The New Age Outlaws def. WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Goldust (Kickoff Match)

PITTSBURGH – One of the greatest tag teams in WWE history fortified its legacy during the Royal Rumble Kickoff, as The New Age Outlaws defeated  Cody Rhodes &  Goldust to win their sixth WWE Tag Team Championship. Regardless of why the Attitude Era mainstays earned the opportunity – their victory against The Brotherhood on SmackDown or their relationship with WWE COO Triple H –  Road Dogg &  Billy Gunn proved they “still got it.”

The brotherly chemistry between Cody Rhodes and Goldust – despite a 16-year age difference – has been dominant in recent months. However, the nearly two decades of experience The New Age Outlaws possess was too much for the sons of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes.

View photos |  Watch The New Age Outlaws celebrate their win

The Outlaws have shown that age is but a number since their return at Old School Raw, and in the early moments of the contest, they looked as good as they did in WWE’s Attitude Era competing for the Tag Team Titles. The last time The New Age Outlaws won the titles was November 1999, making this the longest period of time between championship reigns in WWE history.

Watch the WWE Tag Team Champions square off with the former tag champions on SmackDown

Road Dogg & Billy Gunn weren’t the only two competitors in this contest that competed in the Attitude Era, though. Goldust – who 15 years ago this week had battled Billy Gunn on Raw – displayed his own experience, while Cody Rhodes relied on his youthful agility to balance out a thrilling contest. The WWE Universe inside the Steel City’s CONSOL Energy Center was on the edge of its collective seat, as both duos ultimately set the competitive tone for Sunday night’s entire Royal Rumble event.

The high-octane bout was chaotic for sure, and The New Age Outlaws took advantage of the bedlam inside the squared circle. With neither pair securing enough momentum to maintain a prolonged advantage, Gunn seized an opportunity to tag himself in after driving Goldust into the barricade outside the ring. Cody,not seeing the tag had been made,focused on Road Dogg – thereby allowing Gunn to execute The Famouser and secure the championship win.

After 14 years, The New Age Outlaws captured WWE Tag Team Championship glory, shocking themselves, the WWE Universe and ultimately, The Brotherhood. The ramifications of their victory remain to be seen, but there is no doubt that Road Dogg & Billy Gunn are going to party like its 1999.