9 Promos That Killed Wrestlers' Careers
2. The Rock Destroys Billy Gunn's Singles Career With A New Catchphrase
There's nary a soul on the WWE roster during the Attitude Era that wasn't expertly roasted by The Great One, from the top tier talent all the way down to the kilt-wearing jobbers. But few have been so hastily yanked down the card as Billy Gunn was in 1999.
Shortly after winning the King of the Ring and earning a main event push, Gunn became the subject of one of The Rock's all-time great promos in which he "reenacted" a conversation Billy had with God regarding the lack of respect being shown to him.
"Oh dear God...my name's Billy and I just won King of the Ring. But there's one problem. Everybody still thinks that I absolutely suck!"
The rest of the promo was even more ruthless, and it even spawned the Brahma Bull's "IT DOESN'T MATTER" catchphrase.
Although many will be quick to say The Rock didn't really "bury" Gunn with the promo and point to the moderate success he sustained for a few years afterward -- both as Mr. Ass and in a tag team with Chuck Palumbo -- there's no denying that his career trajectory took an irreparable turn for the worse that night.
Two years later, Edge would accurately call out how "Billy B*tchcakes" hadn't done anything of note since The Rock's promo, proving just how staggering of a blow it really was.