Billy Gunn

[8.0] "ENGAGER: 9 STRIKER:8 CRAFTMASTER: 7 AERIALIST: 6 POWERHOUSE: 8 EXTREMIST: 7 ENTRANCE: 9 NARRATIVE: 6 GIMMICK: 9 ANGLE: 9 GRUDGE: 7 ELOCUTION: 7 Billy Gunn is one of the best Tag Team Wrestlers of all time, making it work with Bart, Road Dogg, Chuck Palumbo, and The Acclaimed. Billy also had some of the best longevity in the history of the business."

[3.0] "Maybe I shouldn't rate that guy because I don't know his story at WWE that much, but just looking at AEW...man, his booking doesn't make any sense. For some reason, one of the most over wrestlers in the entire building is the MFing DADDY ASS, he got a title at AEW first than Bryan, that is waaay to crazy for me understand the reason behind it."

[7.0] "Genuinely a legend of the game - the only issue is that he's just stuck around too long and should probably have hung the boots up 15-20 years ago. even in the new age outlaws last ever run with the tag team championships it seemed wayyyyy past it's sell by date"

[6.0] "Inside the ring, Billy was solid. Not spectacular, but dependable, like that old reliable pair of jeans you only wear on casual Fridays. Whether he was dropping fame-assers or flexing his arms like they were vying for lead roles in an action movie, he delivered a good show. But let's be real: he was usually more "good hand" than "main event." As part of The New Age Outlaws, Billy hit his stride. He and Road Dogg made tag team magic, proving that sometimes the sum is greater than its parts (and by "sum, " we mean Road Dogg doing 90% of the talking). When that DX glow-up happened, Billy was like the guy who rides shotgun in a sports car--you notice him, but you're not really there for him."

[4.0] "More like candy ass and always has been. Admittedly tall and in great shape for 60, but a candy ass nevertheless. Mystifyingly overpushed in WWF, not even sure he was better than Bart Gunn. Career highlight was Road Dogg doing the MCing for their introductions. More recently attached to the awful Scissor Me gang, the sort of drivel that makes you embarrassed to be caught watching rasslin'."

[8.0] "Really surprised to see Billy have such a low average. Pretty decent in the ring and way bigger than you might expect until you see him across from a normal sized guy. He's been charismatic for 30 years and had many gimmicks of various successes, but hes solid in his managerial role with The Acclaimed right now as Daddy Ass. Billy looks phenomenal for 60, which makes sense when you consider hes juiced out of his mind, but regardless he looks great. New Age Outlaws are one of the best teams of all time. Im even a fan of his The One gimmick to an extent. Rockabilly was a misfire, as was VKM, but the Smokin Gunns worked. Not going to hold the minor Ls against him when he has has some massive Ws"

[8.0] "Huge fan of Billy Gunn. As a worker, Gunn could hang with just about anyone. He had a great mix of size and athleticism and is a smart veteran to have for the young talent to learn from. The biggest knock, if you want to call it that, was his lack of charisma and personality. It's one of the reasons I thought Gunn was never able to achieve sustained singles star success. They had tried more than a few times to make him into a viable singles competitor but he wasn't able to connect with fans as well as one would like. Gunn was at his absolute best and most comfortable when he was working as a tag team specialist. Whether it be with The New Age Outlaws, Billy & Chuck or The Smoking Gunns, Billy's been at his best when he's working in tags. You know what, whose to knock that? 6 tag team title reigns with The Road Dogg as part of The Outlaws, 2 with Chuck Polumbo and an additional 4 more with Bart Gunn. Billy's been hugely successful as a tag-team specialist and even at the age of 60, he's continued to sustain that success and look great while doing it while working in AEW as part of The Acclaimed as well as with his sons, Austin & Colten."

