The Gunns (Austin and Colten Gunn) are shining bright, but they’re not the only second-generation wrestlers who are thriving. As it turns out, they keep in touch with Dominik Mysterio, another legacy competitor who is having a remarkable run.
Austin and Colten have broken out on their own over the past few months, and they reached a new level when they beat The Acclaimed to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the February 8 episode of AEW Dynamite. They later retained the titles in a four-way match at AEW Revolution. As for Dominik, he has been one of the top heels on RAW since he betrayed his father, Rey Mysterio, and joined The Judgment Day.
Speaking on The Wrestling Perspective Podcast, The Gunns were asked whether they keep in contact with other second-generation wrestlers who have been in their position. Austin described how he keeps in contact with WWE star Dominik Mysterio, and he also named other legacy wrestlers who are on the AEW roster, like Brock Anderson. He noted that they support each other, and it’s cool to see the way they’re approaching their careers.
“I keep in contact with Dominik Mysterio,” Austin said. “I keep in contact with a lot of second generation from our own company, [like] Brock Anderson. You don’t ask them for advice, you don’t ask them, ‘Hey, I know you’ve been here before.’ It’s honestly like you just step back and see each one kind of growing into their own.
” I mean, Dominik Mysterio is on fire right now, and it’s cool to step back and see how he’s approaching his wrestling career and how we’re approaching our wrestling career, how Brock Anderson is approaching his career. It’s just it’s honestly cool. We always support each other. I check in sometimes with Dominik, I check in with Brock, but it’s never asking advice. It’s honestly like, ‘Hey, I’m in your corner,’ kind of thing. Keep on doing your thing.”
Colten explained that they’re all trying to find their own way, and they can understand the challenge of trying to make it in wrestling while dealing with the shadow of a legendary father.
“We’re all trying to find our own way, so I don’t know if you ask for support, but definitely, like Austin said, just being in the corner and being like, ‘I know what you’re going through’ because they’re the only other people that know,” Colten said. “So yeah, it’s more like, ‘I know what you’re doing. I see you, proud of how you’re handling the situation,’ not like, ‘Hey, what would you do if you were’ — you know?”
When asked whether they want to be like their father as wrestlers, both Austin and Colten noted that they’re naturally going to be like him, but they’re also distinct individuals, and they are determined to lean into what makes them unique.
“My dad is one of the greatest tag team wrestlers of all time,” Colten said. “He’s an 11-time tag champion. So, and we’re his sons, and so obviously we’re going to get a little bit from him. But we can’t try to be something we’re not and be exactly him. We each have our own features and we each do certain things well, so we have to dive into those.
“So me saying, ‘okay, I’m gonna start wrestling. I’m going to do exactly what my dad did.’ It’s not going to work. The fans are going to see right through that and be like, ‘Well, he’s just trying to be a carbon copy.’ But in terms of picking up psychology or things like that that did work that my dad did, we’ll pick up on that. But as far as trying to be exactly that, no. If that makes sense.”
“I think it’s hard for me to not act like him because me and him have the same personality,” Austin said. “So, my movements in the ring, my personality in the ring, it’s just me being me. It just so happens I get it from my dad. So, Colten, that was a great answer. I support that and second that. It’d be hard for me not to act like myself instead of trying to copy Billy.”
The Gunns will defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship against Top Flight on the March 22 episode of AEW Dynamite. Check out the card here.
Dominik Mysterio remains featured as a member of The Judgment Day on WWE TV, and he continues to feud with his father. The young Mysterio is set to appear on the March 24 episode of WWE SmackDown, where he has said that he will ask his mom for permission for Rey to face him.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit the original source and link back to WrestleZone with an H/T for the transcription.
