The 3rd best member of DX

[S.J. Maximus]

When talking about the hierarchy of DX, we only usually ask who was the better leader in Triple H or Shawn Michaels, but I've never seen anyone ask who was next.

So let me be the first, who is the 3rd best member of Degeneration X? Who had the most 'spirit'? who was the most over behind HBK & HHH?

If spirit is the determining factor, then I say Road Dogg would be the 3rd best because he promos before each match were all about what DX was all about, sophomoric jokes and catchy trash talk. However, my vote in the poll goes to Chyna, who in my opinion was the most over behind HBK & HHH and was really an important factor in their first run (that started with Rick Rude as well) and continued to be a big factor until backstage politics split her up from HHH.

 

[TBT]

I also gave my vote to Chyna because if it was not for the success of the original trio, the rest of the group would have never existed. Rick Rude was not around for the long haul therefore did not factor in as much as Chyna.

 

[DX Mols]

Great poll to whoever created it.

X-Pac was never able to carry the group and could not be considered the #3. Chyna rarely got any mic time, so she's out. Billy Gunn was always solid in the ring, but not as much on the mic.

I voted for Road Dogg as his mic time was second to Hunter's and he still throws out the DX chops today.

PS - Thank you for not including Hornswoggle on this list because that shit was just plain embarassing to the DX legacy.

 

[CM Steel]

You forgot Iron Mike Tyson but somehow you included Rick Rude on your poll even though he never wrestled in DX either. But if I had to give my vote it would have to go to Bad Ass Billy Gunn. Post- his stint with DX he won that years King of the Ring torney in '99 by pinning X-Pac. And he won the WWE IC title at one point.

So the one Billy Gunn would have to be my answer.

 

[Kidpolean]

Chyna only because the original 3 was way better than the dx post wm14

 

[RD_21]

I may catch some hate or weird look, but for me Shawn Michaels isn't even part of my DX stable. When I think of DX I'm thinking of HHH, X-Pac, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn and Chyna, those 5 for me were DX.

Of course this probably has to do with me not catching a lot of HBK run in DX back in the day.

As for my favorite 3rd member or second in my case, it's really hard. I don't think I can pick. Of course Road Dogg was ahead of Billy Gunn for me, but I loved them both too. I also loved X-Pac back then and Chyna too, so I can't really vote.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

I voted Road Dogg. He got the fans riled up pretty good with his promo work and to this day everybody does the NAO intro along with him.

Plus he was always good in the ring, Granted I think Billy Gunn is a better wrestler than him but if were going by who could have lead the group out of the rest it'd be Road Dogg cause he has the best mic skills out of the choices.

 

[TheHorndogSays]

Road Dogg hands down. I must admit I was surprised once I voted to see it was even across all of them as I figured it would have been the D-O-double G by a landslide. When you think of DX you think of 3 phrases, "suck it", "are you ready?", and "oh you didn't know?" His mic work was a VERY good compliment to HHH. I just honestly can't think of any real "commitment" that X-Pac, Billy Gunn, or Rude made to the group. Don't get me wrong I am a huge fan of all 3 of those men but when all is said and done they will be known more by other things than what they added to DX. As far as Chyna goes, she was nothing more than a punching bag for the boys to play with basically however I feel she was a big factor in helping them make the transition from heel to face. I was in Richmond the night she officially made her in-ring debut with DX and the pop she got from the crowd was DEAFENING. However I think Road Dogg helped the group out more long-term so he gets my vote.

 

[KingOfKings249]

In order of importance to DX after HHH & HBK:
1) X-Pac: like nWo, DX is a group based off the Kliq, so when one member (Shawn) had to leave, he got replaced by another Kliq member. X-Pac if any was the most loyal memember as he sported the DX colors up until early 2001 when the group by spilt for a while.
2) Road Dogg: Besides the information of the Kliq, the same can be said about Road Dogg that was said about X-Pac.
3) Billy Gunn: He was the first person to leave after HHH (post WM 15) and got kicked out of DX in early 2000 and hasn't been fully affliated with the group until last year's RAW 1000th episode
4) Chyna: Behind Rude at this point, she's the least relevant member of DX but definetly played a huge role as 'The First Lady Of DX'
5) Rick Rude: He was simply the enforcer of the group. I never understood why he never wrestled atleast once with them but would engage in brawls

While I'd put X-Pac over Road Dogg, you can really say it's a tie between those two.

 

[Dirk]

I'd give it to Chyna (the vote, that is), because she was a trailblazer. Sort of. Her legacy isn't as big as Mulah's, but she WAS the first woman to win the IC title and to participate in the RR and KOTR.