[3.0] "With the news abt the lucha bros leaving AEW and seeing AEWs tag division devolve into "the acclaimed and friends :D" billy gunn is easily the worst part of it. A guy whos most notable career moment is getting buried by the rock getting the sting treatment is fucking insulting. Watching wrestlers like Okada run from him makes me hurl, and learning about his career to be a more educated hater has made me hate him even more. Probably the highlight of his shit sandwich career is the "billy and chuck" tag team, this was something I vaguely remembered from those "top 10 worst wwe booking choices" slop videos and I never really looked into it until I learned 'daddy ass' was apart of it. The only thing that goes better with overbooked "legends" runs in learning that said legend is well known for being one half of a vaguely homophobic vince mcmahon booked shitstorm. The worst part about all of this is that if in the 35 years he's been wrestling if he, oh idk worked on his in ring ability at all I could at least say he's a good worker, but when you get the maven treatment of all of ur notable matches being royal rumbles, you know you're legendary. 3 points because without him we wouldn't have the bang bang gang and I like them :)."

"Great look, solid worker, by no means a great promo but certainly not the worst either. I can see why the WWF tried to elevate him to main event level in 1999, he's a classic case of seemingly having most of the tools but either the whole package clicks with the fans or it doesn't."

[7.0] "Solid tag wrestler and greater mentor for the younger guys, had a bizarre yet fun gimmick as Mr. (now Daddy) Ass. In his prime he was a pretty athletic wrestler with decent ring skills and the potential to climb further up the card. However that never happened on top of being buried by The Rock on Heat. Billy is a case of strong veteran presence in the present and a what could have been in the past."

[4.0] "Massively over in his New Age Outlaws and DX days in the late 90s and now in as your massive horny uncle in the twenties but my god everything between those two points is absolutely dire. That man is very lucky that no one has gone back to watch much from his TNA run because it really was absolutely dire."

[6.0] "In the current era, Billy might have been more successful. He's really big and had a great body and amongst the AEW crowd he looks huge and could believably beat up anyone he's in the ring with. However, in his prime era nearly everyone was his size so he was just another guy most of the time. He got a few chances to succeed but really his in-ring skills and promo work wasn't up to scratch although he was a solid midcard hand in his many guises. He never really had any charisma which is damaged him but now he's nearly 60 he's started to show a bit in that department."

[8.0] "The one Billy Gunn... Who would have guessed he'd find his place in AEW as a father? Yet for whatever reason, he just works incredibly well over there. He was insanely popular in the Attitude-Era, a lot of that fire was snuffed out in the Ruthless-Aggression days, then there was TNA in which everyone seems to have lost the narrative. The New Age Outlaws might have had popularity, but they also represented everything annoying about the Attitude-Era. Chuck and Billy had potential, but alas Ruthless-Aggression shock value was at play. Weirdly enough, an argument could be made that Gunn's best tag-team were the Smoking Gunns, yet most would probably favor The New Age Outlaws which is understandable. A great mid-card talent, amazing look, mild-to-good promos. Granted, The Rock totally destroyed his energy with a single promo which speaks volumes about Dwayne's command over the English language. Yet Billy Gunn had a lot going for him and really deserves more respect. Thankfully the AEW fans have become obsessed with him and he's found his footing in old age. Good for Daddy Ass. Feeling a 8.1/10 for the one Billy Gunn."

[7.0] "A good midcarder, overpushed during the attitude era and underrated during ruthless era. His recent work is impressive for a man of his age."

[7.0] "During the Attitude Era he was one of the better workers in WWE. Had some good mid card feuds but would never work as a main eventer. Was best as a tag team wrestler. TNA run was fine. His run with the Acclaimed has been good. In the ring he can go and is a very good talker"

[6.0] "Billy Gunn was another guy that looked like he should be perfect for the IC title division, but he was never able to quite hang with the likes of Benoit and Guerrero and they finally sent him back down the card to the tag divisions where he was more comfortable. Billy's biggest problem was him being prone to injuries. Each time he came back from injury, saw diminishing interest in him. Was at his best during the glory days of DX."

