People that are enduring fans of Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Perfect were probably huge fans of his comedic heel group, the West Texas Rednecks in WCW. He led the group made up of himself, Barry and Kendall Windham, Bobby Duncum Jr., and Curly Bill.
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The members of the group did tend to spend different amounts of time in the stable (something that might lead some to forget some wrestlers were even in the stable), but that never kept the group from being a much-hated fan-favorite. Some even say that the slight shakeup in the roster made the group more interesting as everyone had an opportunity to shine, even if the group never wound up seeing much gold.
10 Weren’t Around For All That Long
When a wrestling stable becomes a fan-favorite, even if they were booed during their era, fans tend to forget that a lot of stables don’t have a lot of longevity. A stable has to be a special group to really stick around for a while, and unfortunately, the West Texas Rednecks only remained together for roughly two years.
Even worse, while they were considered to be a group for that long, they didn’t compete all that much during their time together. Much of their time as a stable was inactive and simply accumulated because they didn’t officially disband.
9 Actually Recorded Music Together
Most wrestlers with a musical gimmick don’t tend to actually release music. The West Texas Rednecks released more than one song over their brief time together. Their two famous hits are Rap Is Crap and Good Ol' Boys.
The Good Ol' Boys track was the group's incredible theme music, and Rap Is Crap was released in an effort to make it clear that the group were heels. That didn’t always work out as intended (more on that later), but wrestling fans to this day still love the simple tunes the group put out.
8 Worked In AJPW
Whenever people talk about the West Texas Rednecks, much of the conversation is relegated to their brief run together in WCW. While that is their most iconic chunk of time that they spent together, the group did also make their way over to Japan.
Rather than working for the famed NJPW, the group wound up in AJPW for a brief stint. At that point, it was mostly the Windhams competing there, but Hennig would return for a kind of brief reunion of the stable in 2001.
7 First Angle Was A Mess
When a stable is introduced to the world for the first time, one of the most important things anyone behind the scenes can do is make sure that their first angle goes off without any issues. Unfortunately, The West Texas Rednecks had more than a few issues when they debuted.
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While their gimmick seems like a simple one to make work as either a heel or face, they were intended to be heels. The issue was that their first feud with The No Limits Soldiers, who were faces at the time, were often seen as heels by the fans who really didn’t like them, making the stable's debut a mess.
6 Feuded With Plenty Of Future Icons
Something that should always be acknowledged about WCW is that it was never hurting for serious talent in the wrestling industry. Even toward its infamous final few years, WCW still had some solid performers. Those performers were often at odds with the group.
The West Texas Rednecks may have feuded with forgettable groups like The No Limits Soldiers, but they also clashed with the Filthy Animals, and Harlem Heat. That put the group at odds with men like Booker T, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio.
5 Had A Completely Different Name
The group has become most famously known as the West Texas Rednecks, so a lot of people might not even know that they actually had a completely different name when they originally debuted. The issue is, no one ever knows how fans will react to a group.
They were originally the West Texas Outlaws, and their now famous name was used to insult the group. Somehow, the insult caught on amongst fans and even the commentary team, and WCW responded by officially changing the group's name.
4 Hold A Rare Win Over Dr. Death Steve Williams
Hardcore wrestling fans likely know about the legend that is “Dr. Death” Steve Williams. He was one of the most over men in wrestling and pretty much never lost for a huge stretch of his career. While he didn’t lose singles bouts, he did lose tag team matches.
Something that may come as a shock is that the Rednecks actually hold a victory over Steve Williams, even if it is only in a tag team match. The win came in a tag team tournament in AJPW, and it is widely seen as one of the biggest upsets in wrestling.
3 Had Two Different Leaders
Since most people are aware of the group's existence in WCW, they are likely aware that Curt Hennig was the de facto leader of the group. What most people may not know is that the group had another leader after Hennig left the group.
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Without much guidance after losing the charisma of Hennig, the Windhams continued on as a tag team. Since someone had to take up the mantle of the leader of the group, Kendall stepped up to lead what was left of the Rednecks.
2 The Windhams Were The Longest Running Members
Since the Windhams were actually the most successful members of the group during its existence, it only makes sense that the duo were the two longest running members. Each man, especially Barry, saw plenty of success even before the group's existence.
During their short time together, the Windhams won the group's only tag team titles, giving them their only moment of success in WCW. With Kendall eventually becoming the leader, it seems clear that the Windhams cared about their stable, continuing with it as if the group were on a world tour when they went to Japan.
1 Final Appearance As A Group Was At The Tokyo Dome
While there isn’t much to the group's final reunion in Japan, it is worth noting that they did get their final moment at one of the most historic venues in Japan, The Tokyo Dome. The Windhams had already spent some time in Japan still wrestling as members of the group.
Fans were likely always hoping for an appearance from Curt Hennig, and they finally got one when it was time to put the group to rest officially. It wasn’t an incredible effort, but it’s a fantastic place for the sendoff of a group that fans look back on fondly.
