Russo, he came up with the concept mostly to shut up WWF Superstar Bradshaw (the future JBL) who reportedly was constantly bragging during this time about being the toughest guy in the locker room. Along with this, the idea also supposedly came about to capitalize on the popularity of toughman contests at the time as well as give some wrestlers, especially those with tough guy reputations that the company had no plans for, a chance to do something with themselves. As this was going on, the WWF would sign wrestling legend "Dr. Death" Steve Williams after courting him for years. A star both in American and Japanese wrestling, Williams was known for his in-ring skills, his athleticism, and being one of wrestling's toughest guys. Williams had powerful allies in the WWF at time with the most notable being close friend, legendary announcer, and head of talent relations Jim Ross who figured Williams would be a perfect opponent for top star "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.  After Williams decided to enter, the WWF figured the tournament could be a vehicle for him as despite the tournament being legit, the thought would be it would showcase Williams' tough guy image, he blitz through it, and that would send him to the top for the Austin feud. 

The biggest catch in the BFA was unlike typical pro wrestling, the Brawl For All was 100% legit as the wrestlers would put on boxing gloves and try to pulverize and knock out their opponents. Because of this, no one was forced to enter and all participants would volunteer. Despite all this, sixteen competitors would enter with some probably wanting to prove their toughness while most were undercard to midcard status with the hope that by winning, they could potentially elevate their careers. The Brawl For All consisted of toughman contests which were largely boxing but takedowns also would be allowed. Fighters would get 5 points if they scored the most punches per round or by takedown while a knockdown scored ten points and a knockout ended the fights. The fights would be three one minute rounds and the only way to win was either by knockout, TKO, or by scoring more points or a decision if the fight goes the distance. The winner of the tournament would receive a prize of $75,000 while the runner up earned $25,000.

Results

First Round

Steve Blackman defeated Marc Mero by Decision (Blackman later pulls out due to injury)

Bradshaw defeated Mark Canterbury by Points

Savio Vega defeated Brakkus by Points

Darren Drozdov vs. Hawk went to a Draw (Drozdov advanced due to Hawk suffering an injury)

Bart Gunn defeated Bob Holly by Points

Steve Williams defeated Pierre by TKO

Dan Severn defeated The Godfather by Points (Severn would withdraw afterwards)

Scorpio defeated 8-Ball by Points

Quarterfinals

Bradshaw defeated Marc Mero by Points

Darren Drozdov defeated Savio Vega by Points

Bart Gunn defeated Steve Williams by KO

The Godfather defeated Scorpio by Points

Semifinals

Bradshaw defeated Darren Drozdov by Points

Bart Gunn defeated The Godfather by KO

Finals

Bart Gunn defeated Bradshaw by KO

Steve Blackman

Background: Blackman originally did weight lifting and bodybuilding before training under former WWWF United States Tag Team Champion Tony Altomore and turned pro in 1986. Blackman spent the first three years of his career working for The Hart Family's Stampede Wrestling in Canada and toured with New Japan Pro Wrestling while doing occasional appearances for the WWF. By 1989, Blackman was reportedly close to a WWF deal before a tour of South Africa saw him stricken with malaria and dysentery which saw him bed ridden for two years. Upon recovering, Blackman spent most of the 1990s undergoing physical therapy and took up martial arts until reaching out to Owen Hart and Brian Pillman on getting another WWF tryout. Blackman joined the WWF in late 1997 and by the time the Brawl For All happened, was still fairly new to the promotion and in the midcard though he did have a feud with Jeff Jarrett. In the BFA, Blackman defeated Marc Mero in the first round by decision before pulling out due to injury.

Where Is He Now?: After the Brawl For All, Blackman continued in the midcard for several years as both a babyface and heel while engaging in feuds with the likes of Owen Hart and Ken Shamrock. After taking part in the odd couple tag team Head Cheese with Al Snow, Blackman's career peaked from the summer to fall 2000 when he became a fixture in the promotion's hardcore division where he captured the Hardcore Championship six times from 2000-2001 all the while having arguably his biggest match at Summerslam 2000 where he defeated Shane McMahon for the title. By 2001, he took part in another odd couple tag team with Grandmaster Sexay until Sexay's firing in May 2001. When the WCW/ECW Alliance invaded the WWF in June 2001, Blackman was off TV and spent time in WWF's developmental Heartland Wrestling Association with his last match being in December 2001. After sitting out most of 2002, Blackman would leave the WWF in October 2002 after five years with the company. After leaving the WWE, Blackman largely retired from wrestling only competing two more times including for Afa the Wild Samoan's WXW promotion in 2004 and returning to the WWE in December 2007 to take part in a battle royal for the RAW 15th Anniversary special. Since retiring, Blackman started a self defense school called BlackmanMMA in 2003 and has since gone on to work as a bail bondsman. 

