Mike Polchlopek

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Mike Polchlopek
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Black Bart Bart Gunn Brett Colt Bodacious Bart Mike Barton
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Billed weight	285 lbs (129 kg)
Born	December 27, 1965 (1965-12-27) (age 42) Titusville, Florida
Resides	Melbourne, Florida
Billed from	Austin, Texas
Trained by	Caesar Barraza Blackjack Mulligan Boris Malenko
Debut	1991

Michael ("Mike") Polchlopek^{[citation needed]} (born December 27, 1965) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, also known by the ring names Bart Gunn and Mike Barton. He is perhaps best known for his six-year tenure in the World Wrestling Federation.

1 Career
2 In wrestling
3 Championships and accomplishments
4 Personal life
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Career

[edit] World Wrestling Federation

See also: The Smoking Gunns

Polchlepek was famous in the World Wrestling Federation as one-half of the tag team The Smoking Gunns with his kayfabe brother Billy Gunn. The team were WWF World Tag Team Champions three times before breaking up and engaging in a brief feud.

Polchlopek then recreated the Midnight Express tag team as "Bodacious Bart" with partner "Bombastic" Bob Holly. The team had limited success, though they did hold the NWA World Tag Team Championship for a brief period in 1998.

When the WWF announced a shoot tournament called the Brawl for All in which the competition would be real and winners would not be predetermined, Polchlopek participated. Polchlopek actually drew partner Bob Holly in the first round but was declared the winner by the complicated point system. When Polchlopek fought Steve Williams, many were surprised when he won by knockout. He won the tournament with a victory over the Godfather in the semi-finals and Bradshaw in the finals.

Afterward, Polchlopek feuded with both Holly and Williams, the pair angry at having been beaten in the tournament, the latter masking himself and pushing Polchlopek off a stage. To continue capitalizing on the impressive Brawl for All showing, the WWF set up a Brawl for All match between Polchlopek and heavyweight boxer Eric "Butterbean" Esch at WrestleMania XV. Esch knocked out Polchlopek within 30 seconds. Polchlopek was soon released by WWF.

[edit] Japan / MMA

After leaving the WWF, Polchlopek found success wrestling in Japan (due to the fame of Steve Williams in Japan and his knockout pushing him as tougher than Dr. Death) with New Japan and All Japan Wrestling under the ring name Mike Barton. He also had a short stint in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2003.

Polchlepek made his mixed martial arts debut on June 17, 2006, defeating Wesley "Cabbage" Correira at Rumble On The Rock: Beatdown in less than two minutes by technical knockout on the basis of a cut suffered by Correira. In his most recent match, Polchlepek faced Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa on the PRIDE Bushido 13 card, losing via unanimous decision to Minowa.

[edit] Return to WWE Raw

On RAW 15th Anniversary Spectacular, on December 10, 2007, Gunn participated in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal and was eliminated by Steve Blackman.

[edit] In wrestling

Finishing and signature moves
With Billy Gunn
- Sidewinder (Sidewalk slam (Bart) / Diving leg drop (Billy) combination)
- Back suplex / Neckbreaker slam combination
- Double Russian legsweep

Managers
- Jim Cornette
- Sunny

Nicknames
- Bodacious
- Hammer
- Lefty

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

All Japan Pro Wrestling
- AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Ace^[1]
International Wrestling Federation
- IWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Kip Winchester^{[citation needed]}
NWA New York
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bombastic Bob^[2]
Panama Championship Wrestling
- PCW Americas Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^{[citation needed]}
World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Billy Gunn^[3]
- Brawl For All winner (1998)^[4]
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Ranked him # 377 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.^[5]

[edit] Personal life

On December 19, 2007, Polchlopek's son Michael Polchlopek III died at the age of nineteen as the result of an accidental shooting five days earlier.^[6]^[7]

[edit] Notes

^ All Japan Pro Wrestling WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE. WrestlingTitles.com.
^ NWA World Tag Team Title History. Solie.org. Retrieved on 2008-07-06.
^ World Tag Team Championship official history. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-07-06.
^ WWF tournament histories. Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved on 2008-07-06.
^ Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years. Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
^ Downs, Megan (2007-12-14). Melbourne man shot while pal cleans gun. “Michael Polchlopek, III, 19, was shot once in the head at about 7:30 p.m. when Cody Grooms, 18, was cleaning a .22 caliber rifle and the gun accidentally discharged, said Melbourne Police Cmdr. Ron Bell.”
^ Michal B. Polchlopek Obituarie (2007-12-21). “Michal B. Polchlopek III, 19, died Wednesday, December 19, 2007, at Holmes Region al Medical Center.”