Billy Gunn

###

Orlando, Florida, United States

**Monty Kip Sopp** (born November 11, 1963), better known by his ring name **Billy Gunn**, is an American professional wrestler and former professional bull rider, currently wrestles in the independent circuit. Gunn is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainmen (WWF/E) from 1993 to 2004 and from 2012 to 2015. He also served as a coach on WWE's *Tough Enough*, and was a trainer in its developmental branch, NXT. He is also known for his appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) from 2005 to 2009.

Primarily a tag team wrestler, Gunn is a total 11-time tag team champion in WWE with three different partners (with Bart Gunn as The Smoking Gunns, with Road Dogg as The New Age Outlaws, and with Chuck Palumbo as Billy and Chuck). He is also a one time WWF Intercontinental Champion and a two time WWF Hardcore Champion, giving him 14 total championships in WWE. He is the 1999 King of the Ring winner.

## Professional wrestling career

### New Japan Pro Wrestling (2016-2017)

On November 5, 2016, at the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) event Power Struggle,Yoshitatsu announced Gunn as the newest member of his Hunter Club stable and his partner for the upcoming 2016 World Tag League. Gunn and Yoshitatsu finished the tournament on December 8 with a record of three wins and four losses, failing to advance from their block. Gunn returned to NJPW on January 4, 2017, taking part in the pre-show New Japan Rumble at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome, from which he was eliminated by Michael Elgin. While Gunn did not appear for NJPW for the next six months, he was brought up in May by Yoshitatsu, who told Hiroshi Tanahashi that Gunn had requested a match against him. When Tanahashi captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship the following month, he immediately nominated Gunn as his first challenger. Gunn was defeated in the title match on July 2 at G1 Special in USA.

## Media

### Filmography

* *Double Fury* (2012) as Wincott
* *The Other Guys* (2010) as Fan at Knicks Game (uncredited)

### Television

* *Sabrina The Teenage Witch* (2000) in episode "Salem's Daughter" as Xavier "The Avenger" Prescott

## Personal life

In November 1990, Sopp was arrested in Florida for disorderly conduct. Sopp married his first wife Tina Tinnell on March 3, 1990. Together, they have two sons: Colten (born May 18, 1991) and Austin (born August 26, 1994). The couple separated in January 2000 and their divorce was finalized on December 11, 2002. Sopp has since married his long-time girlfriend Paula on January 24, 2009.

Sopp attended Sam Houston State University.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Fame-Ass-er* (Leg drop bulldog, sometimes from the top rope)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Cutter
	+ Dropkick
	+ Fallaway slam
	+ Front powerslam
	+ Gutbuster
	+ Hip toss, sometimes transitioned into a neckbreaker – Innovated
	+ Military press slam
	+ Piledriver
	+ Stinger splash
	+ Tilt-a-whirl slam
	+ Vertical suplex powerslam
* **Managers**
	+ Sunny
	+ The Honky Tonk Man
	+ Chyna
	+ Rico
	+ Torrie Wilson
	+ Roxxi Laveaux

## Championships and accomplishments

* **American Pro Wrestling Alliance**
	+ APWA American Championship (1 time)
* **Bad Boys of Wrestling Federation**
	+ BBFW Aruba Championship (1 time)
* **International Wrestling Federation**
	+ IWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Brett Colt
* **Freedom Pro Wrestling**
	+ FPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Road Dogg
* **Maryland Championship Wrestling**
	+ MCW Rage Television Championship (1 time)
	+ MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with B.G. James
* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Tag Team of the Year (1998) with Road Dogg
	+ Tag Team of the Year (2002) with Chuck
	+ Ranked #**39** of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
	+ Ranked #**231** of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
	+ Ranked #**43** of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Road Dogg in 2003
* **SmashMouth Pro Wrestling**
	+ SPW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **TWA Powerhouse**
	+ TWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with B.G. James
* **World Pro Wrestling**
	+ WPW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE**
	+ WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
	+ WWF Hardcore Championship (2 times)
	+ WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Road Dogg
	+ World Tag Team Championship (10 times) – with Bart Gunn (3), Road Dogg (5) and Chuck Palumbo (2)
	+ King of the Ring (1999)
* ***Wrestling Observer Newsletter***
	+ Worst Worked Match of the Year (2006) TNA Reverse Battle Royal on TNA Impact!

