Billy Gunn Critiques Modern Wrestling's High-Risk Focus

Billy Gunn, a WWE Hall of Famer and current coach for All Elite Wrestling, delivered a pointed critique of modern professional wrestling during a recent appearance on the All Real Wrestling Podcast. The 60-year-old veteran, known for his role in the Attitude Era, argued that younger performers have shifted too heavily toward high-risk athletic maneuvers at the expense of essential storytelling and audience engagement.

Gunn, who began his career in 1989 and has worked consistently across promotions for over three decades, emphasized that today's matches often lack the fundamental elements that draw in casual viewers. He described the prevailing style as a "nonstop festival of high spots," where wrestlers prioritize the quantity and difficulty of moves, such as dives from the ring apron, without building narrative context. "I don't teach any of that crazy stuff, because it doesn't get you anywhere," Gunn said. "I have a million people that could do the same thing, and they all want to do it. So what is it different than you doing a Spanish Fly and him doing a Spanish Fly?"

Central to Gunn's assessment is the absence of personal conflict in match setups, which he believes is...