On Tuesday night’s edition of AEW DARK, 35-year veteran Billy Gunn joined a rather small group of fathers in pro wrestling history to share the ring with two sons at the same in a match, when he led The Gunn Club – his two sons Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn – to victory over the trio of Bshp King, Joey O’Riley and Sean Maluta. While there have been dozens and dozens of influential fathers who have sired many great wrestlers, many of them never had the chance to compete in the ring with more than one son at a time – names like Stu Hart and Gory Guerrero had practically retired in-ring by the time most of their sons became active steady workers. For them and others, they may have competed in multiple matches with multiple offspring, they were regular tag matches, featuring the father and one of his sons. Not many fathers have had the opportunity to tag with more than one son at the same time. With that in mind, here’s a look at the notable men that Billy Gunn and the Gunn Club now shares the distinction of competing in a trio with two of his children.
A father wrestling alongside not one, but TWO of his sons!
Has this ever been done before in professional wrestling?! 🧐
I could only imagine the immense joy that @RealBillyGunn had wrestling alongside both @theaustingunn & @coltengunn tonight! #AEWDark #GunnClub 💥💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/NlKemebXaB
— “𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕗𝕥” 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐅. ✨ (@BrianFPro) November 18, 2020
“Bullet” Bob Armstrong
Steve, “Bullet” Bob and Scott Armstrong in Smokey Mountain Wrestling
“Bullet” Bob Armstrong was a staple of Southern wrestling from 1960 until his tragic passing earlier this year, and all four of his sons made it in professional wrestling. Brad Armstrong debuted in 1980, Steve and Scott Armstrong in 1983, and Brian Armstrong in 1985 (Brian would later become better known as “Road Dogg” Jesse James in WWE). Bob began tagging with Brad in 1981 and his other sons throughout their careers. In 1993, in Smokey Mountain Wrestling (SMW), he would team up with Scott and Steve in a feud against Jim Cornette and his Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Rey & Tom Prichard). Even into the 2000s, he still teamed with his sons in 6-man matches, more often with Brad and Scott.
Dory Funk Sr.
Terry, Dory Jr. and Dory Sr, the Funk family
Everyone knows of the infamous Funk brothers, former NWA World’s Heavyweight Champions Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. Their father, Dory Funk Sr., was no slouch either, competing as a top star in the NWA from the 1940s through 1970s in the Texas and Southern territories. From 1955 through the late 1970s, the Funks operated NWA Western States in Amarillo, Texas, and on several occasions in the early 1970s, all three members of the Funk family would band together in the ring, before Dory Sr. retired in 1973.
Fritz Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich, like Armstrong, had a lot of boys and they all ended up in the wrestling business. Much like Armstrong, he routinely used his family like a gang, but Fritz had far more ammunition to use. In Von Erich’s Texas promotion, World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), they popularized the 6-man tag team scene and in 1984, Fritz and his sons Kevin and Mike won the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Championships in a bloody feud against The Fabulous Freebirds. He began teaming with his sons in 1977, with David and Kevin, and continued teaming with them until his retirement in the 1980s.
Carlos Colón
One of the all-time icons of Puerto Rico wrestling and long-time promoter for Puerto Rico’s World Wrestling Council (WWC) was not only a 26x WWC World Champion who fought all the greats from the 1960s through the 2000s, he has two sons who are professional wrestlers. Carly Colón is best known by WWE fans as Carlito, while his other son, Eddie Colón competed for decades in WWE as Primo Colon. Carlos has been competing alongside both of his sons in Puerto Rico since the early 2000s in WWC, long before either son headed to the WWE Universe.
El Felino
Lucha legend El Felino comes from a huge wrestling family in Mexico – his father is Pepe Casas and his brothers are Negro Casas and Heavy Metal. Both of Felino’s sons also entered the family business, with Tiger Kid (now just Tiger) and Puma King both debuting in 2006. Puma King was becoming a standout star in the US indies until the Covid pandemic hit. In 2008, El Felino began to work in 6-man tag matches in Mexico with his two sons, and by 2011, they were part of the faction La Dinastia Casas in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), alongside Negro Casas, a faction that still operates in CMLL to this day.
