Former WWE stars frustrated after losing on AEW debut, blame Billy Gunn

A former WWE tag team recently competed in their debut match for AEW on last night's Collision. However, they came up short and put all the blame on Billy Gunn for their loss.

The tag team is none other than Zack Gibson and James Drake, the Grizzled Young Veterans. The duo recently put out a challenge to The Acclaimed on social media and claimed that they were an embarrassment to the tag team division. The match was shortly made official and GYV competed in a tag team match against The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens), who were accompanied by Billy Gunn on the most recent edition of Collision. However, it seemed like GYV was distracted by Billy Gunn ringside, which allowed The Acclaimed to pick up the victory.

In an exclusive interview with AEW backstage on Twitter/X, The Grizzled Young Veterans expressed their frustration after losing their debut match for the company. Zack Gibson stated that Billy Gunn was the only reason behind their loss.

"We are Grizzled Young Veterans. Any man and their dog that was watching that match knows that the better team lost and the only reason, the only single solitary reason why we lost tonight is because of Billy Gunn. A man that wasn't even supposed to be out there. We have conquered all of Europe and we are never gonna stop." [00:08-00:29]

James Drake continued with a warning for the whole AEW roster, stating that the Grizzled Young Veterans are here to stay:

"So, The Acclaimed, Billy Gunn, in fact, the whole AEW roster, this isn't the last time you're gonna see the GYV. So remember this, when you see us coming, 'Grit Your Teeth!'" [00:30-00:54]

Former WWE stars Zack Gibson and James Drake set to launch a new wrestling promotion

The inaugural WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champions Zack Gibson and James Drake, of the Grizzled Young Veterans, are set to kickstart a new wrestling promotion later this year. The duo have been on a successful run ever since their release from the WWE.

Zack Gibson recently announced that the new promotion will be named Burning Heart Pro Wrestling and the first show will debut on June 21, 2024 from Liverpool Olympia.

“It is my pleasure to announce that the first show will take place in my hometown on the 21st of June at the Liverpool Olympia, a venue rich in history that has seen its fair share of blood, sweat, and tears in a city with unrivaled heart. What better place for a company called Burning Heart to show the world exactly what they are about - pro wrestling from the heart. This is the first time we've been back in Liverpool in over five years, so you know that we're bringing our best, and you know that we're coming for a fight.” [H/T - WrestlingNewsCo]

The Grizzled Young Veterans had a strong showing against The Acclaimed on this week's AEW Collision. It will be interesting to see if Tony Khan offers a contract to the former WWE stars.