10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Oct 28)
8. Vince McMahon Wanted The Smoking Gunns To Revolutionise Cowboy Characters In Wrestling
Debuting in the Spring months of 1993, Billy and Bart Gunn were collectively known as The Smoking Gunns in the then-WWF. Hitting the tag-team scene as babyfaces, the duo played colourful characters that fit in with the cartoon-like approach favoured by the promotion at the time. Eventually, they'd turn heel before splitting in 1996.
Appearing on Colt Cabana's The Art Of Wrestling podcast, Billy Gunn said that the holier-than-thou approach was all Vince McMahon's idea. According to Billy, McMahon envisioned something different for The Smoking Gunns that would help revolutionise the idea of cowboy gimmicks in the pro wrestling world.
Traditionally, cowboy tag-teams had been heels. That's true in the case of The Blackjacks, they wore black outfits and black hats. By contrast, Billy and Bart wore cream-coloured hats and jackets. Wearing a smile, they were there to entertain people and also appeal to kids in the audience.
This was Vince's attempt to try something a little different and see if the concept of 'good guy' cowboys would catch on properly. Over time, The Smoking Gunns turned into another straightforward rugged heel team anyway.