Ricky Knight
Roy, Ricky and Zak Knight (Photo: Nick Butcher)
While the most famous member of Norfolk, England’s Knight family is WWE Superstar Paige, her family life has become very public thanks to the 2019 film Wrestling With My Family about Paige’s road to the WWE. Her father Ricky Knight (alongside her mom, Saraya Knight) have been running World Association of Wrestling (WAW) in the UK scene since 1994, and naturally, all of the Knight sons (and daughter) entered the business – Paige and her brothers Zak Knight and Roy Knight. Even grandchildren Rickey Knight Jr and PJ Knight are now wrestling. Both Ricky and Saraya have both worked in the ring with every one of their children and grandchildren, as tag team partners and opponents, but Ricky has shared the ring with two of them, in frequent 6-man pairings with Zak and Roy (who team as the UK Hooligans).
La Bestia Del Ring
Dragon Lee, Bestia del Ring and Rush
La Bestia Del Ring has had a long and colorful career in his native Mexico since he debuted in 1994, competing as Toro Blanco, Poder Boricua, and Pierroth (as the latter, he was a co-founder of Los Ingobernables in 2016). Two of his sons are making huge waves in the world of pro wrestling, beyond what they did with their father in CMLL – Rush is now a 2x (and current) Ring of Honor World Champion, while Dragon Lee has become a superstar with New Japan Pro Wrestling as well as ROH. While La Bestia had partnered with both sons before throughout both their careers, it wasn’t until 2019 that the trio of the father and his two sons combined, at CMLL Lunes Arena Puebla show in the summer. Since then, they’ve joined up more frequently (now that they’ve all left CMLL).
Blackjack Mulligan
Barry Windham, Kendall Windham and Blackjack Mulligan in Florida
Blackjack Mulligan may be best known as the partner of Blackjack Lanza, but he also briefly teamed up with his two sons – Barry Windham and Kendall Windham – in 1985 and 1986 in a family feud against Kevin Sullivan‘s gang in Championship Wrestling From Florida.
LA Park
There’s another Mexican legend that’s still competing and performing in 6-man action with his sons – and that’s WCW’s former “Chairman” LA Park. The former La Parka has never been bigger than he is now nearly 40 years into his career, and he’s doing it alongside his two sons, LA Park Jr. and El Hijo del Park. The familial trio, Los Parks, have became a major force on MLW.
Angelo Poffo
Angelo Poffo was an old school tough guy grappler who wrestled from the late 1940s into the early 1990s, but his sons are more well known than his own exploits now. His youngest son became “The Genius” (or “Leaping”) Lanny Poffo, was his oldest son is none other than legendary “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Poffo was a proud family man and he liked to keep his family close in the wrestling business, especially in his own International Championship Wrestling in Tennessee in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the mid-70s, Angelo and his two sons fought together in 6-man matches as The Poffos (Randy’s last name was Poffo, not Savage yet), an act that carried on through IWC and later Jerry Lawler‘s Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) in the mid-’80s until Savage left for the WWF.
Blue Panther
Black Panther, Blue Panther and Blue Panther Jr. (Photo: CMLL)
As you can see, it’s not uncommon in Mexico for families to work together often, and Blue Panther is another lucha legend who has competed in 6-man tag matches in Mexico alongside his sons. His two sons compete as Black Panther and Blue Panther Jr., and together the family makes up Los Divinos Laguneros and have been competing in CMLL since 2014 together.
Buddy Fuller
Robert Fuller, Buddy Fuller and Ron Fuller
Buddy Fuller was another Southern wrestling star from the 1950s through the 1980s, and two of his sons also got into the business, with Robert Fuller joining in 1970 (best known as Col. Parker in WCW and MLW) and Ron Fuller (Tennessee Stud) in 1972. The sons operated Southeastern Championship Wrestling (SECW) in the 1970s and 1980s, and Buddy frequently tagged with both his sons and on several occasions they teamed as a trio against the likes of the Garvin Brothers (Jimmy, Ron & Terry), Norvell Austin and Jimmy Golden.