[6.0] "Was never a big fan but his role with The Acclaimed has made me deeply fond of him for the first time. Get really happy seeing him now."

[8.0] "A total thoroughbred in ever sense of the word . Pound for pound one of the best pure athletes to ever step inside of the squared circle. One of the most formidable tag team competitors of all time. Billy was a guy who while never at the top of the card, was put in a lot of different roles underneath working alongside a lot of various people, and excelled in all of them by making the very best out of what he was given. Is a physical freak when it comes to being able to stay in shape, especially at his age, so much to the point that I had to GOOGLE how old he was here a couple of years back because he simply doesn't age. Underrated in many aspects as an in ring performer because even at his size, he was still a solid worker, solid seller, could elevate talent, and whoever worked him always walked out better than they came in. Great Trainer/ Producer/Coach as well."

[5.0] "Billy's had a long and... fine career in pro wrestling. He wasn't quite just a body guy, but I think his career is more quantity than quality when I look back on it. But it's nice to see him have a late-career renaissance with the Acclaimed."

[6.0] "Has always entertained me. Doesn't stand out in any one particular area, but had some really fun gimmicks. I also enjoyed his time in NJPW. Looks like an absolute unit still, even into his 50s. Now he's paired up with the Acclaimed and is clearly having a blast, he's over as hell with the crowd."

[7.0] "Surprised to see such mixed reception to Billy Gunn. In his prime, Billy's in-ring skill was pretty good when you consider how low the workrate standard was back in the Attitude Era. He was generally the workhorse in DX or the New Age Outlaws. While he's not bad on a mic, he doesn't have the promo skills or charisma to hang with the main eventers. He never really took off as a singles competitor but I think that's okay. Billy was definitely at his best in a tag team; his runs with the New Age Outlaws and Billy & Chuck are still the best in his career. Praise also has to be given for his fantastic physique at 59 years old. Ironic how his current run managing the Acclaimed has been the most over Billy has been since the early 2000s but I'm all for it. He's a fantastic pairing for the Acclaimed"

[8.0] "Billy Gunn is a decent wrestler with many great gimmicks. Whether he is Mr. Ass, a New Age Outlaw or Daddy Ass, he always knows how to get the crowd engaged. Loved his run with DX & loving his run with The Acclaimed. Hope he keeps wrestling for as long as he wants."

[9.0] "Billy Gunn has had many personalities. He did his best work with Road Dogg in TNA. Billy and chuck was also great and something different. Love seeing the new scizzors gimmick getting over. I hope he never stops wrestling."

[7.0] "Has no one mentioned he has asthma? Did you know that's why he was *FREAKIN ALWAYS* in a tag team? Did you know that's why he failed as King of the Ring? Yah, dude has asthma. Rewatch and see him almost die from it mid match if it's a singles, maybe with time I will edit in an example if I come across it. Anywho - that's why he was *FREAKIN ALWAYS* in a tag team. Lucky for him I love me some tag team wrestling! Poor dude's promo skills were junk, his singles matches were awkward - but Yay! tag teams!"

[7.0] "I was never the biggest fan of Billy during his WWF/E and TNA runs. He had the odd good match but overall I found him kinda dull. Though since he's joined AEW I've done a complete 180 on him. I enjoyed the stuff alongside his sons but once Billy shacked up with the Acclaimed my newfound love for him really took off. He works perfectly with the Acclaimed's over-the-top antics."

"Although visually strong his attacks don't look convincing, honestly I don't think big things in the ring most of the time he's on TV is being wasted"

[4.0] "This guy is pushing 60 and he is still in pretty good shape. That being said, Billy Gunn is really not that exciting. Had some good stints with Road Dogg and DX, but such a bore as a singles competitor. There's something about him as a singles wrestler that just didn't work out. Without Road Dogg, the entertainment just feels missing. This tells me he was always meant to be a tag team wrestler and nothing more. He's capable, and still is as a member of AEW, but even his current run feels like nothing special. It's cool to see he's still going despite his age, but arguably the weakest link in DX."