 

[crippler]

I think it was The new aged Outlaws as a team together they were more important to DX than X-pac Rick Rude might have been higher had he stayed longer and worked with DX for some of the big feuds they had with guys like Austin and the Rock's Nation of Domination

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

I've got to go with Road Dogg. Charisma, mic skills, sweet dance moves/mannerisms. Sure, X-Pac was more athletic and Billy Gunn is probably a better wrestler, but Road Dogg embodied DX so well. I've liked Road Dogg since I first saw him as the Roadie.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

I voted Road Dogg, but to be honest I would have voted for New Age Outlaws, if that was an option. Road Dogg had the mike and would get the crowd jumping, but alone in the ring, he wasn't spectacular and the same goes for Gunn. NAO wasn't a great team in terms of in-ring work, but they had the fan support, and loudest pops compared to any one else. Together they were great for DX, separately they would be nothing memorable.

Chyna was a big muscular chick who did crotch chops at first then wrestled in the ring, but she couldn't talk, and really didn't live up the hype surrounding her. When she got her chance to be a solo performer she didn't deliver. Putting the IC title on her or having her join the RR was just a waste of time and waste of a spot.

Rude was there briefly but did have a very interesting moment as he left Raw and appeared on Nitro the next or same night. Not worth considering when it came to legacy in the group.

Xpac. Let's be clear, he is fast, he was part of two very successful factions, but imo, he wasn't anything that made DX or NWO or broke either faction when he left. Aside from his speed, he was ok in the ring, he was lousy on the mike, he wasn't as great, imo, as people want to make him out to be. He was as expendable a part of the team as any one can get. And people never really got behind him in a meaningful way.

 

[The Butcher]

It's he, it's he, it's that D-O double G!

He was more fun than X-Pac and Chyna combined. Billy was great, but lacked Jesse's charisma. Plus it was the Road Dogg who got the New Age Outlaws together in the first place, so a bonus point for that. Hell, he honestly gives Triple H a run for the 2nd best member in DX spot, in my book.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Definitely Road Dogg.

Jesse James was DX before he even became an official member of the group. Around the same time the group was formed and before he even teamed with Billy, he was carrying around the same attitude they did. His mannerisms were controversial and antisocial, he talked trash and cracked sophomoric jokes, I still remember that sleeveless Cartman shirt he would always wear. Around in January and February, him and Billy even though they weren't members of the group yet were always helping Hunter and Shawn out in 8 man tag matches or to take somebody out, and HHH & Shawn endorsed NAO after they dumped Cactus & Funk off the stage in a dumpster.

Road Dogg fits the gimmick perfectly, and he is definitely way more entertaining and charismatic than Billy, Chyna, and Pac. And like Dr. he also gives Triple H a run for 2nd best member in my book. There have been times where Dogg entertained me more than HHH and the rest of the group.

 

[justtxyank]

5) Rick Rude: He was simply the enforcer of the group. I never understood why he never wrestled atleast once with them but would engage in brawls

He didn't wrestle with them because if he HAD wrestled he would have lost a ton of money from his insurance policy that was paying him because of his back injury.

I give my vote to X-Pac. X-Pac was super over during the hey day of DX, contesting the Euro title with Shane McMahon. When HHH turned heel and betrayed DX, it as X-Pac that challenged him for a title shot.

When I think of the most important DX Feuds I think:

1)Austin-HBK-Tyson
2) DX vs Nation which includes HHH vs The Rock
3) X-Pac vs Kane
4) X-Pac vs Shane McMahon
5) New Age Outlaws vs anyone

To me it has to be X-Pac as he was clearly the 3rd most important member.

 

[JASONIGHTMARE]

X-Pac: like nWo, DPX is a group based off the Kliq, so when one member (Shawn) had to leave, he got replaced by another Kliq member. X-Pac if any was the most loyal memember as he sported the DX colors up until early 2001 when the group by spilt for a while. Deep Penetration X

 

[Nadeem Ahmad]

I voted for Chyna, as without her presence, or even appearance, the group would have most likely faded into the rest of the crowds, in terms of history. I'm not saying they wouldn't have been successful, but she gave the hope that this type of stable could be based on reality, where you would have different types of people involved. Being a woman, she did many things that nobody expected her to do, like exert power on men, and even being a bodyguard for the guys. Who else in any other organized wrestling faction could make that claim?

Edit: Also, think about the several instances and times at which she had to save the guys from losing matches, by interfering for them, and when she would help them win too. Yeah it was cheating, but still, storyline wise, she was like the "M.V.P." of DX.