Brakus

Background: Brakus originally gained fame as a bodybuilder first in his native Germany before going international. He would achieve success as he won the International German Bodybuilding Championships in 1989 before winning Mr. Universe for the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding) in 1990. Brakus spend the first half of the 1990s competing for the IFBB while writing articles on nutrition and bodybuilding for various bodybuilding magazines. In September 1996, he signed with the WWF and was trained by Dr. Tom Prichard and Bret Hart. Originally going by the name "Argo", he debuted in November 1996 and spent late 1996 to mid 1997 mostly working house shows and dark matches during which time his name was switched to "Brakus" or "Brakkus". After doing some work in the Memphis based USWA as part of their version of the Nation of Domination, he was supposed to make his televised WWF debut in the summer of 1997 before it was delayed and he would be sent to ECW for seasoning. From November 1997 to March 1998, Brakus would do time in ECW as a member of the Team Titan stable led by former WWF ring announcer Lance Wright and consisting of ex-WWF wrestlers Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon as well as wrestlers sent to ECW for experience like himself and Darren Drozdov while feuding with Taz and challenging him for the ECW World Television Championship. By the spring of 1998, he began making appearances for the WWF including at their UK only show Mayhem In Manchester where he lost to Jeff Jarrett. In the Brawl For All, Brakus lost to Savio Vega on points in the first round. 

Where Is He Now?: After BFA, Brakus wrestled one more time for the WWF defeating, ironically, Vega's Los Boricuas stablemate Jesus Castillo on the July 27, 1998 RAW Is WAR before leaving the promotion. After leaving, he briefly continued working on the Canadian independent circuit included a Stampede Wrestling revival until retiring in 1999 due to knee and shoulder injuries he sustained during the Brawl For All. Since retirement, he became a personal trainer and nutritionist while residing in San Francisco, California.

Pierre

Background: Pierre originally started wrestling in 1987 and spent the first six years of his career as a journeyman for promotions such as Catch Wrestling Association in Germany, World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico, and W*ING in Japan. After meeting wrestling legend Jacques Rougeau in Puerto Rico, the two would go to the WWF in 1993 as the tag team The Quebecers where they were managed by Johnny Polo (the future Raven) and held the WWF Tag Team Titles three times between 1993-1994. After the team broke up and Rougeau briefly retired, Pierre then became a pirate named "Jean Pierre LaFitte" where he had a memorable feud with Bret Hart before leaving in 1995. From 1996-1997, he reunited with Rougeau in WCW as The Amazing French Canadians but weren't able to recreate their past success. After a return to the CWA in Germany where he held the tag titles with a then unknown Rhino, he and Rougeau returned to the WWF in 1998 but again couldn't recapture the magic. In the Brawl For All, Pierre lost to Steve Williams by TKO.

Where Is He Now?: After the BFA, Pierre did time in WWF's developmental Power Pro Wrestling under the name Kris Kannonball where he held their Hardcore Championship. After leaving, he toured for All Japan Pro Wrestling and made a few appearances for ECW including challenging Justin Credible for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and Rhino for the ECW World Television Championship but came up short both times. He briefly returned to WCW in August 2000 where he was awarded the WCW Hardcore Championship by Lance Storm and was a member of his Team Canada stable but left after a few appearances due to visa issues (Pierre's appearances were in Canada). He then spent the 2000s as a journeyman including a few shots for World Wrestling All-Stars in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action in 2003 as a masked man named X but both appearances were short. He would also receive a tryout match for the WWE in October 2007 against Tommy Dreamer and another in July 2008 against Charlie Haas but nothing came of it and he eventually retired in 2011. In 2016, he returned to wrestling where he reinvented himself as "The French Canadian Frankenstein" PCO (Perfect Creation One) where he quickly gained a new generation of fans with his gimmick and bumping. After doing time in the indies including major ones like Game Changer Wrestling, he returned to the national scene with Major League Wrestling before signing with Ring Of Honor in 2018. There, he achieved some of his biggest success as a member of Villain Enterprises with Marty Scurll and Brody King with the three holding the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Titles. He also formed a successful team with King winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles and the 2019 Tag Wars. The two also appeared for the National Wrestling Alliance winning the NWA World Tag Team Titles and the 2019 Crockett Cup. In 2019, he finally won a major world championship when he captured the ROH World Title. After ROH went on hiatus in late 2021, Pierre returned to Impact/TNA as a member of the Honor No More stable before eventually signing with them in late 2022. As of 2024, Pierre still wrestles for TNA where he's been a World Title contender and engaged in memorable feuds with Eddie Edwards and Steve Maclin.

8-Ball

Background: 8-Ball (Ron Harris) is best known for his team with twin brother Skull (Don Harris) as The Harris Brothers. Originally debuting in 1987, the twins found success in the territories such as Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis and Pacific Northwest Wrestling in Portland holding the CWA Tag Titles two times and the PNW Tag Titles six times while 8-Ball held the PNW Heavyweight Championship. From 1993-1994, the two worked for Smoky Mountain Wrestling as The Bruise Brothers where they feuded with The Rock n' Roll Express and held the SMW Tag Titles. From 1994-1997, the team then bounced back and forth between ECW and WWF under different gimmicks. By 1997, they returned to the WWF as part of the Disciples of Apocalypse stable alongside Brian "Crush" Adams and Brian "Chainz" Lee before going on their own following Adams and Lee's departures. In the Brawl For All, 8-Ball lost to Scorpio by points.