[5.0] "Billy Gunn is just..... eh. Sure he had that big run in the Attitude Era as the Outlaws but let's just face it, almost everyone was over during then just because that was a huge wrestling boom at the time. They had great chemistry but their matches in terms of quality could be defined as "mediocre at best" and trash brawling at worst. They could play a crowd well together but apart they just could never get over. Billy could actually go a fair bit but he was at the same time always a bit bland and never particularly interesting. From Rock burying him in one of his main event pushes to becoming a joke after winning King of The Ring and doing nothing with it, the fed's attempts to get him on a actual top level have always failed, because he's just not on that level. He's a relatively solid tag worker for most of his career but outside of that is a lot of fails."

[5.0] "A veteran of the biz that is pretty decent at everything. Best remembered being alongside Road Dogg in D-X. Billy Gunn should be respected for the longevity of his career."

[3.0] "Can Billy Gunn wrestle? Yeah seems like. Do I enjoy watching Billy Gunn wrestle? No, never. His work on Dark is just there. He's awkward to watch. He, weirdly, hugs Aubrey Edwards. He's in a face trios I always want to see lose."

[8.0] "Mr ass is one of those guys who has had a long career and only a few of those years were memorable. However those few years were a run as half of the greatest tag team in wrestling history. I remember One time road dogg introduced billy Gunn back from injury and Michael Cole excitedly screams into the mic, its Mr ass, mr ass is back! I was like 14 or something and it was the funny shit I ever heard. Anyway they were as over as the rock and Austin at the time. And if your not down with that I just got two words for ya."

[6.0] "A lot of personality and can talk his ass off. A pretty good solid wrestler that has mostly been stymied due to the types of gimmicks he had. There's no way you can get to the main event when you have a gimmick based around your butt, or Honky Tonk Man is your manager in the beginnings of the Attitude Era. He was a good tag team wrestler and always excelled at that, but pretty much had a ceiling over his head solo wise."

[3.0] "Billy Gunn struck gold once in his career.  He and Road Dogg, both of whom were going nowhere, got put together, and there was no reason to believe it would work out, but somehow it did, and a legendary tag team was born. They had an amazing run for a couple of years. But that's just a couple of years out of what's now around 25 years of being in the spotlight, and it remains the only time ANYONE ever actually cared about Billy Gunn. His inexplicable chemistry with Road Dogg aside, I think it's pretty safe to conclude that Billy Gunn is just not a good wrestler."

[5.0] "Billy Gunn has had more gimmicks than most people have years in the business and I will give him credit for doing his best with all of them. But his in-ring work and charisma were always lacking."

[6.0] "Gunn has a hell of a physique. He has charisma. Gunn also in his prime years with the Outlaws had tremendous athleticism, The Fameasser is still my favorite move in wrestling. All of these things and still, Gunn is better than the sum of his parts. However Billy really struggled to find his voice outside of DX and beyond as a solo. Billy seems like a nice dude and a fun loving guy outside of the ring, this may translate to him not getting over as a single, nice guys finish last"

[8.0] "A man of many names & gimmicks. Billy found the most success as one half of the New Age Outlaws. I thought that team was best before they joined with DX & were wearing South Park shirts during the time that that show was first starting to gain cultural significance. Their feud with Foley & Funk was excellent & they came off as total jerks (in a good way). Prior to that, he was the better member of the Smoking Gunns & started showing some charisma with Sunny. He didn't work as a King of the Ring winner and mostly failed in his singles runs, but he was consistently a good team player & always quite crisp in the ring."

[6.0] "Great on the mic. A great tag team specialist and won many tag titles. He was great with Bart Gunn, Road Dogg, DX and Chuck Palumbo. He was not bad as a singles wrestler. Won King of the Ring and intercontinental title. His Ass Famer I like. He now trains wrestlers in NXT."

