~Rodeo Dayz~
The eight-second adrenaline rush Monty Sopp
is most familiar with is a little different
than the one most WWF superstars know
Monty Sopp... former bull rider traded rodeo
for wrestling and his name for Billy Gunn
Sopp, better known as Billy Gunn, is a former
Sam Houston State University and professional
bull rider. He now gets his kicks from being a
charismatic heel. Rarely in the WWF, though,
does his heart ever pound as hard as it used
to when he would slip into the chute,
take a deep breath and hold on
'There's nothing quite like riding bulls,'
said Sopp, 'I loved those days. The people
were great, the guys were great. My hat's
off to the guys that still do it. People
don't realize the heart the guys put into it'
So, for 15 years, Sopp's heart was in bull riding.
Sopp, soon to be 37, originally from Orlando, FL,
was a four-year State Rodeo qualifier in high school.
When it came time to pick a college, he grabbed his
close friend and fellow rodeo cowboy Morris Futch
and hit the road. The two looked all over the
country for a school that would pay for their
education while letting them do what they did best
The two settled on Sam Houston State and Huntsville,
a place Sopp said he 'loves' to be. 'The people
in Huntsville are some of the most friendly people
you will ever meet. They were great to me when
I was there,' he said
Sopp rode bulls for Sam Houston in rodeos around
Texas and Oklahoma. When he wasn't riding, he was
hauling bulls to rodeos, which allowed him to
meet legendary riders like, Ty Murray of Stephenville,
Tuff Hedeman and the late Lane Frost
After his freshman year, Sopp attended Don Gay's
rodeo school in Mesquite, where Sopp returned
later to ride at the Mesquite Rodeo
It was words he heard Gay speak at that camp that
drove Sopp out of rodeo and into Pro Wrestling
'Don told me that if there is ever a day you get
on a bull and you don't get butterflies or have
a fear of the bull, then you better get off right
then because you're about to get hurt bad,'
said Sopp, who rode professionally in California
for six years after he left Sam Houston in 1985.
'That's what happened to me. I got on a bull one
day and it just happened. I knew then it was
time to move on'
Injuries also had taken their toll. In addition
to the bruises, breaks and aches that every bull
rider works with, Sopp had a serious injury after
a bull gouged him in the back after a ride. Sopp
said after taking the horn in the back, the air
vessels around his lungs began to expand and put
severe pressure on his heart. It got so bad he was
unable to breathe, checking into a hospital, he
stayed 3 months, recovering from this injury
Sopp retired from riding and returned to Florida,
where he began working at a local gym. He had never
expressed an interest in pro wrestling, but after being
coaxed into going to a school with a friend,
Sopp found a new passion in 1991
He made his way up the ranks quickly by putting
his 6-5, 275 pound frame on display each night
no matter how he felt. It's a mentality he learned
while riding bulls and still carries with him today
'I work hurt, I work sick,
'cause that's what I have to do'
'When people pay to see me,
they pay to see ALL of me'
If you have any comments or questions...