Where Is He Now?: After BFA, 8-Ball with Skull went on to feud with The Road Warriors while being managed by The Warriors former manager Paul Ellering. After the feud ended in the fall of 1998, the two would do little until being released in the summer of 1999. From 1999-2001, he then worked in WCW first as Creative Control and then as The Harris Brothers where they were aligned with Vince Russo in the former and nWo 2000 in the latter while holding the WCW World Tag Team Titles three times. After WCW shutdown, he did time in All Japan where he competed for the 2001 Real World Tag League where he made it to the semifinals losing to Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuya Nagai. In 2002, he joined TNA upon it's formation and was the first employee hired and continued teaming with his brother in The Harris Brothers until 2003. In 2003, 8-Ball would then do time as a bodyguard and tour manager for "Macho Man" Randy Savage during his rap career and his brief run in TNA. In 2005, he finished his wrestling career after a brief return to TNA before retiring. Since retiring, 8-Ball has worked for the Christian music record label Beach Street Records while co-founding a management called O-Seven Artist Management. He and his brother have since worked for a marketing and production company Aroluxe.

Mark Canterbury

Background: Canterbury turned pro in 1989 and worked the indies before competing in promotions such as the Professional Wrestling Federation in Florida and the United States Wrestling Association in Memphis. He began working in WCW in 1991 as an enhancement talent before being repackaged as Shanghai Pierce while forming his team with Dennis Knight (then Tex Slazenger) in 1993 but the team never made it past midcard status. Canterbury then signed with the WWF in late 1994 as Henry O. Godwinn, a pig farmer who originally worked solo and engaged in feuds with Sycho Sid and an up and coming Hunter Hearst Helmsley. From 1996-1997, he reunited with Knight (now Phineas Godwinn) with the team winning the WWF Tag Team Titles twice and engaged in feuds with The Smokin' Gunns and The Road Warriors. In 1998, Canterbury and Knight were repackaged as Southern Justice where they wore suits, competed under their real names, and were bodyguards of Jeff Jarrett. In The Brawl For All, Canterbury lost to Bradshaw on points.

Where Is He Now?: After BFA, Canterbury continued working for the WWF until retiring in September 1998 due to neck issues that came from a neck injury he suffered in 1997 and returning too early. After eight years away, he returned to the ring by signing with the WWE in 2006 where he mostly spent time in their developmental Deep South Wrestling once again using the Henry O. Godwinn gimmick and was paired with Ray Gordy (under the name Cousin Ray) where they reformed The Godwinns. After working in DSW and WWE live events, Canterbury would eventually be released in 2007 and returned to the indie circuit until retiring again in 2010. In 2016, he was then part of a class action lawsuit against the WWF over concussions but the case was eventually dismissed. In 2017, he returned to the ring and occasionally still wrestles with his recent match being in 2022. In 2020, he returned to the WWE at Survivor Series 2020 as part of The Undertaker's retirement.

Bob Holly

Background: Holly started wrestling in 1987 where he first started in the indie circuit before making appearances for WCW and WWF from 1990-1991 when he first used the Bob Holly name. From 1991-1992, he then got one of his early breaks for SMW before returning to the indies. In 1994, he signed with the WWF and was given a race car driver gimmick named Thurman "Sparky" Plugg before being renamed "Spark Plug" Bob Holly. From 1994-1997, he was largely used as enhancement talent outside of briefly winning the WWF Tag Team Titles with The 1-2-3 Kid in 1995. In 1998, he would be repackaged as "Bombastic Bob" and paired with Bart Gunn in The New Midnight Express team while being managed by former Midnight Express manager Jim Cornette. During this time, Holly would win the NWA World Tag Team Titles, was a runner up in the Wrestlemania XIV fifteen team battle royal, and challenged for the WWF Tag Team Titles.

Where Is He Now?: After BFA, Holly would become one of the bigger success stories. With The New Midnight Express breaking up shortly after, Holly then became part of Al Snow's short lived stable The J.O.B. Squad alongside Snow, Scorpio, Duane "Gillberg" Gill, and The Blue Meanie. After the group fell apart in early 1999, Holly would find his niche in the WWF's hardcore division. Holly would defeat Al Snow for the vacant Hardcore Title at the In Your House XXVII: St. Valentine's Day Massacre PPV on February 14, 1999 and was repackaged as "Hardcore Holly". Holly would go on to hold the title on six occasions between 1999-2001 including back to back title wins at Wrestlemania XV and Wrestlemania 2000. Outside the division, he also won the WWF Tag Team Titles with fictional cousin Crash Holly in 1999. By 2001, Holly then returned to the undercard with little direction. He later served as a coach during the second season of WWF's reality show Tough Enough and made a guest appearance during the third season where he created controversy by roughing up eventual co-winner Matt Cappotelli. After suffering a broken neck during a match with Brock Lesnar in September 2002, Holly took a year off and upon return, got a short main event push as he feuded with Lesnar over the WWE Championship but came up short at the 2004 Royal Rumble. He returned to the undercard until 2006 when he became part of WWE's ECW brand where he earned praise for continuing a match with Rob Van Dam despite suffering a gash on his back and he challenged for the ECW Championship at December To Dismember. In late 2007, he formed a team with then up and comer Cody Rhodes and Holly captured a third tag title. His last WWE appearance at Night of Champions 2008 would see Rhodes betray him and win the titles with Ted Dibiase Jr. after being revealed as Dibiase's mystery partner. Holly then sat out until being released in 2009. Following his release, Holly has spent the remainder of his career on the indie circuit in the United States and United Kingdom once again using the "Bob Holly" name outside of a one night appearance for TNA in 2013 and a few for Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore promotion. His last match to date was in 2019 and while he hasn't wrestled since, he has yet to officially announce a retirement. In 2013, Holly published his autobiography "The Hardcore Truth: The Bob Holly Story".

