AEW star Billy Gunn has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career in professional wrestling, highlighted by multiple tag team championships and memorable runs across several promotions. One of the biggest moments of his WWE career came in 1999 when he won the King of the Ring tournament during what many fans consider the peak of WWE’s popularity during the Attitude Era.
Despite the prestige of the victory, Gunn never fully transitioned into a main event role afterward, making him one of the more overlooked winners in the tournament’s history. Over the years, some fans have suggested that Gunn’s feud with The Rock may have played a role in halting his momentum, particularly due to Rock’s cutting promos that frequently mocked Gunn during their rivalry.
However, during a Q&A appearance at a “Monopoly Events” fan event, Gunn admitted he isn’t convinced that feud was the main reason his push never fully materialized. In fact, he suggested the situation may have been far more unexpected than fans realize.
“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know,” Gunn said. “I don’t even think I was supposed to win King of the Ring in 1999. I think somebody got in trouble, and it was just like ‘Who do we put it on? Oh, there’s Billy. Let’s put it on him.’”
Gunn acknowledged that he never received a clear explanation for why his momentum slowed following the tournament victory. At the same time, he pointed to the challenge of trying to match The Rock’s charisma during their feud.
“I wish I could answer that, I just don’t know. I mean, every time Rock jumps on you, especially me. If you’ve followed my career, I ain’t really a talker. That’s why I had Brian, cause he could do all the talking.”
Gunn was referring to his long-time tag team partner Road Dogg, who often handled the majority of the promo work during their run as The New Age Outlaws. Facing someone as verbally dominant as The Rock, Gunn admitted that he struggled to compete on the microphone.
“So when you have someone that’s really good at cutting promos, and you can’t really answer at that level, I’m just being for real right now, is I just wasn’t at that level.”
Despite those challenges, Gunn said he doesn’t believe the situation alone derailed his career. Instead, he suggested he may have played a role in holding himself back.
“So did it halt my momentum? I don’t think so. I think I got in my own way. It’s what it is.”
Looking back, Gunn emphasized that he has no regrets about how things played out. He remains proud that he fulfilled his role and did everything that was asked of him during that time.
“Like I said before, I don’t have any regrets. It’s what I did. They put it on me, I did what they asked me to do, so they can never say that I didn’t do business.”
Gunn’s reflection offers an interesting look at how timing and circumstances can shape a wrestler’s career. The King of the Ring tournament has historically served as a launching pad for several major WWE stars, but not every winner follows the same path. Gunn’s experience highlights how even significant accolades don’t always translate into long-term main event success, especially during an era filled with some of the most iconic personalities in wrestling history.
Do you think Billy Gunn could have become a bigger singles star in WWE after winning the 1999 King of the Ring?
