Billy Gunn Bio
Monty Kip Sopp, better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, is an American professional wrestler born on November 1, 1963, in Orlando, Florida. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also performs under the ring name Daddy Ass and serves as the on-screen manager for Anthony Bowens. Gunn was a member of The Acclaimed as a manager and the team’s six-man tag team partner, and he also holds a WWE Legends contract. Over the course of his career, Gunn has become one of the most decorated tag team wrestlers in the industry, with championship reigns across multiple major promotions.
Standing 191 centimeters tall and competing in the heavyweight division, Gunn has remained active in professional wrestling since 1989. He is widely recognized for his long-running partnership with Road Dogg as The New Age Outlaws and for his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of D-Generation X.
Early Life and Background
Monty Kip Sopp was born on November 1, 1963, in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in nearby Oviedo. He attended Oviedo High School, where he first trained as a bull rider, an experience that helped shape his athletic foundation. After high school, Sopp briefly competed as a professional bull rider in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association before deciding in his early twenties to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Before entering the wrestling business, Sopp studied agribusiness at Sam Houston State University. His upbringing in Central Florida and his background in rodeo sports gave him a rugged, athletic edge that later became part of his wrestling persona. He trained under veteran wrestler Jerry Gray and began his career on the independent circuit.
Path to Professional Wrestling
Sopp made the transition from bull riding to professional wrestling in the late 1980s, training under Jerry Gray and working the independent circuit for roughly eight years. During that period, he also had a brief stint as enhancement talent for World Championship Wrestling, which gave him early exposure to a national audience. His combination of size, athleticism, and charisma helped him stand out on the regional wrestling scene.
In 1993, Sopp signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation, adopting the ring name Billy Gunn. He was paired with Bart Gunn, and the two were positioned as on-screen brothers known as The Smoking Gunns. The duo made their WWF debut on the May 17, 1993, episode of Raw, marking the beginning of Gunn’s rise to national prominence in professional wrestling.
Billy Gunn Career
Early Career (1989–1993)
Gunn’s professional wrestling career began in 1989 on the independent circuit, where he honed his craft for several years. After training with Jerry Gray, he worked matches across the regional wrestling scene and gained brief experience with World Championship Wrestling as enhancement talent. These developmental years allowed him to build a reputation as a reliable and athletic performer.
His early career culminated in 1993 when he signed with the World Wrestling Federation. Teaming with Bart Gunn as The Smoking Gunns, Billy Gunn quickly moved from the independents to one of the largest wrestling promotions in the world, setting the stage for his breakthrough in the mid-1990s.
WWF Tag Team Breakthrough (1993–2001)
The Smoking Gunns captured their first WWF Tag Team Championship in early 1995 by defeating Bob Holly and the 1-2-3 Kid, and they won the titles again later that year. The team also had a third reign in 1996 before disbanding. After a period away recovering from injury, Gunn returned with a new persona called Rockabilly, which eventually led to the formation of The New Age Outlaws with Road Dogg.
The New Age Outlaws became one of the most popular tag teams of the Attitude Era, winning multiple Tag Team Championships and aligning themselves with D-Generation X. Gunn also found singles success during this period, winning the WWF Hardcore Championship and the 1999 King of the Ring tournament, in which he defeated Ken Shamrock, Kane, and X-Pac. He later captured the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Eddie Guerrero in late 2000.
Billy and Chuck Era (2001–2002)
After partnering with Chuck Palumbo, Gunn formed the popular duo Billy and Chuck, who quickly rose to the top of the tag team division. The pair won the WWF Tag Team Championship in February 2002, with their on-screen storyline as a flamboyant couple becoming one of the most talked-about angles of that era. They successfully defended the titles against teams such as the Acolytes Protection Agency, the Dudley Boyz, and the Hardy Boyz.
TNA and Independent Circuit (2005–2012)
Following his departure from WWE in 2004, Gunn debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2005 under shortened names such as The Outlaw and Kip James due to WWE trademark issues. He reunited with B.G. James to reform their tag team, eventually competing as The Voodoo Kin Mafia. After leaving TNA in 2009, Gunn worked the independent circuit, capturing titles in promotions such as TWA Powerhouse, Lucha Libre USA, and the American Pro Wrestling Alliance.