Dan Severn

Background: Severn originally started as a successful amateur wrestler winning honors in freestyle wrestling at the World Cup and Pan American Championships. He was also become a two time NCAA Division I All-American and an Olympic Alternate in 1984 and 1988. Severn turned pro in 1991 and started in the American indie scene while also competing for shoot style promotion Union of Wrestling Forces International in Japan. During his wrestling career, Severn also began competing in the growing sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Severn debuted in MMA at UFC 4 in 1994 making it to the finals of the UFC 4 tournament before losing to fellow legend Royce Gracie. Severn competed for the UFC till 1997, during which time he became the second and final UFC Superfight Champion, the UFC 5 Tournament Winner, and the Ultimate Ultimate 1995 Tournament Winner. Severn would also challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship and is considered a pioneer in MMA. In 1995, Severn defeated Chris Candido to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and became a traveling champion defending the title in NWA promotions. In 1998, he joined the WWF as a member of Jim Cornette's NWA stable before eventually breaking out on his own. He entered the 1998 King of the Ring tournament but lost in the semifinals to eventual runner up The Rock. In the Brawl For All, Severn defeated The Godfather on points before withdrawing claiming he had nothing left to prove while the most likely reason being he didn't want to risk losing his tough guy image.

Where Is He Now?: After the Brawl For All, Severn continued working for the WWF but did little afterwards while occasionally defending the NWA Championship outside the WWF and doing MMA fights. His only notable program would be with Owen Hart who he mentored during Hart's feud with Ken Shamrock before suffering a storyline neck injury against Hart on the September 28, 1998 RAW Is WAR. By January 1999, Severn returned and aligned with Hart during his feud with Steve Blackman which led to a brief feud with Blackman before leaving the WWF in February 1999. Following his WWF departure, Severn lost the NWA Championship to Naoya Ogawa ending his reign at four years which is the third longest NWA Championship reign in history. Severn would eventually regain the title against Shinya Hashimoto in 2002 but was stripped of the title after TNA acquired the title and Severn was unable to defend it at their first show. For the next two decades, Severn continued competing in both wrestling and MMA in smaller promotions. He retired from MMA in 2012 with a record of 101-19-7. Despite mostly appearing in small indie shows, Severn has made the occasional return to the national stage. In 2011, he was part of a brief angle in Ring of Honor serving as a trainer to Eddie Edwards as he pursued partner Davey Richards and the ROH World Championship. In 2019, he appeared for MLW, participating in their Battle Riot match. As of 2024, Severn still occasionally wrestles to this day while running his own MMA camp in his native Coldwater, Michigan. In 2016, Severn released his autobiography "The Realest Guy In The Room: The Life and Times of Dan Severn". He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2005, the NWA Hall of Fame in 2010, the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Sherdog Hall of Fame.

Hawk

Background: Hawk began his career in 1983 where he quickly gained superstar status as part of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom with partner Animal and manager Paul Ellering. From 1983-1992, The Warriors were among the top teams in the industry competing and winning titles and tournaments for the World Wrestling Federation, National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and All Japan Pro Wrestling all the while engaging in legendary and/or well known feuds with The Midnight Express, The Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, The Natural Disasters, and Money Inc. With their spiked shoulder pads, face paint, charisma, and mauling style, they were groundbreaking and one of the biggest acts in wrestling history. After leaving the WWF and Animal suffered a back injury in 1992, Hawk became a journeyman for WCW and ECW while also competing for Catch Wrestling Association in Germany where he held their World Title and New Japan where he teamed with Kensuke Sasaki in The Road Warrior tag team The Hellraisers where he became a two time IWGP (International Wrestling Grand Prix) Tag Team Champion. After Animal returned and the team reformed in 1996, they did a brief run in WCW before returning to the WWF in 1997 where they feuded with The Godwinns, The New Age Outlaws, The Nation of Domination, and The Hart Foundation while winning a second tag title. In The Brawl For All, Hawk took on Darren Drozdov in the first round and went to a draw before pulling out due to injury. 