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Castagna, Cary 2005-08-21. Gunn’s Loaded: Grabs Fitness Bull by the Horns . Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 2013-06-17. Retrieved on 2012-12-17.
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 Cagematch profile .
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 Kip James Profile . Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `LLUSA073011`
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Billy Gunn bio . WWE. Retrieved on 2012-12-13.
6. ↑ 戦国炎舞 -Kizna- Presents Power Struggle  (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro Wrestling*. Retrieved on 2016-11-07.
7. ↑ *ja:戦国炎舞 -Kizna- Presents World Tag League 2016* (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro Wrestling*. Retrieved on 2016-12-08.
8. ↑ Johnson, Mike 2017-01-04. Omega vs. Okada classic, Tanahashi vs. Naito, lots of title changes & more: complete New Japan Wrestle Kingdom 11 coverage . *Pro Wrestling Insider*. Retrieved on 2017-01-04.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 ja:【ロス2連戦の主要カード決定！】初日は、“IWGPヘビー戦”オカダvsCody！ タマ＆タンガvウォーマシン！ 2日目は“インターコンチ戦”棚橋vsビリー・ガン！ヤングバックスvsロッポンギ！ (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2017-06-13). Archived from the original on 2017-06-12. Retrieved on 2017-06-12.
10. ↑ NJPW G1 Special live results: The first IWGP US Champion is crowned . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter* (2017-07-02). Retrieved on 2017-07-02.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 IMDB profile .
12. ↑ Sopp's Mug Shot (1990) . Archived from the original on 2007-03-17. Retrieved on 2007-04-17.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Sopp's Divorce Papers . Archived from the original on 2006-12-30. Retrieved on 2007-04-17.
14. ↑ TNA Star Get Married . WrestlingEpicenter.com (2009-01-27). Retrieved on 2009-01-27.
15. ↑ Other Arena movelist .
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 Genickbruch profile .
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 6/28 WWE Velocity review: Gunn vs. Kanyon, Benoit & Rhyno .
18. ↑ 3/27 Velocity review: Mark Jindrak's Velocity debut, Hardcore Holly & Billy Gunn vs. Akio & Sakoda .
19. ↑ 3/6 Velocity review: London vs. Noble, and Billy Gunn vs. Rhyno in the main event .
20. ↑ 5/29 WWE Velocity review: Paul London & Billy Kidman vs. The FBI, Shannon Moore vs. Mark Jindrak .
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 Managers .
22. ↑ http://cagematch.de/?id=5&nr=1693
23. ↑ Kip James Bio . SLAM sports. Retrieved on 2008-07-02.
24. ↑ http://davidjlaugh.wix.com/freedomprowrestling#!results
25. ↑ Roelfsema, Eric. MCW Tag Team Championship history . Solie. Retrieved on 2008-07-02.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Awards .
27. ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 100 Tag Teams of the PWI Years . Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on 2008-09-13. Retrieved on 2009-03-10.
28. ↑ TWA Championship histories . Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved on 2010-10-11.
29. ↑ Billy Gunn's first Intercontinental Championship reign . WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-07-10.
30. ↑ WWE Hardcore Championship history . WWE. Retrieved on 2008-07-25.
31. ↑ The Smokin' Gunns' first WWF Tag Team Championship reign . WWE. Archived from the original on 2013-12-27.
32. ↑ The Smokin' Gunns' second WWF Tag Team Championship reign . WWE. Archived from the original on 2012-10-18.
33. ↑ The Smokin' Gunns' third WWF Tag Team Championship reign . WWE.
34. ↑ The New Age Outlaws' first WWF Tag Team Championship reign .
35. ↑ The New Age Outlaws' second WWF Tag Team Championship reign .
36. ↑ The New Age Outlaws' third WWF Tag Team Championship reign .
37. ↑ The New Age Outlaws' fourth WWF Tag Team Championship reign .
38. ↑ The New Age Outlaws' fifth WWF Tag Team Championship reign .
39. ↑ Billy and Chuck's first World Tag Team Championship reign . Archived from the original on 2012-10-24.
40. ↑ Billy and Chuck's second World Tag Team Championship reign . Archived from the original on 2012-10-24.
41. ↑ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". *Wrestling’s historical cards*. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 103.