AEW star and WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn continues to wrestle at the age of 61. Although he hasn’t competed in an AEW ring since May 2024, he remains active on the independent circuit and as a backstage coach for AEW. In a recent interview, Gunn addressed his current in-ring philosophy, his main fear about competing, and his pickiness regarding his opponents.
Speaking on the “Fuel & Flex” podcast, Gunn revealed that his primary concern when he steps in the ring isn’t the match itself, but the risk of an injury preventing him from his true passion: training at the gym.
“My biggest fear is that when I wrestle now, what I have to get past is, ‘God I hope I don’t get hurt, I won’t be able to train.’ That’s like the number one thing that gets in my head, is like, ‘Okay, I don’t wanna do a bunch of this because if I get hurt or something tweaks, then I won’t be able to go to the gym and lift, and if I can’t do that, I will lose my mind.’”
Gunn acknowledged that after a 35-year career, he is feeling the effects of his famous “Fame-Asser” finishing move on his hips. He now views his role in the ring as serving a “nostalgia purpose” for fans who grew up watching him and now want to share that experience with their own children.
“I still pretty much do everything that I do. I never really did a lot. Now, when I get in the ring, it’s more for nostalgia purposes, for people to see – it’s more for parents that have kids that go, ‘Hey, this is the guy I grew up on, and I can still see him live.’”
Because of his age and his desire to stay healthy for the gym, Gunn admitted he has become very selective about his opponents, expressing a lack of trust in younger, inexperienced talent who want to try dangerous moves.
“I don’t do a bunch of stuff. I don’t not work, but I’m very particular of who I work with, because nowadays people just go to wrestling school and think that they’re John Cena for some reason. They think they’re that good. And all of a sudden they say, ‘Hey I’m gonna do this,’ and I go, ‘You ain’t doing that to me. I’m not trusting you to turn me upside down and hope that you can hold me when you’re 100 pounds soaking wet. That’s insane. I don’t even know why you thought that’s a thing.’ I stay away from just doing crazy things that I don’t need to do.”