Where Is He Now?: After Brawl For All, Hawk continued with the WWF, feuding with DOA and began a controversial storyline regarding his addictions when he would show up to shows under the influence and occasionally was replaced by Drozdov. Eventually, this famously cumulated on the November 16, 1998 RAW Is WAR with Hawk threatening to commit suicide by jumping off the titantron only to be pushed off by Drozdov who would later be revealed as Hawk's enabler in order to replace him. The Warriors made a few more appearances before leaving in April 1999. After leaving, Hawk made one final appearance for All Japan at their Giant Baba memorial show teaming with Animal and Johnny Ace to defeat Kenta Kobashi, Jun Akiyama, and Jinsei Shinzaki (formerly Hakushi in WWF). From 1999-2002, he worked a limited schedule due to heart issues, and attempting to clean up his life which he did. During this time, he made appearances for Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, IWA Puerto Rico, and the short lived X Wrestling Federation. In 2003, he attempted a comeback mostly working for Riki Choshu's Fighting of World Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. He made a few appearances for TNA including wrestling on their January 15, 2003 PPV teaming with Animal, Dusty Rhodes, and Jeff Jarrett in a losing effort to Vince Russo and Triple X (Elix Skipper, Low-Ki, and Christopher Daniels). On May 12, 2003, he made a final appearance for WWE when he and Animal challenged Kane and Rob Van Dam for the RAW World Tag Team Titles. Despite losing, the hope among the team was that with Hawk clean and the team still getting good reactions, the door could open for one last run. Unfortunately, this wouldn't happen as Hawk passed away on October 19, 2003 due to a heart attack at the age of 46. He was inducted into The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 and since his passing has been posthumously inducted in many more including the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2011, the NWA Hall of Fame in 2012, the NWA Hall of Heroes in 2016, and Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2022.

Savio Vega

Background: Vega turned pro in 1985 as a masked man named "El Corsario" for Mid-South Wrestling where he was managed by Skandor Akbar and received a few title shots. After doing time in the Universal Wrestling Association in Mexico as "Corsario I", he became a journeyman around the world from 1987-1993 usually competing as "TNT" for promotions like WWC in Puerto Rico as well as All Japan and New Japan in Japan. In 1994, Vega signed with the WWF and was given the gimmick of "Kwang the Ninja" while managed by Harvey Wippleman. A year later, he was repackaged as "The Caribbean Legend" Savio Vega where he was the first main rival of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin while occasionally teaming with Razor Ramon. After working as a midcard babyface, Vega turned heel in 1997 first becoming a member of Faarooq's Nation of Domination before forming his own stable Los Boricuas where they engaged in The Gang Warz against Faarooq's Nation and Crush's Disciples of Apocalypse. In The Brawl For All, Vega defeated Brakus in the first round on points but lost to Darren Drozdov in the quarterfinals by points.

Where Is He Now?: During the Brawl For All, Vega suffered an injury and was eventually released by August 1998. Since 1999, Vega has mostly spent time in his native Puerto Rico with IWA: Puerto Rico, WWC, and World Wrestling League holding both IWA's Heavyweight Title and the WWC Universal Title multiple times. From 2008-2009, he worked for TNA as a road agent and would return from 2011-2012 to agent and compete for their Indian promotion Ring Ka King. From 2020-2021, he made appearances for MLW including doing double duty in their Battle Riot match in 2021 and 2022 as both Savio Vega and Kwang. In 2020, he returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2020 as part of Undertaker's retirement. He made another return at WWE's Backlash 2023 event following the Bad Bunny/Damien Priest match. As of 2024, Vega continues to wrestle.

Marc Mero

Background: Mero first started as a boxer and bodybuilder notably winning four New York state boxing tournaments including the New York Golden Gloves tournament. After training under the Malenko family, Mero turned pro in 1991 first working for WCW as a prelim wrestler before being repackaged as "Johnny B. Badd". As Badd, Mero was a popular fixture in WCW during the early to late 1990s while becoming a three time WCW World Television Champion. After leaving WCW, Mero jumped to the WWF in 1996 where he first became "Wildman" Marc Mero and enjoyed a run as Intercontinental Champion. After a knee injury kept him out through most of 1997, he was repackaged as "Marvelous" Marc Mero and spent the remainder of 1997 and 1998 having issues with his valet and real life wife Sable's growing popularity over his own. During this time, he also brought future WWE Hall of Famer Jacqueline in for the feud. In The Brawl For All, Mero lost to Steve Blackman by decision in the first round before replacing him in the quarterfinals where he lost to Bradshaw on points.

