3 Early 2000s Tag Teams Who The WWE Briefly Brought Back

There have been several WWE runs by The New Age Outlaws
There have been several WWE runs by The New Age Outlaws

The WWE has been under the watch of Vince Kennedy McMahon for over 35 years. In turn, thousands of competitors have been featured on WWE programs like RAW, Smackdown, Superstars and Wrestling Challenge over the years.

The WWE has not only repackaged wrestlers at different times to portray entirely new characters -- Kane being one example, having also been Isaac Yankem DDS and Fake Diesel in the early 1990s -- but the company has also brought back talent for reunions and other nostalgia-oriented storylines at different points.

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Earlier this year, the WWE celebrated the 25th anniversary of RAW with a star-studded live episode. While there were a lot of cameos by former WWE Superstars, none of those appearances truly fed into new storylines.

However, prior one-off WWE television appearances from former full-time talent in recent years has turned into story arcs. That said, here are three tag teams from the early 2000s who were brought back by the WWE for more than just one match following a hiatus of at least a few years.


#1 The New Age Outlaws

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As referenced with the photo within this article's introduction, The New Age Outlaws -- as comprised of "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn and "Road Dogg" Jesse James -- have had several WWE runs. Prior to becoming one of the top merch sellers of the Attitude Era, the members of The New Age Outlaws were two fledging singles competitors. Road Dogg had been known as "The Real Double J" Jesse James, as part of a feud with Jeff Jarrett, and Billy Gunn was affiliated with The Honky Tonk Man as Rockabilly; Gunn's run as part of The Smoking Gunns was not exactly fresh on people's minds.

The Outlaws won their first WWF Tag Team Championship -- Gunn's fourth overall - in November 1997 after defeating The Legion Of Doom. The duo eventually joined up with DX, keeping them near the top of the card. Road Dogg left the company in 2001 while Gunn was released by WWE in 2004.

The two ultimately found their way to TNA, where it seemed like they had entirely burnt their bridges to WWE. The Outlaws returned to WWE for a one-off appearance as part of the 1000th episode of Raw in July 2012. Finally, in 2013, the Outlaws competed in their first televised WWE tag match in over a decade as part of an Old School Raw. Another match happened again for an Old School Raw in January 2014, and later that month, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn won the tag belts and held on for over a month. The two have returned for other on-air reunions, while Road Dogg is known to be serving as Smackdown's head writer, which leaves the door open for more Outlaws activity in the future.

#2 The Headbangers

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The duo known as The Headbangers first wrestled in the WWF as enhancement talent after runs in Smoky Mountain Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance. Mosh and Thrasher properly debuted in the WWF in November 1996 as The Flying Nuns, as briefly managed by Brother Love, before evolving into The Headbangers. Memorably, The Headbangers wore shirts that said: "real men wear skirts."

The two not only held the WWF Tag Team Championship but also the NWA World Tag Team Championship while the NWA was briefly integrated into WWF programming; Thrasher also held the WWF Hardcore Championship. The team was split up in 1998 and both of its members stuck around the company for a few more years.

After a few years within the independent circuit -- which included time spent with Juggalo Championship Wrestling and Ring Of Honor, The Headbangers were called back to WWE in 2016. Mosh and Thrasher wrestling as part of the Smackdown Tag Team Championship tournament, losing to Rhyno and Heath Slater in the first round. The Headbangers were present during Smackdown Live episodes for a few months following that return.

#3 The Spirit Squad

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The Spirit Squad is a controversial tag team among WWE loyalists. On one hand, the five-member stable generated a lot of heat, getting booed tremendously. On another end, the male cheerleader gimmick seemed dated and cartoony, and it may have generated the wrong kind of heat among fans. Notably, Dolph Ziggler -- as Nicky -- was part of The Spirit Squad, which has kept the collective as more than a footnote over the years.

After spending time within the OVW developmental system, the members of The Spirit Squad got their main roster call-up in January 2006. A long-term World Tag Team Championship run of over 200 days followed shortly after. However, the group was disbanded by the end of November 2006 with some of its members being released by the company and others repackaged.

In late 2016, a retirement angle was being teased by Ziggler as part of his feud with The Miz. As part of the taunting of Ziggler, Spirit Squad members Mikey (Mike Mondo) and Kenny (Ken Doane) were brought back for a Smackdown episode. This led to a couple of matches over the next month and change on Smackdown, including a challenge for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. After leaving WWE, Mikey and Kenny challenged The Young Bucks for the tag titles in Ring Of Honor.

Given that three of the five members of The Spirit Squad still appear to be active as wrestlers -- Doane was recruited by WWE while still in high school -- never say never on another Spirit Squad return.


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