At 58, AEW’s Billy Gunn Is as Relevant as Ever

His work in D-Generation X earned him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame but he’s still captivating audiences alongside Max Caster and Anthony Bowens as The Acclaimed.

Last week on Dynamite, during a match against Swerve Strickland, Billy Gunn danced in the ring and performed a little shimmy. The moment was akin to a strip tease, and the crowd erupted with thunderous applause each time Gunn shook his chiseled hips. It was a reminder that, no matter the decade or promotion, Gunn is still beloved by wrestling fans.

In that moment, Gunn could feel the unbridled emotion, the kind which leaves absolutely no doubt that a performer has connected with the audience. Gunn possesses the ability to evoke a rare, spectacular type of energy from fans, and that is what he is accomplishing anew in All Elite Wrestling.

Gunn has already reached, both individually and collectively, a rare level of success in pro wrestling. His work in D-Generation X and as one-half of the New Age Outlaws is quite a legacy, one he continues to add to as a coach and performer in AEW. The support from fans is overwhelming, making Gunn—who is 58-year-old Monty Sopp—overflow with gratitude.

“I’m supposed to be at the end of my career, not [as] over as I was 20 years ago,” Gunn says. “I’m very lucky. I’m loving this.”

A veteran of more than three decades—to help put that timeframe in better perspective, he worked WrestleMania 11 in 1995 with Bart Gunn against Owen Hart and Yokozuna—Gunn is now making magic beside Anthony Bowens and Max Caster as part of The Acclaimed.

The popularity of Bowens and Caster has exploded throughout pro wrestling, with their “Scissor me, Daddy” catchphrase connecting with fans and allowing their personalities to shine in a whole new manner. Gunn’s role—aptly named “Daddy Ass”—encapsulates the best of the business, with a seemingly inane idea brought to life by brilliant performers.

“Who knew this would become a phenomenon?” Gunn says. “This scissoring thing, that’s the wrestling business. You can’t pick and choose what people are going to be into. The ‘Scissor Me Daddy Ass’ shirt, at first people didn’t want them to be made. Now we can’t stop selling them.”

The Acclaimed will be in action on Friday night on a live edition of Rampage against The Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese and Josh Woods). There is a storyline involved in the bout, as Varsity Athletes manager Mark Sterling claims he has acquired the trademark for scissoring—and put it on the line in exchange for the title match.

The rise of The Acclaimed is one of the most inspirational stories this year in wrestling. Gunn knew that Bowens and Caster had made an altogether different type of connection with fans during the All Out pay-per-view this past summer. The reaction from the crowd was nonstop, reaching a different type of decibel that Gunn knows quite well.

“It was that night in Chicago at All Out that really stood out,” Gunn says. “Max and Anthony kept looking at me asking, ‘Is this real?’ And I kept saying, ‘Enjoy it, boys.’ When the crowd reacts like that, it doesn’t get any better.”

The Acclaimed were unsuccessful in their bid to capture the tag team titles at All Out, but the reaction from the crowd made the change inevitable. And that happened only a couple weeks later at the “Grand Slam” edition of Dynamite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in September, when they defeated Strickland and Keith Lee for the titles.

“We jell so well together,” Gunn says. “We’re not trying to fight each other. DX was so good because everybody knew their spot and none of us were trying to jockey for position. It’s the same here. We fit together in The Acclaimed, and we’re focused on doing the best thing collectively for the group. The goal is to make this the best this can be, and I’m here to help them be the best they can be. I want them to have the same success I had.”

On the subject of DX, Gunn was noticeably absent from the group’s 25-year reunion last week on Raw. Considering that Gunn works for a competitor in AEW, it was unlikely that he would be part of the reunion on Raw, though there was optimism since Paul “Triple H” Levesque is overseeing the company’s creative.

“Of course, I would have liked to have been there, but I understand that I work for another company,” Gunn says. “It was a collective decision. I’m not putting it on anyone. I’m not sour about it. We’re two separate companies, and it just didn’t work out.”

Another highlight of working in AEW is that Gunn’s sons Austin and Colten are also on the roster. Initially they were aligned with their father, and now are broadening 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,” Gunn says. “I love where they’re going now and what they’re doing. They need this time away from me to separate and grow. And they always ask my opinion. I like to hear their side of it first, then share mine. For me, it’s amazing.”

The opportunity to be a featured part of The Acclaimed has also brought new life to Gunn’s career. This wrestling renaissance can be largely attributed to Gunn’s ability to evoke genuine emotion from the crowd. Working with two emerging stars in Bowens and Caster, there is so much potential moving forward, especially with a host of top-tier opponents, including the Young Bucks when they return to an active schedule in AEW, to create memorable moments and matches against in the ring.

There is no ceiling for The Acclaimed, a territory and terrain that Gunn knows extremely well.

“We’ll let the people take us to where they want us to go,” Gunn says. “We’ll take it one week at a time, and Anthony and Max have these incredible ideas. I’m enjoying every bit of this, watching two guys having the time of their lives, and I get to share that. It’s time to ride that wave, and that’s an incredible feeling.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.