Where Is He Now?: After Brawl For All, Mero along with Jacqueline continued their feud with Sable throughout 1998 with Jacqueline and Sable feuding over the revived Women's Title while Mero would participate in mixed tags with Sable usually teaming with someone like Edge, Val Venis, or Christian. On the November 30, 1998 RAW Is WAR, Mero would challenge Duane Gill for the Light Heavyweight Title and vowed to retire if he lost which he did. Mero wrestled his last WWF match at the UK only Capital Carnage show on December 6, 1998 before taking time off due to injuries. However, before he returned, he abruptly left the WWF in June 1999 after Sable quit the promotion and sued them. Mero would spend the next few years off and recovering from injuries. In 2000, he did tease a WCW return but nothing came of it. In 2001, he returned to wrestling for an indie show before working several shows for the XWF from 2001-2002 under the "Johnny B. Badd" name. After the XWF shutdown, Mero disappeared and he and Sable would eventually divorce. From 2004-2005, he briefly returned to wrestling with TNA and used the "Johnny B. Badd" name again but only worked a few dates before leaving. Mero would retire from wrestling in 2006 after working an indie show. In 2007, Mero earned criticism following the Chris Benoit double murder/suicide when he frequently made appearances on TV, criticizing the wrestling business and it's steroid usage. After retiring, Mero opened up the Marc Mero Body Slam Training Institute and became a motivational speaker. In 2010, he released a book "How To Be the Happiest Person on the Planet".

Scorpio

Background: Scorpio turned pro in 1985 and started on the indie circuit before joining New Japan and getting additional training at their dojo. He spent the late 80s and early 90s competing for New Japan, UWA in Mexico, and in Europe. From 1992-1994, he worked for WCW where he held the WCW World Tag Team Title with Buff Bagwell and challenged Barry Windham for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. After being released, he returned to New Japan and did shots for AAA in Mexico. From 1994-1996, he perhaps achieved his biggest success in ECW winning their World Television Championship a record four times and the World Tag Team Championship once with The Sandman. In 1996, he signed with the WWF and became "Flash Funk" debuting big at Survivor Series 1996 in Madison Square Garden but it didn't take long for his stock to drop. By 1998, he once again began using the "Scorpio" name and made here and there appearances for ECW. In The Brawl For All, Scorpio defeated 8-Ball on points in the first round before losing to The Godfather in the quarterfinals on points.

Where Is He Now?: After Brawl For All, Scorpio began teaming with Faarooq during the summer and fall 1998 but outside a win at In Your House XXIII: Fully Loaded against Terry Funk and Bradshaw, the team didn't go far. In late 1998, he joined Al Snow's J.O.B. Squad stable where he either teamed with Bob Holly in regular tag matches or Holly and Snow in six man tags until he was fired in January 1999 due to drug problems. After his firing, Scorpio made here and there appearances for ECW from 1999-2000 and got the occasional title shot while becoming a journeyman wrestler. From 1999-2000, he returned to Japan for All Japan where he toured with the promotion and challenged for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship. After top star Mitsuharu Misawa led an exodus out to form his own promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH in the summer of 2000, Scorpio would be one of the few gaijin or foreigners to follow. Scorpio competed in NOAH from 2000-2006, during which time he won the GHC (Global Honored Crown) Tag Team Championship with Vader and Doug Williams as well as the GHC Openweight Hardcore Championship. In 2006, he resigned with the WWE, once again using the "Flash Funk" gimmick but never went beyond house shows and developmental promotions like DSW and Ohio Valley Wrestling before being let go a year later. In December 2007, he made another WWE appearance taking part in the RAW 15th Anniversary battle royal. Since then, he's continued to work as a journeyman around the world including appearing for TNA's Hardcore Justice 2010 show as well as indies like IWA: Mid-South, CHIKARA, and GCW. He continues to wrestle to this day as of 2024. He was inducted in the Hardcore Hall of Fame in 2014.

Darren Drozdov

Background: Drozdov originally gained fame as a football player first for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League before playing for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League where he gained some fame for his ability to puke on command which earned him the nickname "Puke". In 1997. he signed with the WWF and was trained by Dr. Tom Prichard. After turning pro, he would spend time in ECW as part of the Team Titan stable while also doing indie appearances for seasoning. He began competing by May 1998 as an associate of the Road Warriors. In The Brawl For All, Drozdov went to a draw with Hawk before advancing due to Hawk suffering an injury. He then defeated Savio Vega in the quarterfinals on points before losing to Bradshaw in the semifinals on points.

Where Is He Now?: After Brawl For All, Drozdov (who shortened his name to "Droz") continued associating with The Road Warriors and became a member while occasionally teaming with Animal until it was revealed he was Hawk's enabler in an attempt to replace him in the team. By 1999, Drozdov would eventually go out on his own before forming a team with his piercing artist Prince Albert (Albert, A-Train, Tensai, and WWE Head Trainer Matt Bloom) and briefly with Vic Grimes who appeared as Droz's drug dealer Key. Throughout 1999, Drozdov would be a fixture on the midcard and competed for the Tag Titles as well as the European and Hardcore Championships. Tragically, on October 5, 1999, Drozdov would be dropped on his head in an accident during a match with D'Lo Brown which left him a quadriplegic. The accident ended Drozdov's career and he would never walk again though he regained use of his upper body years later. Afterwards, Drozdov contnued working for the WWF/WWE as a columnist on their website and a co-host on their web show Byte This. He continued to be on the WWE payroll while they provided care for him until his passing from natural causes on June 30, 2023 at the age of 54.