Return to WWE (2012–2015)
Gunn made a surprise return to WWE on the 1000th episode of Raw in July 2012 as part of a D-Generation X reunion. He was later hired as a trainer for NXT in Tampa, Florida, and reunited with Road Dogg as The New Age Outlaws. The duo won the WWE Tag Team Championship in January 2014, holding the title until dropping it to The Usos in March. In 2015, Gunn was announced as a coach on the sixth season of Tough Enough, but was released from WWE in November 2015 after testing positive for elevated testosterone levels at a powerlifting event.
All Elite Wrestling Era (2019–Present)
In January 2019, Gunn was hired by All Elite Wrestling as a coach. He later began appearing in storylines with his sons Austin and Colten as The Gunn Club. In August 2022, after his sons turned on him, Gunn was aided by The Acclaimed and transitioned into a managerial role, earning the new nickname Daddy Ass from Anthony Bowens. With The Acclaimed, Gunn won the AEW World Trios Championship in August 2023 and set a record 238-day reign before losing the titles in April 2024. He continues to appear on AEW programming as the manager of Anthony Bowens.
Style and Strengths
Billy Gunn built his career on a foundation of in-ring athleticism, crisp tag team timing, and adaptability across gimmicks ranging from the cowboy-themed Smoking Gunn to the rebellious Badd Ass and the flamboyant Billy and Chuck. His long-running chemistry with Road Dogg, one of the most celebrated partnerships in tag team history, demonstrated his ability to balance power-based offense with crowd-pleasing comedy. Even in his later managerial role with The Acclaimed, Gunn has continued to contribute strategically by guiding younger talent and providing a steady presence at ringside.
Notable Events and Milestones
Some of the defining moments of Gunn’s career include winning the 1999 King of the Ring tournament, capturing the WWF Intercontinental Championship, and his 2019 induction into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X. His record-setting 238-day reign as AEW World Trios Champion with The Acclaimed further cemented his legacy as one of the all-time great tag team competitors in professional wrestling.
Billy Gunn Career Wins
Across more than three decades in professional wrestling, Billy Gunn has accumulated an extensive list of championships and tournament victories in WWE, AEW, and on the independent circuit. He is an 11-time tag team champion in WWE across three different partnerships and a former Intercontinental and two-time Hardcore Champion.
WWE Tag Team Highlights
Gunn won the WWF Tag Team Championship five times with Road Dogg as The New Age Outlaws, twice with Bart Gunn as The Smoking Gunns, and once with Chuck Palumbo as Billy and Chuck. The Outlaws’ most recent WWE Tag Team Championship reign came in January 2014, when they defeated Cody Rhodes and Goldust. In total, Gunn is recognized as an 11-time WWE tag team champion.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond WWE, Gunn has captured tag team titles in promotions including TWA Powerhouse, the American Pro Wrestling Alliance, and the Bad Boys of Wrestling Federation. He also won the 2016 PCW Road to Glory tournament match and the Smashmouth Pro Wrestling Championship, along with the MCW Rage Television Championship during his time on the independent circuit.
Billy Gunn Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Wrestling has been a family tradition for the Sopp household. Billy Gunn’s two sons, Colten Gunn and Austin Gunn, are both professional wrestlers who have worked in All Elite Wrestling. The Gunn Club stable in AEW originally featured Billy alongside both of his sons before they turned on him in 2022 to align with Stokely Hathaway.
Personal Life
Sopp married his first wife, Tina Tinnell, in 1990, and together they had two sons before separating in 2000 and finalizing their divorce in December 2002. He has since married his longtime girlfriend, Paula Sopp, on January 24, 2009. Outside of wrestling, Gunn has spoken publicly about managing asthma with the use of an inhaler.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Billy Gunn remains an active figure in All Elite Wrestling, continuing his role as the on-screen manager for Anthony Bowens following the dissolution of The Acclaimed in January 2025. On the January 2025 Maximum Carnage special episode of Collision, The Acclaimed disbanded after months of internal dissension, leaving Gunn to realign with Bowens.
On April 6, 2025, at Dynasty Zero Hour, Gunn returned after a brief hiatus as the manager for Bowens and was ringside when Bowens defeated Max Caster. By July 2025, storylines began teasing a potential heel turn for Bowens after he assaulted Caster following a match, with Gunn stepping in to hold him back. These developments suggest that Gunn’s on-screen presence will remain central to AEW’s tag team and trios divisions throughout the remainder of 2025.
Looking ahead, Gunn’s experience and popularity continue to make him a valuable asset for AEW’s programming. Whether guiding Bowens through a championship chase or helping shape the next generation of AEW talent, Gunn’s 2025 storyline arc appears poised to deliver more memorable moments for his fans.
