No Holds Barred was one of Huk Hogan’s first movies, and he was able to show off his wrestling skills. He starred alongside the late Tommy “Tiny” Lister, who was also known as Zeus in WWE. No Holds Barred was released in the summer of 1989, and it earned $16 million at the box office. It was not well-received by critics, earning a 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“No Holds Barred gets no points for originality,” Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times wrote in 1989. “It’s written with the subtlety of a body-slam and directed with the finesse of a hammerlock. But the movie never takes itself seriously and director Tom Wright has fun with the wrestling montages. Hogan himself has an appealing screen presence–like a gallant teddy bear who goes berserk every 10 minutes or so.”
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Hogan and Vince McMahon are executive producers of the film, and it led to a rivalry between Hogan and Zeus in WWE. In 1989, Hogan and Zeus faced each other in either a tag team match or a Survivor Series match three times. Hogan won all three, but Zeus made a big impact at the Survivor Series event when he choked Hogan out. Here’s a look at where the cast of No Holds Barred is now.
Hulk Hogan
After No Holds Barred, Hogan went on to become a pro wrestling megastar, winning multiple titles in WWE, WCW and TNA. He last appeared on WWE TV in February and was slated to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the second time as a member of the New World Order (nWo). However, the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister – Zeus
After No Holds Barred and his stint with WWE, Lister went on to appear in dozens of TV and film roles including Friday, The Dark Knight and Busy Day. He died on Dec. 10 after reportedly battling COVID-19 complications.ย
Joan Severance – Samantha Moore
Joan Severance went on to star in various films such as Criminal Prison, Black Scorpion, and Black Scorpion II. She recently appeared in the TV series American Horror Story and NCIS: Los Angeles.ย
Kurt Fuller – Brell
Fuller has a long film resume and even longer TV resume. Along with starring in films like Ghostbusters II, Wayne’s World and Scary Movie, Fuller has appeared and TV shows such as Psych, Supernatural, The Good Wife and Evil where he’s a series regular.ย
Mark Pellegrino – Randy Thomas
Mark Pellegrino has also worked a lot in the 30 years. Along with playing the role of Nick/Lucifer in Supernatural, Pellegrino appeared in Quantico and most recently 13 Reasons Why.ย
Jesse Ventura – Himself
Jesse Ventura made a cameo appearance in No Holds Barred. He was a pro wrestler until 1994 and then transitioned into politics. He became Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 1991 and then became Governor of the state in 1999. Earlier this year, Ventura considered running for President but backed out due to health reasons.ย
Howard Finkel – Himself
WWE’s most famous ring announcer Howard Finkel made a cameo appearance, as well. He would be WWE’s main ring announcer until 2000 when Lilian Garcia took over. Finkel made sporadic appearances in WWE before his death in June 2020.ย
