New Age Outlaws - how good as a team were they?

I LOVED the NAO....hated them at first for p*ssing on Hawk & Animal but I soon started to get into them....they were destined for big things and were over as edgy heels straight away due to some clever booking.

Their feud with the Road Warriors and "loose association" with DX was great stuff. It gave them the feel of players within the heel ranks. The feud with Cactus & Funk was another great rub.....

It was HBKs idea for them to join DX. He wanted them in the faction in January of 1998 & lobbied Vince again in February when He was hurting. Vince agreed that they should definitely join because they were a natural fit but they needed to wait until the Tyson angle played out because he was already going to join DX...too many cooks etc.

Vince was 100% correct on this call. The NAO & Waltman joining DX the night after WM14 gave the faction a vital boost as well as one of the best mic men in the company in Jesse James. They were the main reasons the planned face turn for DX had to be moved up.

In terms of their in ring talent? Gunn obviously carried them in that respect & James was the mouthpiece...they complimented one another perfectly. Yeah the tag ranks were weak as p*ss in 1998. Mankind/Kane & Bossman/Shamrock were really their major feuds for the straps.

Man when Gunn split from DX shortly after HHH? it really left the RD in limbo....but when they got back together after Summerlsam 99 and Gunns failed push? they were over as hell again....until they turned heel to join HHH in the new heel DX.

This time? the tag scene was different....APA, Rock N Sock, Hardys, E&C, Dudleys and others were on the rise....and by the time the Dudleys beat them? They were done.....

One of the most popular acts Vince fell ass backwards into.... EVER.