The Filthy Animals were a
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
faction in
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
from 1999 until 2001.
Concept
The plan for the stable was to be WCW's version of the
World Wrestling Federation's
D-Generation X
D-Generation X (DX), is an American professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable, and later a tag team, who consisted of various members mostly Generation X wrestlers, most notably Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Ch ...
.
[Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 190.] Instead of being strictly villains (
''heels'') or heroes (
''faces''), they were in between (
''tweeners'').
[ They pulled pranks and hijinks on both villains and fan favorites alike. They would steal wallets and mock older wrestlers. They broke into ]Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years.
He is ...
's locker room and stole one of his famous entrance robes, which they took turns wearing and imitating Flair's signature strut and "Wooo!".
History
During a promo on the May 27, 1999 edition of Thunder, Konnan specifically thanked Rey Mysterio Jr., Billy Kidman, and Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Ac ...
for watching his back. Mentioning that some people thought the young WCW stars weren't "good enough," Konnan stated they were "filthy animals" and were out for new and old blood.
The Filthy Animals were officially named so on the August 16, 1999 edition of ''WCW Monday Nitro
''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT (American TV ...
'', as Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Billy Kidman in the ring, with Kidman stating a new group of friends (Kidman, Rey Mysterio Jr., Eddie Guerrero, and Konnan) were "just a bunch of filthy animals" who hung out both on and off camera. In the weeks prior, the group had started teaming to combat the Dead Pool stable of Vampiro, Raven, and the Insane Clown Posse. They later mainly feuded with The Revolution, which was composed of Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael Benoit ( ; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but is notorious for Chris Benoit double-murd ...
, Dean Malenko, Shane Douglas
Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, manager, and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship ...
and Perry Saturn.
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and World Championship Wrestling ...
invented some of his more memorable shtick while with the Filthy Animals, including his famous fake chair knock out (he would knock his opponent out with a chair while the referee was distracted, then drape the chair on their unconscious body, and pretend to be knocked out himself, usually with the referee turning around just in time to see his opponent waking up wondering why they were holding a chair and getting disqualified. Eddie would, from time to time, open one eye to peek or wink to the crowd and gesture them to "shhhh!").
Members
*First incarnation:
**Active: 1999–2000
**Members: Konnan
Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. On ...
, Rey Mysterio Jr., Billy Kidman, Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and World Championship Wrestling ...
, and Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American model (person), model, former fitness competitor and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE and WCW.
As a fitness competitor, Wilson won the Miss Galaxy compet ...
( valet)
*Second incarnation:
**Active: 2000
**Members: Konnan
Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. On ...
, Rey Mysterio Jr., Juventud Guerrera
Eduardo Aníbal González Hernández (born November 23, 1974), better known by his ring name Juventud "Juvi" Guerrera, is a Mexican Professional wrestling, professional wrestler performing on the independent circuit.
Guerrera is best known for ...
, Disqo and Tygress ( valet)
*Third incarnation:
**Active: 2000–2001
**Members: Konnan
Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. On ...
, Rey Mysterio Jr., Billy Kidman, and Tygress (valet)
Timeline
Championships and accomplishments
*World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
** WCW Cruiserweight Championship ( 3 times) – Mysterio (2), Kidman (1)
**WCW World Tag Team Championship
The WCW World Tag Team Championship, originally known as the NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'', was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling ...
( 4 times) – Mysterio and Kidman (1), Mysterio and Konnan (1), Mysterio and Juventud Guerrera (1), Konnan and Kidman (1)
** WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – Mysterio and Kidman
See also
* The No Limit Soldiers
* The Mexicools
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Filthy Animals, The
World Championship Wrestling teams and stables