10 Wrestlers Who Were In WrestleMania 17's Gimmick Battle Royal: Where Are They Now?
On April 1, 2001, the WWE Universe bore witness to WrestleMania 17. The event is still widely considered to be one of the best WWE ever put out. Perhaps it was really that great of a show. Perhaps it's so fondly remembered because of the collective fan dopamine from a wild few weeks that saw the end of the ECW, Jerry Lawler quit, Paul Heyman arrives, and the purchase of WCW just a few days before the granddaddy of them all.
Related: All Out Vs. WrestleMania 17: 5 Ways Each PPV Was Superior
As the “let me up” match before the show’s grand double main event, the WWE held the first and only Gimmick Battle Royal. Nineteen legends of yesteryear got one more chance to bask in WrestleMania glory. Over 20 years later, let’s check in on them.
10 Brother Love
The most notably name of today that was part of the 2001 match was Bruce Prichard, aka Brother Love. One of the most hated heels of the Expansion Era joined the fray, despite seldom wrestling any matches ever. But he and his real life good friend Jim Cornette made a pact to keep each other company and trade forearm shivers with each other instead of mixing it up with bruisers who could hurt them. In 2022, up until the McMahon allegations came out, he served alongside The Chairman as well as being part of a huge Podcast empire with Conrad Thompson. It remains to be seen with the McMahon-Helmsley Era now in full swing, how much of a WWE life Prichard will have.
9 Michael PS Hayes
In Houston, for a long time, Michael PS Hayes and The Fabulous Freebirds terrorized World Class Championship Wrestling. Hayes had been a staple of the WWE backstage team for some time since the mid-nineties, which made his brief return to the ring in the Gimmick Battle Royal all the more special.
Related: 10 Things you Didn't Know About Michael Hayes
While Hayes has had some less than professional moments working for the McMahons, he has a great working relationship with both Hunter and Stephanie, there’s a good chance he’ll retain a huge part in the new regime.
8 Jim Cornette
There are some people who consider Jim Cornette to be the Southern version of Paul Heyman. While they both have unique and respected visions for the business, Paul Heyman has adapted and integrated himself in the business, and Jim Cornette has become the proverbial old man yelling at clouds. While he does offer his usually great takes on a lot of different aspects of the business, Corney more often than not just can’t stand some of the things that get over today.
7 Duke "The Dumpster" Droese
Every generation needs a mid-card babyface for the fans to get behind that never quite reaches that next tier. The eighties and early nineties had a hairstylist. The New Generation had a sanitation worker. Duke "The Dumpster" Droese returned for one night only for the Gimmick Battle Royal. He has spent his retirement days working as a special-needs teacher. Unfortunately, several years ago, a staph infection caused The Dumpster’s foot to be amputated.
6 Hillbilly Jim
Fun fact, Hillbilly Jim’s kayfabe hometown - the comically sounding Mud Lick, Kentucky, actually exists. The popular eighties babyface came country two-stepping out to his famous theme song during the Gimmick Battle Royal. In the years since, in addition to giving the world’s longest Hall Of Fame induction speech ever, he has been an avid coin collector and a radio host for Sirius.
5 The Gobbledy Gooker (Hector Guerrero)
At one time, Hector Guerrero was a respected member of his family. Then he decided to put on a chicken costume. Seriously though, long before Eddie and Chavo made it to the big time, Hector made his most memorable if not auspicious debut as the failed WWE mascot. But like most laughable gimmicks, WWE loves to trot the Gooker out from time to time. Usually with other guys in under the feathers. When Hector returned at WrestleMania 17, he didn’t stay with the company. He instead worked for Impact Wrestling for several years. Nowadays, he runs his own consulting firm.
4 The Bushwhackers
Despite touring the globe as one of the most violent tag teams of all time, Vince McMahon envisioned Cousin Luke and Cousin Butch as fun-loving Kiwis who lick fans heads and stomp around the ring. It somehow worked and made The Bushwhackers legends in the process.
Related: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Bushwhackers
They competed in the Gimmick Battle Royal and were inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2015. Butch headed back home to be commissioner for the NZWPW promotion. Luke, at 74 actually still wrestles and has made appearances for Ring Of Honor!
3 Kim Chee
Despite his in-ring status as a journeyman, Steve Lombardi had a huge career in the WWE. While most famously as The Brooklyn Brawler, he also appeared under a hood during the eighties as Kim Chee, which is who showed up to the Gimmick Battle Royal. Lombardi stayed employed with WWE for 15 more years, getting released in 2016. He has stayed active on social media and the convention/signing circuit ever since.
2 The Repo Man
Barry Darsow had a long career with several different characters, most famously Krusher Kruschev, Smash, and The Repo Man. It was the Repo Man and his tire-tread tights that showed up at WrestleMania 17. In the years since, Darsow along with his partner Bill Eadie (Ax) have toured both the Indy scene wrestling and the convention circuit doing signings.
Related: 8 Things You Didn't Know About WWE Tag Team DemolitionUp until the pandemic, he was running Added Value Printing in his hometown of Minnesota before passing it down to his family to run, but he still responds to fan mail and does signings.
1 One Man Gang
Whether he was the scary biker-looking One Man Gang or the riff on Dusty Rhodes, Akeem The African Dream, The One Man Gang was one of the better giants during the Golden Era. He arrived at WrestleMania 17 slightly slimmer but still threatening. Perhaps that’s because he spent his time as a real-life corrections officer.
