In a candid retrospective review, veteran professional wrestler Billy Gunn has characterized Triple H’s infamous 2019 D-Generation X Hall of Fame jab at All Elite Wrestling as a self-inflicted wound, describing the televised remark as a “dick move” aimed at saving face during a shifting industry landscape.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Roster Valuation: Highlights the delicate geopolitical boundaries between major promotion contracts and veteran talent sharing.
- Brand Positioning: Reinforces the historical promotional rivalry metrics between WWE and AEW across streaming and live gates.
- Talent Mobility: Underscores how backstage flexibility and cross-company appearances continue to shape modern wrestling economics.
The Anatomy of a Barclays Center Jab
The controversy dates back to April 6, 2019, when D-Generation X—comprising Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, Sean Waltman, and the posthumously honored Chyna—was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. At the time of the ceremony, Billy Gunn was already aligned with AEW, a newly launched promotion that had yet to host its inaugural live event.
Billy Gunn says he knew Triple H was going to make a remark about AEW at the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame, thought it was a dick move:“I knew it was coming. I kind of knew they were gonna do something AEW because it was hot at the time, and I was there… I didn’t know what they were… pic.twitter.com/82wvAKS3sb”
As fans inside the arena began chanting “AEW” during the group’s segment on stage, Triple H seized the microphone and delivered a sharp ad-lib, stating that Vince McMahon would buy “that piss-ant company” just to fire Gunn all over again. Speaking on Kenny McIntosh’s Inside The Ropes, Gunn detailed that he anticipated some form of acknowledgment from his stablemates given the massive buzz surrounding Tony Khan’s startup.
“I knew it was coming. I kind of knew they were going to do something AEW because it was hot at the time and I was there and they were all wondering how I got to go there, and that’s because Tony Khan was super cool,” Gunn said in comments corroborated by Fightful. After asking permission to appear at the WWE event, Gunn noted that Khan gave him his full blessing, telling him he would never hold him back.”
| Event Detail | Fact / Status |
|---|---|
| Induction Date | April 6, 2019 |
| Venue | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
| Directing Party | Triple H (Paul Levesque) |
| Current Status | Billy Gunn active in AEW (Former Trios Champion) |
Weighing the Fallout and Business Posturing
“The only one that got hurt out of that whole deal was him. I don’t want to say it, but it was a dick move. It was kind of trying to save face, and you didn’t need to because it’s going to happen. It’s the wrestling business. It’s what we do. They like to stir up shit,” Gunn remarked, noting that the unwritten rules of the industry often compel executives to fire shots when a contracted talent crosses promotional boundaries.”
In the wake of the incident, WWE quietly edited the remarks out of its subsequent television broadcasts of the ceremony. Meanwhile, AEW frequently referenced the comment on its own weekly programming during the early years of the promotion’s national expansion. Years removed from the microphone slight, Gunn remains an active fixture on the AEW roster alongside Max Caster and Anthony Bowens as part of The Acclaimed, holding past accolades as an AEW Trios Champion while the landscape of professional wrestling continues to evolve.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
