Gillberg made a (less than) triumphant return to WWE this past Monday Night on Raw, as part of one of the greatest segments in the history of Wrestling television, "The Festival of Friendship."
You can watch it in the video at the top of the page.
Rumors were flying in the days leading up to his comeback, but most assumed he'd be getting a Spear and a Jackhammer from the man on which he based his not-so-flattering imitation, Goldberg.
Instead, we got Gillberg getting destroyed by Goldberg's FastLane opponent Kevin Owens.
But how did this all come to be? Gillberg spoke to the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast and dished all the dirt.
"It was John Kellen (who gave me the call to come back for the segment) and he said we want to bring you in and use you on Monday night. He asked if I was available and I said hell yeah, for WWE I don't care where I am, I am available. That is the truth and I've always been like that since I started up there. He said they were going to fly me into Vegas and he'll see me at the building. I didn't know what I was doing, where I was doing it but I kind of put two and two together."
For people wondering if this could lead to a full-time contract for Gillberg (aka Duane Gill), he's as in the dark as you are, but he'd sign up again in a heartbeat.
"Please tell me it is true? Dude, I am not saying it to just save my ass (but) I have heard nothing. As far as I've heard I was brought in for RAW. God, I would love to sign a contract. No problem. I love wrestling and wrestling is my life. I'll be a wrestler til the day I die and I would love to go back up. Even if it was for six months. It is a childhood dream."
And how did it feel to get his butt whipped by the Universal Champion?
"Brother it was a blast. I loved it, I was in heaven and Kevin Owens...I almost got that title though didn't I? He busted my bubble and he attacked me on that ramp and I wasn't expecting that at all.I love it to be honest with you. What you've got to remember is we get to help the younger talent and teach them what we know and it helps all the way around. I think it is great and bringing back a little bit of old with the new is what we've got to do. It is making the shows a hell of a lot more entertaining if you ask me. I was a fan of Kevin Owens. I never knew the guy but just him as a person and his work and what I see. I think he is a great piece of talent and to get to work with him I know now he is great piece of talent in the exact way I imagined him and is a super-great guy. But he will kick your ass."
The guys on the podcast asked Gill if he got to talk to Vince backstage, and he quickly let them know that's not what he calls the boss.
"I've never called him Vince and I always call him Mr. McMahon and I always have. He deserves that respect and if he is your boss you call him Mr. He wasn't there but Stephanie was, Hunter was and I got talk to them and it was great. They are awesome people. If nobody really knows them, they are great people. It was really nice how I was welcomed and it was like I wasn't even gone. Everybody there made me feel good and even the people who didn't know who I was at the beginning and than realized who I was it was all awesome."
Well, if James Ellsworth can get a full-time contract, it only seems fair for Gill (who goes way back with Ellsworth) to get one too.
You can listen to a couple excerpts from the podcast in the videos below, including an explanation on how Gillberg knows The Chinless Wonder. The entire podcast is available at this link.
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