 

[Wald]

I voted Road Dogg as I feel that without him the New Age Outlaws would never have taken off and without the New Age Outlaws there wouldn't have been a super-over face DX.

The reactions they got pretty much turned DX face after Triple H retooled the group and at the time Hunter wasn't ready to compete as a top line heel.

 

[Judah's Lion]

Definitely Road Dogg.

Jesse James was DX before he even became an official member of the group. Around the same time the group was formed and before he even teamed with Billy, he was carrying around the same attitude they did. His mannerisms were controversial and antisocial, he talked trash and cracked sophomoric jokes, I still remember that sleeveless Cartman shirt he would always wear. Around in January and February, him and Billy even though they weren't members of the group yet were always helping Hunter and Shawn out in 8 man tag matches or to take somebody out, and HHH & Shawn endorsed NAO after they dumped Cactus & Funk off the stage in a dumpster.

Road Dogg fits the gimmick perfectly, and he is definitely way more entertaining and charismatic than Billy, Chyna, and Pac. And like Dr. he also gives Triple H a run for 2nd best member in my book. There have been times where Dogg entertained me more than HHH and the rest of the group.

this is almost exactly how i feel. not totally sure he gives Triple H a run for number 2, but it's also not out of the realm of possibility, so i guess that does speak for itself.

ultimately, my vote definitely goes to Road Dogg. as i often do when replying to threads, i go with my gut instinct. in this case, my mind instantly went to Road Dogg from just reading the thread title. so that's good enough for my vote.

i guess you could make an argument for any of the others. some of those arguments might be better than others. Chyna was definitely a trailblazer for women. first woman in the Rumble, King of the Ring and IC champion. X-Pac was very over. i get that Billy Gunn was also over and won the IC title after DX was over. but let's not forget that Road Dogg was also the IC champ going into Wrestlemania.

 

[HBsam31]

I might be in the minority here. but I would say Chyna by a good bit. She was helping HBK keep the WWF title around his waist before the Outlaws and Xpac were even thought of. She was a trailblazer for the women sure, but she assisted in winning for HBK and HHH enough that I think she was a pretty significant member of the group just for that. She didn't even need to talk. When she went out on her own she was quite over with the fans as well. She won the Women's and IC title. Most of all she was what kept HBK and HHH focused. She was the complete opposite of the other two, and was always there to take care of it if they were in trouble. This to me easily makes her the 3rd best member of DX.

 

[tvcolosi]

This is a tough one because in actuallity other than a brief time in 1999 after Mania 15 DX never had 3 in ring workers. Chyna did not compete in a match until after X-pac and the NAO had joined the group.

Taking that factor out of the equasion, I think it would be Billy Gunn. He had the look, charisma, and enough in ring talent. He wasn't going to have a 5 star match but I do not think he was bad by any means. I have the oppisite opinion than most on HHH. People put him down for "holding down young guys". This is one that I feel was a mistake to hold down. Most of the other guys linked to HHH's power, got over, and became World Champs (Jericho, Benoit, Kane, RVD, Booker T.) Billy was in his mid to late 30's in the 99,00,01, when he was at his best. Also as we know now, he had a pretty bad drug problem. Thats part of the reason I am glad the Outlaws are having a few matches, if you saw Billys RF Video shoot, or the NAO first shoot, he has nothing nice to say about HHH.

On a side note, besides his goofy hair, Doesn't Billy looks in great shape for being 50 years old?

 

[dman1373]

This is a tough one because in actuallity other than a brief time in 1999 after Mania 15 DX never had 3 in ring workers. Chyna did not compete in a match until after X-pac and the NAO had joined the group.

you understand xpac and the nao joined dx in 1998, and it was the night after mania 14. And also that small amount of time you speak of was the longest run dx ever had.

 

[PRMETFAN]

DX pretty much sucked,they were the most immature and childish stable ever. Its sad that all the 7-15 year olds that watched it back then today think that they were a great stable. Anything on WCW was better than DX even Steiner and Buff Bagwell were better heck even yellow NWO vs Lavander NWO was better. I bet a mod who was 7yrs during Dx's time censor this post because he doesn't like an "opinion". I'm not trolling i am just stating my opinion isn't that what forum post's are for?

 

[tvcolosi]

you understand xpac and the nao joined dx in 1998, and it was the night after mania 14. And also that small amount of time you speak of was the longest run dx ever had.

What i meant was, they never had exactly 3 members(2, then 4, and 5), never exactly 3. My bad, i should have made that clearer. Mania 15 HHH and Chyna turned heel, leaving Pac, Billy and Road Dogg.