"A freak of nature" - Former WWE star Rico praises 58-year-old AEW wrestler (Exclusive)
Rico Constantino has heaped praise on his former client and current AEW star Billy Gunn.
Since its inception, AEW has respectfully treated the legends of this industry, who are well past their prime. While Sting (at 62) is presently the oldest active wrestler on the roster, Billy Gunn (at 58) is not too far behind either.
Gunn is serving double duties both as a wrestler and coach. So far, he has wrestled in a handful of matches, mostly with his sons, Colten and Austin, collectively known as The Gunn Club.
While speaking with Dr. Chris Featherstone of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Rico explicitly stated that Billy still performs like a young kid and he's a freak of nature. The wrestling manager then credited the AEW star for helping him become a wrestler.
Rico even recalled the time when Billy recruited him as a manager, though he didn't want to take that position initially:
"Billy still looks great. He still performs like he's a young kid. He's a freak of nature. But like I said, I got a lot of props to him for my career starting out as a stylist because I barely knew how to wrestle. And then he brought me in as a manager. And I was like, I didn't want to manage. And Billy says, 'Don't worry, kid. I gotcha.' And I'm 40 years old, and he's calling me kid."
Billy didn't look rusty when he last wrestled on AEW Dynamite earlier this month alongside his son Colten in a losing effort against Sting and Darby Allin. The defeat also brought an end to the Gunn Club's winning streak.
Regardless, he received critical acclaim for his performance that night.
Dutch Mantell was impressed with Billy Gunn's performance against Darby Allin on AEW Rampage
After a couple of coffin drops and after enduring a lot of tossing around by Billy Gunn, Darby Allin picks up the win!
Him and the icon Sting get a beatdown from the Gunn Club
#AEWRampage https://t.co/oEk4MukCXJ
Dutch Mantell recently praised Billy Gunn's match against Darby Allin, which went down on an episode of AEW Rampage a few weeks ago. The former WWE manager even added that Billy's presence made the bout watchable:
"If it hadn't been for Billy Gunn walking that kid through it, it would've been horrible. I liked the way Billy walked through this kid. Took his time and didn't get in any hurry. And Billy, he made the match watchable," said Mantell.
There's no doubt that Billy has maintained an incredible shape for a man of his age. But with age not on his side, it will be interesting to see how long he continues to wrestle before finally walking off into the sunset.
What do you make of Rico Constantino's statement? Sound off in the comments section below.
(If you use any quotes from this article, please give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling)