Exclusive Interview: Billy Gunn on how he found out he was going into WWE HOF and if he will wrestle for AEW
Today, D-Generation X member Billy Gunn will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. While at a meet and greet in Albany, NY, I had the pleasure to sit down and interview D-Generation X Hall of Fame member "The Badass" Billy Gunn.
Q: May 17th, 1993 you and Bart made your tag team debut in WWE. How did it feel making your debut?
Gunn: Oh my God, it was so long ago I have no idea haha. I don't remember what happened yesterday. It was good. I think a lot of people know already; I just wasn't a wrestling person. I didn't grow up wishing I could get in it, watch it, I didn't do any of that. So, was it cool, a bunch of people got to watch me act like an idiot. That's what I do best, act like a goof.
Q: You won your first tag team belt defeating Bob "Sparkplug" Holly and 123 Kid. How did it feel winning your first championship?
Gunn: They all felt good. I mean, I won them 11 times. They all are special because it just means you're the best of the best. There's no differential between the first one to the last one. It's all cool. It's all awesome. It solidifies that you're the best that there is, so, that's kind of cool.
Q: What did you think of the angle with Sunny "champion jumping" from tag team to team and The Smoking Gunns breaking up after losing the belts and Sunny?
Gunn: You know, I really didn't think of it at the time. It was just something to do. It's just something they ask you to do, and you do it. That's how it works.
Q: Did you enjoy The Rockabilly character?
Gunn: I hated it. I hated that.
Q: Did you at least like hitting Honky Tonk Man with the guitar when switched out of it?
Gunn: Oh yeah. Anytime I get to hit him is awesome. No, there just wasn't any thought put into that character. It was just put together, and thrown together. So, I didn't have any heart in it; if you don't have the heart in your character that's a death sentence.
Q: Did you know at the time when you joined D-Generation X that the whole group was going to skyrocket and now go into the Hall of Fame?
Gunn: No, I didn't. Dude, we were just out to have fun; do something other than wrestling. Just break all the rules; just be complete degenerates like we were. We did some wrestling, but it was never wrestling that got us noticed. It was just all the craziness we would do.
I think that's what part of the Attitude Era was; it was just so much fun. There was wrestling, and so much other stuff going on. I don't think we knew. We were just having so much fun, and we didn't want that to end not knowing we were going into The Hall of Fame, but we were all just having so much fun.
Q: It shows in your segments messing with the Nation, invading WCW.
Gunn: We messed with everybody. Even Austin and he got us back.
Q: Did you enjoy The One winning the Intercontinental?
Gunn: It was cool, but I'm not a singles guy. It was cool to win the Intercontinental title and to do something like that. Winning the tag titles, Intercontinental, and Hardcore title was cool. Expect the Hardcore titles wasn't cool because you got hit with everything in the building, so that wasn't cool.
Q: In 2004, WWE lets you go. Flash forward to 2014 and The New Age Outlaws win the tag team titles. How did it feel being back with Road Dogg after not teaming together in the WWE for nearly fifteen years?
Gunn: Yeah, that was crazy. Really, our job there was to help the Usos and help the tag team division there. It seemed like it very lulled. One, they don't put any effort into them. They put zero efforts in tags. We tried to change that. I thought we did. Then it kind of got into a lull again.
Really we were just brought back as a feel-good moment. Then for some unknown Godly reason, somebody thought it was a good idea to put the tag titles on us, and then it was just to push The Usos. They were already good, but they just needed a little bit of a shove. The Road Warriors did it for us, and then we did it for them (The Usos). When you know your role and go in and do your job like your supposed to everything works out great.
Q: How did it feel when WWE called to send you into the Hall of Fame with D-Generation X?
Gunn: Well, one, I was in the middle of the ocean on a boat enjoying myself. Then they called said that. No, haha it was cool. I mean, my youngest son was with me, my Wife was with me, and some of my friends. We were literally out in the middle of the ocean. We went on a cruise for my Wife's birthday. They had to tell me on Sunday because when I go on vacation the phone is the last thing I have. It's buried in my bag somewhere. We have animals in our house, so my Wife keeps hers on in case something happens they need to get a hold of her.
Road Dogg was trying to call her to tell me because it was Sunday and they wanted to announce it Monday, so they wanted to make sure I knew before they announced it. It was a mad scramble to get me to know that they were doing it. It's really cool, and it will be even cooler once we're there. Just to hear the people erupt when we come out it's going to be the coolest part.
Q: So we know you're Head Coach for AEW. Can we expect to see you in an AEW Ring?
Gunn: Yeah, I'll probably do a little something. I'll just crack out at the big shows. So when I work for them, I'll just work the big shows.
We here at Sportskeeda would like to congratulate Billy Gunn on getting his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame this weekend. You can also listen to the interview below.