last week on dynamite, during a match against Swerve Strickland, Billy Gunn danced in the ring and did a little shimmy. The moment resembled a striptease, and the crowd erupted in thunderous applause whenever Gunn shook his chiseled hips. It was a reminder that regardless of the decade or rise, Gunn is still loved by wrestling fans.
In that moment, Gunn could feel the unbridled emotion, the kind that leaves absolutely no doubt that a performer has connected with the audience. Gunn possesses the ability to invoke a rare, spectacular kind of energy in fans, and he achieves just that again in All Elite Wrestling.
Gunn has already achieved rare success in pro wrestling, both individually and collectively. His work in D-Generation X and as one half of the New Age Outlaws is quite a legacy that he continues to build on as a coach and performer at AEW. The support from the fans is overwhelming, which has Gunn – 58-year-old Monty Sopp – brimming with gratitude.
“I’m not supposed to be at the end of my career [as] like 20 years ago,” says Gunn. “I’m very happy. I love that.”
A veteran of more than three decades – to put that time frame in better perspective he worked WrestleMania 11 1995 with Bart Gunn vs. Owen Hart and Yokozuna – now Gunn is magic alongside Anthony Bowens and Max Caster as part of The Acclaimed.
Bowens and Caster’s popularity has exploded throughout pro wrestling, with their catchphrase “Scissor me, Daddy” connecting with fans and allowing their personalities to shine in a whole new way. Gunn’s role – aptly dubbed “Daddy Ass” – embodies the best in the business, with a seemingly wacky idea brought to life by brilliant performers.
“Who knew this was going to be a phenomenon?” Gunn says. “This scissors thing, that’s the wrestling business. You can’t choose what people like. The ‘Scissor Me Daddy Ass’ shirt, people didn’t want it made at first. Now we can’t stop selling them.”
The Acclaimed will be in action on a live edition of on Friday night Rampage against The Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese and Josh Woods). The fight has a storyline to it as Varsity Athletes manager Mark Sterling claims he acquired the scissors trademark and put it on the line in exchange for the title fight.
The rise of The Acclaimed is one of this year’s most inspirational stories in wrestling. Gunn knew Bowens and Caster had developed a very different kind of connection with fans during the show All out Pay-per-view last summer. The crowd’s reaction was constant, hitting another kind of decibel that Gunn knows pretty well.
“It was about that night in Chicago All out that really stood out,” says Gunn. “Max and Anthony kept looking at me and going, ‘Is that real?’ And I kept saying, ‘Enjoy it guys.’ When the crowd reacts like that, it doesn’t get any better.”
The Acclaimed were unsuccessful in their attempt to capture the tag team titles All out, but the reaction of the crowd made the change inevitable. And that happened just a few weeks later at the “Grand Slam” edition dynamite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in September when they beat Strickland and Keith Lee for the titles.
“We get along so well,” says Gunn. “We’re not trying to fight each other. DX was so good because everyone knew their place and none of us were trying to fight for position. It’s the same here. We fit together in The Acclaimed and focus on doing what’s best for the group together. The goal is to get the best out of it and I’m here to help them get the best out of them. I want them to be as successful as I am.”
Speaking of DX, Gunn was noticeably absent from the group’s 25th anniversary reunion last week Raw. Considering Gunn works for a competitor at AEW, it seemed unlikely that he would be part of the reunion Rawalthough there was optimism, as Paul “Triple H” Levesque oversees the company’s creative department.
“Of course I would have liked to have been there, but I understand that I work for a different company,” says Gunn. “It was a collective decision. I don’t attract anyone. I’m not mad about it. We’re two separate companies and it just didn’t work out.”
Another highlight of working at AEW is that Gunn’s sons Austin and Colten are also on the list. Originally linked to their father, they are now expanding their horizons as members of The Firm.
“I get to train with my boys, work with them and watch them grow – I can’t put into words how cool that is,” says Gunn. “I love where they are going now and what they are doing. They need this time away from me to break up and grow. And they always ask for my opinion. I want to hear their side of it first and then share mine. For me it is amazing.”
The opportunity to be a part of The Acclaimed has also breathed new life into Gunn’s career. Much of this wrestling renaissance can be attributed to Gunn’s ability to evoke genuine emotion in the crowd. By teaming up with two rising stars in Bowens and Caster there is so much potential to develop further, especially with a variety of high profile opponents including the Young Bucks as they return to an active schedule in AEW to create memorable moments and games against in the ring.
There is no upper limit to The Acclaimed, an area and terrain that Gunn knows very well.
“We let people take us where they want us to be,” says Gunn. “We’re taking it week at a time and Anthony and Max have these incredible ideas. I enjoy every bit of watching two boys have the time of their lives and I can share that. It’s time to ride that wave and it’s an amazing feeling.”
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Justin Barrasso can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Justin Barrasso.
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