20 Years Of DX: Where Are They Now?

7. Billy Gunn

D-Generation-X 2000
NJPW

Once touted by WWE as 'the best pure athlete' in the company and by many considered to be the second break-out star from the group after Triple H, Billy Gunn's descent into mediocrity took many within the organisation by surprise.

Turned heel shortly after Triple H as DX imploded in 1999, Gunn won the (then) prestigious King of the Ring tournament, and found himself across the ring from The Rock at SummerSlam. The push only exposed his limitations. 'Mr. Ass' never had a singles match fans would fondly remember, and the character's inherent dislikability was reduced to apathy in a matter of weeks.

Ousted from the rebooted heel version of the stable in early 2000, his comeback from injury looked sure to place him back near the card as a top suspect for running down fellow returnee Stone Cold Steve Austin, but he was neutered by 'The Rattlesnake' in his first segment back, and left to fester as a lower card babyface for the remainder of his WWE tenure.

A troubled TNA run saw his career descend into self-parody alongside perennial partner BG James, and an unlikely 2012 return to WWE as a trainer was abruptly halted when he failed a wellness test for performance-enhancing drugs he'd been using for competitive powerlifting.

Gunn has remained active under the most astonishing of circumstances. Having entered the New Japan Rumble at Wrestle Kingdom 11, he'll compete again soon for NJPW as Hiroshi Tanahashi's first IWGP Intercontinental Title opponent.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett