In the early 2000s, at the tail end of the WCW invasion in WWE, wrestlers Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo were part of a storyline that saw their tag team partnership develop into a romantic relationship. The partnership was played for laughs, and it was eventually revealed that both men were merely pretending to be gay. During a recent episode of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" looking back on that era, Hardy shared his thoughts on the story, which generated significant controversy among fans at the time.
"You gotta think about that 23 years ago being quite a while back. It was much more controversial then than it would be now, obviously," Hardy said. "Billy was very hands-on and wanted to make sure they were very comfortable with everything they were doing, I do know that. And I think [WWE officials] had explained to them kind of how they thought this bit was going to play out, so they both felt okay doing it."
Hardy noted that Gunn and Palumbo trusted the creative team and both fully committed themselves to the characters and storyline. As a result, Hardy felt that the story was a success, and it had the added benefit of helping Palumbo acclimate to WWE by pairing him with an industry veteran. Another character involved in the saga was Rico, who served as the tag team's stylist and valet, and Hardy complimented the performer for his enthusiasm.
The storyline came to a close with a life partnership ceremony during an episode of "WWE SmackDown," which featured the big reveal that their relationship was a sham. Gunn and Palumbo remained a tag team for a while longer until an injury led to Gunn taking time away from the company.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