Kevin Von Erich
Marshall, Ross and Kevin Von Erich in Israel (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The first second-generation tandem of a father and two sons goes to the rich Von Erich family. After pairing with his father and brother several times during his illustrious career in the 1970s and 1980s, Kevin Von Erich followed in his old man’s footsteps in his first (and last) match since he retired in the mid-90s. In 2017, at an international showcase in Tel Aviv, Israel, Kevin Von Erich teamed up with his two sons, The Von Erichs (Marshall & Ross Von Erich) in a 6-man tag match. Since then, Kevin has joined his sons in Major League Wrestling (MLW), but he’s returned to the sidelines as his son’s manager nowadays.
Afa Anoi’a
One of the heads of the legendary Samoan Dynasty (or Anoi’a Family), Afa has competed alongside many of his family brethren in some form or another, most famously alongside his brother Sika in the Wild Samoans. In the mid-80s, he wrestled with his oldest son Samu frequently and later helped guide Samu and his nephew Fatu (Rikishi) in the Headshrinkers on several 6-man occasions. But it wasn’t until a very special night in 2014 that Afa managed an amazing feat – he took part in a 10-man tag match with his home promotion, World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW), alongside his three sons – Samu, Afa Jr. (formerly Manu in WWE), and LA Smooth – as well as his grandson, Lance Anoi’a.
Gran Apache
Faby Apache, Gran Apache, and Mary Apache
Gran Apache has one distinction from all of them. The Mexican legend not only paired up with his two daughters – Faby Apache and Mary Apache – in AAA Lucha Libre (winning the AAA World Mixed Tag Team titles once with each of them), he joined up as a trio and together they all won the AAA World Trios Championship in 2017, becoming the only father to compete with two daughters.
Jacques Rougeau Sr.
Raymond, Armand, Jacques Sr, and Jacques Jr
Montreal’s Jacques Rougeau Sr was a Canadian star from the 1950s through the 1980s, a dominant force in the strong Montreal territory his entire career, and an early gaijin star in NJPW in the mid-1970s. All three of his sons become pro wrestlers, Armand, Raymond, and Jacques Jr. Raymond and Jacques Jr found success in the mid-80s with WWF as the Rougeau Brothers, while Jacques Jr would continue as The Mountie and then win WWF Tag Team gold in The Quebecers. While Jacques Sr would team with Raymond in New Japan in 1975, it wouldn’t be until the end of his career that he would finally unite with all three brothers in the ring – including his last match in 1986 at a WWF Live Event in Montreal alongside Jacques Jr & Raymond.
Haku
Haku, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga in NJPW
One of pro wrestling’s toughest men in history has watched his sons Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa – collectively known as the Guerrillas of Destiny – rise to become superstars with Bullet Club in NJPW and become 6x IWGP Tag Team Champions. But Haku isn’t letting them have all the fun – he’s joined them both several times in 6-man and multi-man matches since 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3nMSKxPGos
Dusty Rhodes
Cody Rhodes, Dusty Rhodes and Goldust (Photo: WWE)
Unfortunately, the Gunns aren’t even the first members of AEW to achieve this accomplishment either. You’d have to talk to Cody and Dustin Rhodes about that accolade. In 2007, their legendary father “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes retired from the ring, following a match against Randy Orton at the WWE Great American Bash. Sadly, just as Dusty was ending his career, his youngest son, Cody, was beginning his, having joined WWE’s developmental in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in 2006. But in 2010, Dusty came out of retirement for “one more match”, this time at WWE’s then-current developmental (and pre-cursor to NXT), Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). In the main event on July night, Dusty teamed with Cody and Goldust in a match against Caylen Croft, Curt Hawkins and (current AEW star) Trent Beretta.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCCTEPkdqxs
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