Monty Sopp
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Monty 'Kip' Sopp is a professional wrestler best known as Billy Gunn when he competed in World Wrestling Entertainment, currently working for Total Nonstop Action wrestling under the name The Outlaw.
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Profile
- Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
- Weight: 268lbs (121.6 kg)
- Birthday: November 11, 1963
- Hometown: Austin, Texas
- Trained By: Jerry Gray
- Professional Debut: 1992
- Previous Identities: "The One" Billy Gunn, Mr. Ass, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn, Kip Winchester, Rockabilly, Billy G., The Gunnfather, Kip Soop, New Age Outlaw, "The Outlaw"
- Previous Manager(s): Rico, Sunny, Ryan Shamrock, Honky Tonk Man, Torrie Wilson
- Quotes: "...and if you ain't down with that, we got two words for ya - suck it!"
Finishing Moves
- Jumping Legdrop / Fameasser
- Diving Fameasser
- The One and Only
- Brainbuster
- Jackhammer Slam
- Gunn Slinger
Career
When Billy Gunn first arrived in World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) he teamed with his storyline brother, Bart Gunn, as the Smokin' Gunns. The Gunns would separate in late 1996. After feuding briefly with his brother, Gunn struggled to make an impact in the WWF and languished in dead-end gimmicks like "Rockabilly," the new protege of the Honky Tonk Man. When Gunn started teaming with another struggling singles wrestler, the "Road Dogg" Jesse James, to form The New Age Outlaws, however, he finally took the spotlight. The New Age Outlaws were in the spirit of the new Attitude Era: brash, vulgar, egotistical loud-mouths. Throughout late 1997 and the whole of 1998, the Outlaws would dominate the WWF Tag Team division. In the aftermath of WrestleMania XIV, the outlaws joined the Triple H-led D-Generation X. The Outlaws fitted the DX role perfectly and helped elevate the group to superstardom. After 1998, the Outlaws would separate, then reunite until early 2000 when, after suffering a serious arm injury in a match with The Dudley Boyz, Billy Gunn was kicked out of DX after "losing his cool." Sopp then took some much needed time off to tend to his arm injury before returning later in the year. He teamed with Chyna and dropped the "Mr. Ass" gimmick after losing a series of battles against the Right to Censor.
In June 1999 Billy Gunn won the King of the Ring tournament defeating Ken Shamrock, Kane & X-Pac. This was the height of Gunn's popularity.
Gunn would later join with Chuck Palumbo in an ambiguously gay duo gimmick called Billy & Chuck and would later gain a manager and "stylist" in Rico. In the late summer of 2002, Billy & Chuck became the most-talked-about duo in the WWE when Chuck proposed to Billy, asking him to be his "partner for life." They had a marriage ceremony on the 2002 season premiere of SmackDown! Just before they tied the knot, however, they revealed that the entire ordeal was a publicity stunt.
On November 1, 2004, Sopp along with A-Train and Test were released by the WWE. At the time of his release he was one of the most experienced wrestlers with the company, second only to The Undertaker and perhaps Hardcore Holly.
On February 13, 2005, Sopp debuted in TNA under the in-ring name of The New Age Outlaw (as Billy Gunn is a WWE trademark) at the Against All Odds PPV, by helping Jeff Jarrett retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Kevin Nash. His in-ring name was shortened to The Outlaw shortly thereafter, most likely because WWE had a trademark claim to The New Age Outlaws.
New_Age_Outlaws.jpg
Championships/Accomplishments
- 1-Time WWF Intercontinental Champion
- 10-Time WWF/WWE World Tag-Team Champion (with Bart Gunn 3 times, Road Dogg 5 times and Chuck Palumbo twice)
- 1-Time WWF Hardcore Champion
- 1999 WWF King of the Ring Winner
- 1-Time IWF Tag Team Champion (with Bart Gunn)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated Awards
- The 231st (of 500) best singles wrestler of the "PWI Years"
- The 43rd best tag teams of the "PWI Years" (with "The Road Dogg" Jesse James)
- 1998 Tag Team of the Year Award (with "The Road Dogg" Jesse James)
- 2002 Tag Team of the Year Award (with Chuck Palumbo)
| Preceded by: Eddie Guerrero | WWE Intercontinental Champions | Succeeded by: Chris Benoit |
External link
- TNA profile (http://www.tnawrestling.com/roster/theoutlaw/index.html)