Billy Gunn is never shy about speaking his mindand now the WWE Hall of Famer is calling out todays generation of wrestlers for what he sees as a lack of fundamentals and storytelling.
Appearing on ARWP, the 60-year-old AEW coach and Attitude Era legend gave a brutally honest assessment of the current wrestling landscape, accusing many younger talents of relying too much on flashy moves and not enough on psychology and character-driven conflict.
He explained that he avoids teaching crazy stuff in training because everybody does it nowadays, and its led to a product that lacks meaningful conflict. Gunn believes wrestling isnt just about movesits about the why behind the match. He gave a blunt example of what real conflict looks like:
Gunn didnt stop therehe also took aim at wrestlers begging for crowd reactions. Calling younger wrestlers lazy, Gunn said most dont use their body language, presence, or pacing to control the audience organically.
The former DX member also reflected on his own career, noting how simple crowd psychology created lasting moments. Gunn further critiqued the modern in-ring style, saying the excessive dives and non-stop action may look impressive but leave fans unable to truly follow along:
While Gunn is currently off AEW TV following the breakup of The Acclaimed, its clear he still has strong opinions about where the business is headedand how far its drifted from what he believes made wrestling truly connect.
Do you agree with Billy Gunn? Are modern wrestlers too focused on flips and not enough on story? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
