New Age Outlaws
From Freepedia
The New Age Outlaws were a hugely popular and successful tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE). They were famed for their trash-talking, loud-mouthed, vulgar, and violent ways. Their entrance involved Jesse James shouting over the microphone, "Oh You Didn't Know? Your ass better call somebody!"
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History
The Outlaws were formed when struggling superstars Billy Gunn and Road Dogg Jesse James teamed-up in late 1997. The Outlaws made an immediate impact in their feud with the legendary Legion of Doom. Throughout 1998 the Outlaws would rise in popularity. In the aftermath of WrestleMania XIV the Outlaws joined the HHH-led D-Generation X. The Outlaws switched from heels to babyfaces, and feuded with many different tag teams over the course of 1998; their immense popularity was part of what helped the WWF challenge WCW for ratings supremacy. In late 1998 Vince McMahon's Corporation tried to tempt the Outlaws away from DX and failed.
Break Up
As 1999 started, the Outlaws slowly began to fade away. Road Dogg began to move towards the Hardcore Title while Billy Gunn began to challenge for the Intercontinental Championship. As 1999 continued Gunn won the 1999 King of the Ring tournament and eventually turned heel.
During the Fall of 1999 the Outlaws reunited, first as babyfaces, but then as heels when they rejoined the reformed DX.
Early 2000 saw the final end of the Outlaws when Billy Gunn received a serious arm injury during a match with The Dudley Boyz. Gunn exited DX after "losing his cool" and getting into a fight with all DX members.
Road Dogg would then team with fellow DX member X-Pac however this new team was far from what fans had experienced under the Outlaws.
This marked the end of a tag team that had embodied the "Attitude" era of the WWF. They would tag one last time along with Triple H and Chyna on a November edition of Raw Is War in a one-off DX reunion to take on the Radicalz. After this both Gunn and Road Dogg went their separate ways, Gunn would eventually drop his "Mr. Ass" gimmick and Road Dogg would team with new WWF superstar K-Kwik.
Road Dogg was released from his WWF contract in late 2000.
Billy Gunn was released from his WWF/WWE contract in 2004 after 10 years with the company.
Both men now wrestle for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. There has been speculation as for the two to reunite under the names of BG James and Kip James, respectively, as BG James' faction, the 3Live Kru, has been feuding with Monty Brown and Kip James, with BG being the swing member. At TNA No Surrender, there was a tease of the reuniting, with the crowd chanting "New Age Outlaws", but BG James remained with the 3LK.
Championships/Accomplishments
- 5-Time WWF World Tag Team Champions
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked them # 43 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- Won the 1998 PWI Tag Team of the Year Award.
Introduction
The New Age Outlaws are perhaps best-known for their vocal introduction before each match. The "champions of the world" and "New Age Outlaws" phrases would be dragged out for effect. The words varied depending on the title status of the wrestlers; a monologue during a tag-team championship run would be as such:
Road Dogg: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages. D-Generation X, proudly brings to you, its World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions of the World! The Road Dogg Jesse James! The Bad Ass Billy Gunn! The New! Age! Outlaws!
Billy Gunn: And, of course, if you're not down with that, we got two words for ya—SUCK IT!
This intro became a trademark, and often times the crowd would chant along the entire bit. One time at a house show, the entire "script" was written out on fan signs and was held by over 100 people.