The Godfather

Background: Godfather turned pro in 1989 and originally spent time in Memphis for the United States Wrestling Association, the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas, and New Japan under the name "Soultaker" including a run with the USWA Unified World Title. He debuted in the WWF in 1991 where he portrayed "Papa Shango" from 1991-1993 having a feud with The Ultimate Warrior and challenging Bret Hart for the WWF Championship at Saturday Night's Main Event XXXI. After his first run, he returned to USWA and won their Unified World Title a second time. From 1995-1996, he competed as Kama, The Supreme Fighting Machine where he notably had a feud with The Undertaker and was a member of "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase's Million Dollar Corporation. After leaving again, he returning in 1997 as "Kama Mustafa" and became a member of the Nation of Domination. By 1998, he eventually changed his name to "The Godfather" and started using the gimmick of a pimp. In the Brawl For All, he lost to Dan Severn on points in the first round before replacing Severn after he pulled out. He then defeated Scorpio on points in the quarterfinals before losing to Bart Gunn in the semifinals by KO.

Where Is He Now?: After Brawl For All, Godfather became a popular fixture for the WWF for the next two years largely due to his pimp character to the point where he defeated Goldust to win the Intercontinental Title in April 1999. In 2000, due to the Parent Television Council targeting WWF's content, he was renamed "The Goodfather" and joined Steven Richards' Right To Censor stable where he won the Tag Team Titles with Bull Buchanan. In 2002, he eventually returned to The Godfather character until he was released in late 2002. Since his 2002 release, he's largely retired from wrestling outside of the sporadic appearances and would make WWE appearances over the years for WWE including appearing in the 2013 Royal Rumble and at the 2020 Survivor Series as part of The Undertaker's retirement. In 2016, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Steve Williams

Background: Williams turned pro in 1982 and spent the first five years of his career in Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling/Universal Wrestling Federation where he formed a legendary team with Ted Dibiase as well as becoming the final UWF Heavyweight Champion. After UWF was bought by the NWA, Williams jumped there wrestling as a singles and as part of the Varsity Club stable forming successful teams with Mike Rotunda and Kevin Sullivan. While in NWA/WCW, Williams began working in Japan first for New Japan in the late 80s where he challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. In 1990, he jumped to All Japan where he spent most of the 90s while having a brief return to WCW in 1992 and a run in ECW from 1996-1997. There, he mostly specialized as a tag team wrestler forming the legendary Miracle Violence Connection with Terry Gordy as well as teams with Johnny Ace and Gary Albright. His career would peak when he defeated Mitsuharu Misawa on July 28, 1994 to win All Japan's top title in the Triple Crown. After years of being courted, Williams signed with the WWF in 1998 and entered the Brawl For All with the hope that he would win it and springboard to the top for a feud with Steve Austin. In the Brawl For All, Williams defeated Pierre by TKO in the first round but lost to Bart Gunn by KO in the quarterfinals.

Where Is He Now?: After Brawl For All, Williams brutal loss to Gunn basically killed his WWF career before it began and never recovered. The fight with Gunn resulted in serious injuries including a broken jaw and torn hamstring which put him out for the remainder of 1998. He eventually returned in January 1999 but was directionless including a few confrontations with Gunn which went nowhere and having Jim Ross as his manager as the WWF clearly loss interest in him. He eventually began pursuing the Hardcore Title but was taken off TV by April in order to further recover from the hamstring injury. While out, he returned to All Japan for the Giant Baba memorial show but would eventually be released later in the year after reportedly refusing to work a show for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling out of loyalty to All Japan. From November to December 1999, Williams returned to WCW but again floundered mostly feuding with Vampiro and Misfits bassist Jerry Only. In January 2000, Williams returned to All Japan but due to age and injuries, he was largely a midcard wrestler by this point. Still, he would win an eighth and final world tag title with Vader and a third Real World Tag League tournament with Mike Rotunda. Upon return, he would spent 2000 and 2001 having a series of matches with Gunn (now Mike Barton) which saw Williams usually win or went to a draw. Williams left All Japan in January 2003, ending a near thirteen year run though he would return for one final match in 2004. After leaving, Williams became a journeyman as he worked a few house shows for the WWE while also doing shows for MLW and World Japan before settling in IWA: Japan where he held their tag titles. In 2004, he fought an MMA fight against four time muay thai world champion Alexey Ignashov which he lost in 22 seconds. By late 2004, Williams would be diagnoses with throat cancer which went into remission after surgery. He returned to the ring in 2005 but outside a few appearances for WWE developmental Ohio Valley Wrestling and Harley Race's World League Wrestling, he spent the remainder of his career on the indies. In 2009, Williams' throat cancer returned and he retired from wrestling in August 2009. Sadly, Williams passed away on December 29, 2009 due to the cancer at the age of 49. In 2007, Williams released his autobiography "How Dr. Death Became Dr. Life". In 2007, he was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Since his passing, he's been posthumously inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2011 and the WWE Hall of Fame as part of their Legacy wing in 2021 (as part of the class of 2020 which was delayed due to the pandemic).

