Nowadays, seeing a professional wrestler trademark their real name, their ring name, or even their finisher is a common occurrence. It ensures they can keep what they created or continue using what they’ve become know as or for. It’s good business. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to do so. Still, on December 13, 2019 Billy Gunn trademarked Austin Gunn and other Gunns.
Kipp Sopp (Billy Gunn’s real name) was a busy man as he filed trademarks for his son’s (Austin Sopp) ring names, Austin Gunn and Son Of A Gunn. While he was there, he also filed a trademark for Gunn Club. Gunn Club is most likely he and his son’s tag team name for when they enter the ring, which is a pretty good tease. The question is will they appear in an AEW ring or elsewhere? His son. Has appeared in Ring of Honor and other promotions, so this is something all Billy Gunn fans should keep our eyes on.
What’s the big deal about trademarks?
Billy Gunn, left the WWE several years ago, but he was forced to leave his most popular name behind. Ownership of a name is a huge deal as those that know of Vince McMahon and the Ultimate Warrior’s fight over the name Warrior. The bigger the name, the bigger the monetary income it can bring in for years to come through videos, toys, video games, etc.
Trademarks are held onto until their final gasp, or until a company or individual feels they can’t make money on them anymore. A perfect example of this was WWE allowing Bash at the Beach to Lapse, and AEW swooped in and grabbed it and made it into a week long event. The WWE then scrambled to file as many trademarks as possible on other WCW content they had let go.
There are a few wrestlers so big that they’ll always be known by their ring name, and they either trademarked their names or bought them from their parent company when they wanted to leave. It’s why Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and others could keep their names when going from the WWE to WCW and back again.
Billy Gunn owns himself
A little bit back, AEW Dynamite held a Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal where Billy Gunn made his first in ring appearance on Dynamite. It was cool seeing him back in action as it’s been reported that he’s a trainer for AEW. It also had to send some hair flying in the WWE as he used his old WWE ring name.
But letting their hair fly was all the WWE could do as Billy Gunn owns his name after trademarking it in 2016 after the WWE let it lapse.
Vince McMahon has made a habit of signing any and all talent to arguably keep other promotions from growing, and it appears that may soon be the case with names. It’s only a matter of time before they lock up every event, wrestler’s name, and move that they once owned to keep AEW or others from nabbing them.
It’s a hidden part of the struggle between competing promotions, and while it makes sense, it’s pretty petty. But then do we expect anything less?
Honestly, it’s good that Billy Gunn trademarked Austin Gunng and got his name back. For those of us that enjoyed him during his DX days in WWE, this gives us a tether to the Attitude Era and the linked history is a pretty cool thing for fans.