[6.0] "In terrific shape (to this day) and hugely decorated in the WWE (plethora of tag titles, Hardcore title, IC title and the lackluster 1999 King of the Ring), Billy Gunn enjoyed great longevity (1st WWF tag title in 1995, final WWE tag title in 2014! ) and was at times very popular. Though the more athletic and physically impressive of the New Age Outlaws, he felt distinctly less likable than the Road Dogg and it seemed it was hard for him to breakaway from that partnership (which on a re-watch was far from perfect itself). He had some terrific moves/spots and it has been great to see his Famouser and leaping corner splash be repackaged by Dolph Ziggler. Billy Gunn was never a favourite of mine but certainly can't disregard my memories of his prominent role in WWF/WWE and the fact that even to this day he is winning championships on the independent scene and getting booked by NJPW. WWE Hall of Fame could well be calling as either a member of DX or the NAO."

[0.0] "Billy Gunn was one of the very few guys that Chris Benoit couldn't get a decent match out of. It takes someone of remarkable non-talent to be so bad that one of the best of the modern era couldn't get something out of them."

[4.0] "Billy Gunn never really impressed me. He was just another "body guy" who never got past a certain level in the ring. He could do some athletic things in the ring, but never became a good worker."

[4.0] "Waste of talent imo. Could have been so much better but he was complacent and the Rock killed his career in 1 promo. Amazing athlete but never turned that into a good worker."

[9.0] "Incredible athleticism, and one of the best tag wrestlers ever, the only negative about Gunn was his talking ability. I thought he should have gotten a bigger singles push, not world title level, but more/longer IC title runs."

[3.0] "Go back and watch the New Age Outlaws. It will ruin your appreciation for them if you watch more than 2 matches in a row. It quickly becomes evident that they did one thing every single match. The Outlaws were Billy at his best, which says something."

[7.0] "Billy Gunn was for many years one of the most reliable tag team wrestlers in WWE with numerous tag team title reigns under various gimmicks to his credit - three with Bart Gunn, six with Road Dogg and two with Chuck Palumbo. Attempts to push him as a single were never as successful; perhaps he didn't have the personality to stand on his own. All the same he did pick up an IC Title, two Hardcore Titles and even a King of the Ring tournament victory. Most notably served as the more talented (in terms of in-ring skill) half of the New Age Outlaws, and a major part of DX during the group's popular babyface run."

[10.0] "An endlessly underrated fellow, it is always held against him that he could not hold up a main event during the hottest time in wrestling, but by god he is a fantastic tag wrestler across multiple decades and actually a pretty excellent midcarder when given the chance. I also love some of his theme's over the years, "Ass Man" being a particularly catchy number."

[8.0] "Was a very good all rounded wrestler. Big strong but also very agile and fast for his size with moves such as great drop kicks like Dolph Ziggler"

[3.0] "Billy Gunn is a very remembered wrestler, but his accomplishment cannot follow. He brought a lot of energy and effort into his teams (DX, New Age Outlaws, Smoking Gunns, 3 Live Kru, Billy & Chuck, etc... ), but the many chances he received as a singles star revealed his deep flaws. He could not sustains his success on his own, and wounded up as one of the worst King Of The Ring, as well as a collection of failed personas. Sadly, he never could dribble the ball, so he will be relegated as a benchwarmer of wrestling history."

[10.0] "I loved watching Billy Gunn when I was a kid and he was a part of one of the greatest tag teams ever, The New Age Outlaws! I loved watching him as a singles competitor in WWE as well when I was in my early teens too, and it's so amazing how in 2014 it's still no different! If you look at Billy Gunn now, he still looks like he's in tremendous shape at 50 years old and when you watch him in the ring nowadays, he looks like he has not missed a beat whatsoever which is phenomenal!"