WWE Hall of Famer and AEW veteran Billy Gunn has reflected on Triple H’s controversial remarks about All Elite Wrestling during D-Generation X’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019, describing the moment as a “dick move.”
Speaking with Kenny McIntosh in an interview published on the Inside The Ropes YouTube channel, Gunn discussed the incident and revealed that he had anticipated WWE would acknowledge his involvement with AEW during the ceremony.
Gunn signed with AEW in January 2019, just months before being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame alongside fellow D-Generation X members.
During the April ceremony, fans began chanting “AEW,” prompting Triple H to joke that Vince McMahon would purchase the newly formed promotion simply to fire Gunn again. Triple H referred to AEW as a “pissant company” during the exchange.
Looking back, Gunn explained that he was not particularly surprised by the comments because he had already expected something similar to happen. “No, because I knew it was coming. I kind of knew they were going to do something about AEW because it was hot at the time, and I was there,” Gunn said.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion also revealed that AEW President Tony Khan had been supportive of his participation in the Hall of Fame ceremony, despite Gunn having already signed with the rival promotion. “They were all wondering how I got to go there, and that was because Tony Khan was super cool. They were going to stick us in, so I went and asked him, and he said, ‘100%.’ He said, ‘Of course you can. I would never hold you back from that.’”
Gunn explained that although he did not know exactly what WWE had planned, he expected Triple H to make some reference to AEW. “I didn’t know what they were going to do, but I knew they were going to do something. I also knew that Hunter was going to have something to say about it. Once I prepared myself for that, I just let it go.”
Despite being prepared for the moment, Gunn admitted that he was not impressed by how Triple H handled the situation. “The only one who got hurt out of that whole deal was him. I don’t want to say it, but it was a dick move,” Gunn stated. “It was kind of an attempt to save face, and you didn’t need to because it was going to happen. That’s the wrestling business. That’s what we do, and that’s what they like to stir up.”
Gunn went on to suggest that the exchange reflected the competitive nature of professional wrestling, particularly when someone associated with one company appears on another promotion’s programming. “When you have somebody in another company, and I’m not trying to be egotistical, but I’m sure a lot of people didn’t think I was going to make it because I worked for another company,” he explained. “Then, when you see me, they have to do something. It’s like an unwritten rule in a book: if another guy is in another company, we have to say something and do something.”
Although Gunn was critical of Triple H’s comments, he indicated that he had moved past the incident rather than allowing it to become a lasting issue.
The 2019 Hall of Fame ceremony took place during AEW’s early months, when the promotion was preparing to establish itself as a major competitor in the professional wrestling industry.
