Rock vs Billy Gunn match at SSlam 99

[fg]

If you watched the buildup to this match, it looks like (in kayfabe of course), for all intents and purposes that it is designed to bury the face. Yet the one that gets buried is the heel (and in hilarious fashion especially when Rock did that promo when it he said he talked to God.)

Also, if you watched that match, you can tell that Billy Gunn despite being older and having more experience didn’t have what it took to be a main event wrestler like the Rock was.

[Mozenrath]

I get why Billy Gunn is someone that people would roll the dice on. He's really damn good in a tag capacity, he's got a great size, and he's built like a mule, but I think the ass-themed gimmick wasn't exactly main event material, that despite him having gotten into the business in like 1985 or something else insane like that, he just didn't have the kind of singles experience that'd be called for here, and I know he's cited that his asthma seriously hurts his cardio when he can't tag out to somebody.

[BorneAgain]

Some wrestlers have coming out parties where its clearly a match designed to take them to the next level in terms of perception.

Rock vs. Billy Gunn was basically the opposite, a contest whose booking was essentially done to give the babyface the win yes, but also effectively boot Mr. Ass back down the card. The latter's face going into a large woman's ass may have been the most unflattering metaphorical image of a depush, but it fits.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Can't believe Hollywood Dwayne had the gall to bury the greatest wrestler of all time so ruthlessly

[thecrusherwi]

One thing that I think is often overlooked about this feud/match is that The Rock needed a big time win in a major way. By Summerslam, he hadn’t won a PPV match since Royal Rumble. The Rock had spent most of 1999 putting Austin, Undertaker, and especially Triple H over at nearly every turn. It was time for The Rock to go over in a big spot and it didn’t hurt that he humiliated someone in the process. Billy Gunn was perfect for that. And the fact that by Unforgiven, Billy Gunn was back in the New Age Outlaws, Vince knew exactly what he was doing to Billy.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

Sept 7, 2022 7:22:28 GMT -5 thecrusherwi said:

One thing that I think is often overlooked about this feud/match is that The Rock needed a big time win in a major way. By Summerslam, he hadn’t won a PPV match since Royal Rumble. The Rock had spent most of 1999 putting Austin, Undertaker, and especially Triple H over at nearly every turn. It was time for The Rock to go over in a big spot and it didn’t hurt that he humiliated someone in the process. Billy Gunn was perfect for that. And the fact that by Unforgiven, Billy Gunn was back in the New Age Outlaws, Vince knew exactly what he was doing to Billy.

Agreed. If it wasn't Gunn, somebody was gonna take that decisive L to Rock at Summerslam cuz he frankly needed it, especially if he was gonna be chilling on the undercard. 

[Jindrak Mark]

Brock Lesnar v Hardcore Holly is often brought up but to me this is the most wtf "why is this big star facing someone so beneath him on one of the biggest PPVs of the year" situation.

Lesnar/Holly was at the Rumble so the Rumble match was the main selling point anyway and they could get away with a weak title match. Plus it had an actual story with Brock breaking Holly's neck a year earlier. Here though The Rock was so hot as a babyface and they gave him an absolutely nothing match for ostensibly the semi-main event of a major PPV like Summerslam. I still wish they had done a mega tag title match and added Rock/Mankind to the Taker/Show v Kane/X-Pac match and gave them the big tag title win here rather than on TV a week later. Plus it would have kept Mankind out of the main event which really should have been Austin/HHH 1 on 1.

[jason1980s]

I have always wanted to know who the woman was. I feel like it was some office employee's wife that Vince or his stooges thought it would be funny to have her out there and Billy's face shoved into her.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Sept 7, 2022 9:30:27 GMT -5 Jindrak Mark said:

Brock Lesnar v Hardcore Holly is often brought up but to me this is the most wtf "why is this big star facing someone so beneath him on one of the biggest PPVs of the year" situation.

Lesnar/Holly was at the Rumble so the Rumble match was the main selling point anyway and they could get away with a weak title match. Plus it had an actual story with Brock breaking Holly's neck a year earlier. Here though The Rock was so hot as a babyface and they gave him an absolutely nothing match for ostensibly the semi-main event of a major PPV like Summerslam. I still wish they had done a mega tag title match and added Rock/Mankind to the Taker/Show v Kane/X-Pac match and gave them the big tag title win here rather than on TV a week later. Plus it would have kept Mankind out of the main event which really should have been Austin/HHH 1 on 1.

