One of the most infamous moments in WWE history came when Bart Gunn legit knocked out “Dr. Death” Steve Williams in the Brawl For All toughman tournament in 1998. Gunn, now going as Mike Barton, stopped by the RF VIDEO offices for a no holds barred shoot interview that covers his entire career, including the Steve Williams knockout and its after effects. This is one story NO ONE has ever heard before and one you will not want to miss!
Barton discussed his entire career starting from his early days in Florida and how he met up with Kip James, previously known as Billy Gunn. Bart describes how the Smoking Gunns got into the WWE and talked about all the major tag teams they worked with in New York. The Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, the Public Enemy, Yokozuna and Owen Hart, Scott Hall and the 1,2,3 Kid, and many more are covered in this exclusive one-of-a-kind shoot. Learn all about the New Generation era of WWE from one of the larger tag team wrestlers of the time!
What was it like working with Bob Holly and Jim Cornette in the ill-fated New Midnight Express? How was it working with Sunny? What was the attitude in the WWE locker room when Scott Hall and Kevin Nash left for WCW? Barton covers all of those stories and many more in depth in this three hour shoot.
After Barton was all but blackballed from American wrestling following his loss to Butterbean at WrestleMania, he went over to Japan and we were able to get one good story after another about All Japan, New Japan and Barton’s foray into the growing world of MMA with K1 and Pride. This is one shoot that is super intense and will make even the most hardcore fan tap out!
Were you a fan growing up
Did you play sports in high school
How did your prior sports experiences help you in wrestling
How did you get started
What was the hardest thing about training
Memories of your first match
How did you meet Billy Gunn
At what point did you guys start teaming up in IWF
Did you know right away you had something special
Did you know right away that tag team wrestling would be your forte’
At what point did you get interest from Titan
Did you get any interest from WCW
What was the initial contact like
How soon did you wind up in the WWF
Do you remember meeting Vince for the first time and initial impressions
Was there any heat on you guys for being so green, yet getting signed
How were you mentally when you first went up there, was it a negative that you were signed after only being a pro for a year
What do you remember about your debut at King of the Ring
How did the Steiners treat you guys
Who did you bond with up there from the start
Did anyone intentionally work really stiff with you guys in the beginning
Initial memories of Hulk Hogan (I think that was his last show)
Initial impressions of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels
Memories of matches with Well Dunn
Memories of Lex Luger in and out of the ring
Does it bother you that Maxx Payne brought a camera on the road around this time and is now trying to sell it as a movie
Memories of getting your first tag belts, did it mean something to you or was it business
Memories of matches with the Bruise Brothers (Blu Brothers)
Memories of matches with Owen and Yoko
Any good rib or road stories involving those guys
Memories of matches with 123 Kid and Razor
Memories of your match with Public Enemy
Did the locker room have it out for them
How did you react and what did you think when the WWF started bringing in ECW for those angles
How did you react to being managed by Sunny
Was there ever anything that went on with you two outside the ring
Were there problems with you and Candido over jealousy
Memories of your matches with the Bodydonnas
Any funny stories about ribs involving the slop during your series with the Godwinns
Who was more the captain of calling the matches between you and Billy
Did you two ever have a problem with something one or the other did or wanted to do
What do you remember about the politics of the Clique during this time
Thoughts on the Clique strike (He may not have been on the road tho with his neck injury)
Thoughts on some of Shawn’s infamous temper tantrum during that time period
DO you think the Clique went too far with their ribs on some people, including crapping peoples food (Sunny)
Memories of matches with Owen and Davey Boy
Memories of Survivor Series 96 when you and Billy worked against each other as part of the elimination match
Whos idea was it to split you guys up
Were you nervous or excited
What were you told the plans would be for you when you guys split
Memories of when Austin started taking off as a star
Memories of Brian Pillman
Were you frustrated that you saw Billy getting more of a push early on
Memories teaming with Brian Armstrong at King of the Ring 97
What do you remember about the first fight between Shawn and Bret when Bret ripped Shawns hair out
Were you surprised at how things went down with Bret at SS 97
Memories of Hunter during this time of DX
How did things change in the WWF when Kevin and Scott left
How did the Midnight Express gimmick come about
Thoughts on Bob Holly
Thoughts on Jim Cornette
Do you think that Cornette’s idea for the team was too outdated
Do you think being associated with the NWA hurt
Memories of matches with the Road Warriors
How did Bob differ from Billy as a partner
Memories of matches with Rock N Roll Express
Whos idea was it to end the gimmick
Thoughts on Vince Russo
Did he ever come up with any crazy ideas for you that you never did
How were you approached to do Brawl For All
What were your thoughts going in
Was it hard to train for something like that with the road schedule
How realistic did you think your chances were
Did you watch UFC at the time or any other MMA
Was it hard to fight Bob since you guys had traveled together
Were you intimidated to fight Steve Williams
Steve Williams claims the tournament was set up to push him, do you agree
What was your strategy going in
Of the 4 matches, which was the most difficult for you
Were you surprised at how easy a certain guy was to beat
Did you notice a different kind of respect from the locker room after the tournament
How did Vince react when you knocked out Doc
Could the Brawl for All work today
When you went to All Japan before Wrestlemania, did Vince have a problem with that
How did you wind up in All Japan
Initial impressions of Mrs. Baba
Initial impressions of Johnny Ace
How did you like the style change from WWF
Thoughts of the Real World tournament and memories of matches with Kobashi and Akiyama
After Brawl for All were you told you would get a push and if so, what ideas did they have for you
How were you approached for the Butterbean fight
How did your training differ for that as compared to the tournament
Memories of the fight
In retrospect, do you think it was a no win situation
How did your time in the WWF come to an end
Were you bitter after putting your career on the line with Brawl for All
What was a tougher schedule , All Japan or WWF
Are you surprised at Billy’s success with Brian after you left
Memories of working Vader in All Japan
Did ECW or WCW ever try to contact you
Did any of the Japanese test you early on
Thoughts on Kawada
Thoughts on Misawa
Do you think it was underhanded of Misawa to steal everyone and start NOAH
Memories of teaming with Jim Steele
Memories of wrestling Doc at the Tokyo Dome
Memories of teaming with Chono
Memories of working New Japan shows
What are the differences in how each company are run
Memories of your G1 finals with Tenzan and Kojima
Memories of wrestling Kronik
How come you stopped working regularly in Japan
Whats the Japanese wrestling landscape like today
Who was ur fav partner
Did MMA kill the pro wrestling business in Japan
What do you think about the success of MMA in Japan
How were you first contacted about fighting in MMA
Memories and thoughts on fighting in Pride
How big is a Pride event compared to a Wrestlemania
Thoughts on your first MMA fight against Wes Cabbage
Have you ever talked with Vince about coming back into the WWE
What are your thoughts on the current US scene
Can Japan ever get back to where they were before in terms of wrestling success
Why do you think you had more success in Japan than America
What is wrong with the indys today
Thoughts on John Laurenitus’ rise to power in the WWE
How do you think Brock Lesnar or Kurt Angle would do in MMA
How will the PRIDE sale affect the landscape of MMA in Japan
How come your run in TNA was so short
Are you surprised that Flair and Hogan are still active wrestlers
Is there anyone that made it that surprised you and is there anyone who didn’t make it who you thought would
Do you still watch wrestling
What are your thoughts on all of the deaths of the past few years and which in particular hit you hardest
Favorite Ribs
Advice for young guys
How important has tape studying been to your career
Thoughts on newsletters and the internet
Do you want to write a book
Any regrets