Fans react to The Gunns winning AEW Tag Team Championships

Viewers and fans made it clear they are not happy with The Gunns defeating The Acclaimed for the tag team championships, even if it leads to something larger. 

The February 8 edition of AEW Dynamite came packed with action as they typically do. Bryan Danielson and RUSH battled as Danielson continued his chase of MJF. The champion was also in action, defeating Konosuke Takeshita. Jamie Hayter picked up a win over The Bunny, and Ricky Starks failed to pass the Jericho Appreciation Society gauntlet. Even on a night where The Elite put on a great match against AR Fox and Top Flight, the biggest talking point was the main event where The Gunns walked out as the AEW World Tag Team Champions. Fan reaction was swift, as it was clear many were not happy with this move, regardless of where it might lead.

A large swath of fans and wrestling media members reacted with collective eye rolls when Austin and Colten secured the tag titles. Even if this was a moment that was predictable, as a lot of AEW action tends to be, it was still clear that the perception of The Gunns is less than ideal.

Yes, Austin and Colten are heels that should be praised for how much the fan base despises them. But this isn’t the type of heel reaction that is of a positive nature. They instead garnered what was once termed, “X-Pac Heat,” as the reaction is more of a statement for them to just go away.

At 28 and 31 years old collectively, there’s still an opportunity they could have a long-term and successful career like their father in Billy Gunn, but for many, it was tough to see it come at this time when tag team wrestling is one of the hottest attractions in AEW.

What if this title win leads to a big return for FTR?

However, some have decided to take this moment and speculate that perhaps this is the first step in the return to one of the most beloved tag teams, FTR. The Gunns were one of the teams to defeat the multiple-time champions in December, pushing forward the story of their losing streak. The duo has since hinted at the potential that they will be stepping away from wrestling on major outlets.

What if this angle is the begging of heading in a new direction that sees them return and finally go on a triumphant run through the AEW tag division? Could this also sow the beginning seeds of a CM Punk return down the line? Austin even took to social media to drop a shot at FTR in his own way.

While the phrase “long-term booking” is often used to deflect from the less-than-stellar decisions made across professional wrestling organizations, it is clear that many love the AEW product despite the fact that The Gunns are now AEW Tag Team Champions. Perhaps this will turn into an angle or situation that fans can get behind. Even if that’s the case, the reaction to Wednesday’s main event was loud and clear.