Bradshaw

Background: Bradshaw originally turned pro in 1992 and became a journeyman competing around the world most notably for the GWF in Texas and the CWA in Germany capturing tag titles in both as well as for CMLL in Mexico and WAR in Japan. He signed with the WWF in 1996 and became "Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw where he largely had a forgettable first year mostly feuding with Savio Vega. From 1997-1998, he then teamed with Barry Windham as "The New Blackjacks" but the team were midcarders at best and wouldn't go far. After Windham betrayed him, he eventually went on his own but continued as a midcarder. In the Brawl For All, Bradshaw defeated Mark Canterbury by points in the first round then defeated Marc Mero by points in the quarterfinals then Darren Drozdov by points in the semifinals and then lost to Bart Gunn by KO in the finals.

Where Is He Now?: After Brawl For All, Bradshaw formed a short lived tag team with Terry Funk and feuded with Vader but neither helped his career. From 1998-2004, he then finally would get his break when paired with Faarooq in the Acolytes/Acolyte Protection Agency tag team. The team would be a popular team during the late 90s/early 00s as they won the WWF Tag Team Titles three times as well as the tag titles for developmental promotions OVW and Memphis Championship Wrestling. Outside the team, Bradshaw enjoyed singles success winning the European and Hardcore Titles. From 2004-2006, he reached his career peak as "JBL" (John Bradshaw Layfield) where he enjoyed a ten month run with the WWE Championship from June 2004 to April 2005 as well as a run with the United States Championship in 2006. From 2006-2007, he briefly retired due to back issues and became a color commentator. He briefly returned to wrestling in late 2007 feuding with Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels and winning the Intercontinental Championship but retired for good after losing the title to old rival Rey Mysterio at Wrestlemania 25 in April 2009. From 2011-2017, he returned to announcing for WWE until leaving again in 2017. Since then, he continues to appear sporadically. Outside wrestling, Bradshaw also became successful in the business world becoming a commentator for FOX News and FOX Business while later becoming the senior vice president of Northeast Securities. In 2003, he released a financial book called "Have More Money Now". In 2021, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020.

Bart Gunn

Background: Gunn turned pro in 1991 and mostly started out in Florida's International Championship Wrestling where he first teamed with Billy Gunn. The two would sign with the WWF in 1993 and repackaged as The Smoking Gunns where Gunn captured the Tag Team Titles three times. After the team broke up in 1996, Gunn briefly feuded with Billy before doing little else. In 1998, he would be repackaged as "Bodacious Bart" and paired with Bob Holly in The New Midnight Express. There, Gunn was a runner up in the Wrestlemania XIV fifteen team battle royal, won the NWA World Tag Team Titles, and challenged for the WWF Tag Team Titles at King of the Ring 1998 against The New Age Outlaws (which ironically featured Billy Gunn). In the Brawl For All, Gunn defeated Bob Holly by points in the first round then Steve Williams by KO in the quarterfinals then The Godfather by KO in the semifinals and then Bradshaw by KO in the finals to win the tournament.

Where Is He Now?: After the Brawl For All, Gunn was immediately taken off TV and given little to do. He eventually returned in early 1999 feuding with old partner Hardcore Holly and having a few confrontations with Williams but nothing came of it. Gunn made his last WWF appearances at Wrestlemania XV on March 28, 1999 where he was quickly knocked out by boxer Butterbean. Over the decades, rumors and speculation have run rampant that being taken off TV and fed to Butterbean was punishment for knocking out Williams with many believing Jim Ross held a grudge over it. As luck would have it, Gunn would attract the attention of All Japan promoter Giant Baba in late 1998 and signed him due to his win over Williams. Originally, Gunn would continue to use the "Bart Gunn" name before switching to "Mike Barton" in the summer of 1999. In All Japan, Gunn achieved solid success winning the promotion's world tag team titles with Johnny Ace and later on, won the fatal four way Stan Hansen cup with "Jungle" Jim Steele. They also worked New Japan's 2001 Gl Tag League, making it to the finals before losing to Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima. Despite working mostly as a tag wrestler, Gunn enjoyed singles success by winning All Japan's yearly January 2nd Korakuen Hall battle royal and was runner up in the 2002 Champion Carnival. From 2002-2004, he worked with New Japan, continuing his team with Steele. They would win a #1 contenders tournament and challenged for the IWGP Tag Team Titles but never won them. During this time, he worked a shot for TNA and in 2003, did a few tryouts with WWE with Steele but wasn't rehired. After leaving New Japan, Gunn worked some indie shows and a few dates for Tatsumi Fujinami's Muga promotion. His last match to date was a return to the WWE in December 2007 as part of the RAW 15th Anniversary battle royal. In 2006, he attempted MMA competing in two fights with his first being a win over Wesley "Cabbage" Correira at a Rumble on the Rock show and then a loss to Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa at a PRIDE FC show. Since retiring, Gunn resumed work as an electrician, a job he held before signing with the WWF as well a construction work.