18 WWE Attitude Era Midcarders That Deserve Hall Of Fame
2. The New Age Outlaws
Billy Gunn and Jesse James had no business succeeding in the Attitude Era. In fact, both were filling the roles of glorified jobbers, making television cards only to put over whoever they shared the ring with. As "Rockabilly" and "The Real Double J," they were colossal bombs. The characters were way too gimmicky for that era and they died miserable death. Thrown together for no other reason to give them something to do and save their jobs, they soon adopted the "New Age Outlaws" moniker. From there, they James became "Road Dogg" and Gunn became "Badass" and suddenly, they had an edge they never could have achieved in their previous gimmicks. After joining D-Generaion X in March 1998, they achieved their greatest success.
Already former tag champions, they became the premiere team in WWE. They were the centerpiece of a tag division growing and expanding with every passing week. Their wars with Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie were a major part of the build to WrestleMania XIV while the battles with The Nation, Steve Austin and Undertaker, and Kane and Mankind almost single-handedly elevated the credibility of the tag titles. As the era progressed, they were major players in every top angle, thanks to their relationship with Triple H. It was not uncommon to see them mix it up with the top stars in the company, either in singles or tag team competition.
They were as integral to television product as anyone else, thanks to the considerable work they put in. And they were over. One could even argue that Shawn Michaels and Triple H specifically asked to work with and around the Outlaws early in '98 because they were as over, if not more so, than them. They were definitely cooler. That is why their addition to DX was of no real surprise. The Outlaws ran their course and by mid-2000, they were a thing of the past. Some 14 years later, though, they returned to television for a brief nostalgia run, winning the tag titles one last time and reminding fans of the Attitude Era of great days gone by.