The Filthy Animals

The Filthy Animals were a professional wrestling faction in World Championship Wrestling 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. 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's locker room and stole one of his famous entrance robes, which they took turns wearing and imitating Flair's signature strut and "Wooo!". The group is also notable as Rey Mysterio's time in the group was one of the few periods in which he wrestled without a mask.

History

The Filthy Animals were officially named so on the August 16, 1999 edition of WCW Monday Nitro, 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, Dean Malenko, Shane Douglas and Perry Saturn.