AEW Legend Teases Retirement After Collision Match
An AEW legend has teased that he may be retiring from the ring after what happened following a match on Collision.
The AEW World Trios Tag Team Titles were on the line during last night’s episode of Collision from Newark, New Jersey. It saw the House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) defending their titles against The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) and “Daddy Ass” Billy Gunn.
It was a match that only went about five minutes with Billy Gunn getting the hot tag. While Gunn got some offense, Brody King went into the ring illegally (it’s AEW, after all) with a clothesline that knocked down Billy. That led to the legal man Black hitting Gunn with the dreaded Black Mass leading to the pinfall. All it took was two moves to beat the WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn.
After the match, Billy Gunn took off his wrestling boots and left them in the ring. It is a gesture that has existed in pro wrestling for decades. It’s something a wrestler does when they retire, so it is Gunn’s way of telling us that he may be retiring from wrestling. After he left the boots in the ring, Billy walked by The Acclaimed and went backstage.
Is this the end of a career…?
Watch #AEWCollision on TNT!@Bowens_Official | @PlatinumMax | @RealBillyGunnpic.twitter.com/gX1GPfxW74
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 23, 2023
It would be understandable if Billy Gunn retired as a wrestler because he is 59 years old and will turn 60 in November. Considering he’s been a pro wrestler for 34 years, he’s already a WWE Hall of Famer as part of D-Generation X and considered one of the best tag team wrestlers ever, there’s nothing left for him to do.
While in AEW, Billy was aligned with his sons Austin & Colten, but then he became part of The Acclaimed. The “Scissor Me, Daddy Ass” phrase uttered by Anthony Bowens is very popular and The Acclaimed had a very good run as AEW Tag Team Champions with Billy guiding them.
Billy Gunn’s sons Austin & Colten Gunn each tweeted messages of love for their father, who isn’t with them on AEW TV in terms of storylines.
all jokes aside, thank you for everything đź–¤
never needed a big send off, never asked for anything, just went out there & had fun
and even though we haven’t seen eye to eye recently, we love you @RealBillyGunn#AEWCollisionpic.twitter.com/pmzm9glrMp
— NOT ass boy (@theaustingunn) July 23, 2023
we aren’t on the best terms right now but thank you….no other words need to be said #AEWCollisionpic.twitter.com/kiVRNHgrT0
— colten gunn (@coltengunn) July 23, 2023
It makes more sense to build it up and do some kind of storyline about it instead of doing it in a random match on Collision. Then again, if Billy thought it was the right time then that’s up to him.
Whether it’s an actual retirement or just some angle leading to more matches for Billy Gunn is something we’ll have to watch and find out in the weeks ahead.