Most people who cite the Holly match fail to remember how incredibly over Bob was for a few weeks there. People wanted to see him fight Brock, even if he obviously should never have won the match

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Sept 7, 2022 11:48:19 GMT -5 "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay said:

Sept 7, 2022 9:30:27 GMT -5 Jindrak Mark said:

Brock Lesnar v Hardcore Holly is often brought up but to me this is the most wtf "why is this big star facing someone so beneath him on one of the biggest PPVs of the year" situation.

Lesnar/Holly was at the Rumble so the Rumble match was the main selling point anyway and they could get away with a weak title match. Plus it had an actual story with Brock breaking Holly's neck a year earlier. Here though The Rock was so hot as a babyface and they gave him an absolutely nothing match for ostensibly the semi-main event of a major PPV like Summerslam. I still wish they had done a mega tag title match and added Rock/Mankind to the Taker/Show v Kane/X-Pac match and gave them the big tag title win here rather than on TV a week later. Plus it would have kept Mankind out of the main event which really should have been Austin/HHH 1 on 1.

Most people who cite the Holly match fail to remember how incredibly over Bob was for a few weeks there. People wanted to see him fight Brock, even if he obviously should never have won the match

Yeah, in fairness Holly coming out with the blue Jeans and choking people out with the chair was over but he obviously wasn't going to win the match but it allowed for a good hook

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Rock/Gunn tho, yeah. Rock tore him a new ass on the mic but was very giving to him in the ring but Billy couldn't capitalize on that

[thegame415]

The biggest issue in my opinion is that Mr. Ass was more of a gimmick that didn't have a lot development and depth as guys like Rock, Austin, Undertaker, HHH, Vince, etc. who were all at the main event around that time. They had well-defined characters and goals. Billy Gunn was a guy obsessed with asses.

It'd be like The Godfather getting a push. It's not a knock on Charles Wright, but Godfather didn't have the same character depth as other main event stars.

[Kevin Hamilton]

Even before the promo that killed Billy's push immediately it felt more like a filler feud for Rock rather than something that would elevate Gunn.

Was just like: "gee, wonder who'll win this?"

[hassanchop]

Imagine if it was X-Pac on that spot. Let's say if it was him instead of Gunn, would it be any different?

[jason1980s]

Sept 8, 2022 12:05:31 GMT -5 hassanchop said:

Imagine if it was X-Pac on that spot. Let's say if it was him instead of Gunn, would it be any different?

X-Pac would probably be owned on the mic by Rock too but in the DX group of 5, Billy was undoubtedly the least over in the group. Not saying too much since there was a lot of star power in 1998, early 99 with the other four but Billy always seemed like the odd man out. I think the Smoking Gunns was his ceiling though. Kid was great early on and could reinvent himself during NWO and Attitude Eras, Road Dogg was pretty much a career jobber until becoming Road Dogg, Chyna was such an awesome presence and Hunter had all the tools, just needed to find an IT factor during AE. Billy on the other hand seemed like his best days were working with Bart. I watched a few minutes of a shoot interview last night with Road Dogg and Billy and you can tell Road Dogg has all the personality. It was post addiction and Road Dogg was owning the interview while Billy pretty much piggybacked off of what Dogg said.

I personally feel bad for Billy. It's one thing to not be the best in a promo game with your opponent but when your opponent is a guy like Rock who is super talented on the mic and his gimmick is to destroy you on the mic, it's not a fair game.

[ghost]

Billy had the look and size of a star, but he just was missing something that Road Dogg was able to compensate for. Once Gunn was left on his own, it exposed him. Even if the Rock didn't "bury" him on the mic, that singles push wasn't going to last long.

Also, as others have said, Rock was jobbing way too much back then. He needed a strong PPV win.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

In all seriousness I think it is gross to book any wrestler to be buried as mercilessly as that promo

And it happened to Billy Gunn twice

And it was still hilarious both times

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Sept 8, 2022 17:48:55 GMT -5 "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay said:

In all seriousness I think it is gross to book any wrestler to be buried as mercilessly as that promo

And it happened to Billy Gunn twice

And it was still hilarious both times

And unlucky for Billy Gunn, the wrestlers were ruthless on the mic and you had to hold your own. He's lucky Rock was as giving as he was in the ring at that