D-Generation X has always been one of the most popular factions in wrestling history. They helped create the Attitude Era and ushered in a totally new style of content for WWE which helped change wrestling forever.
However, the group has returned in varying forms countless times over the years, and their reunions haven't always been as well received. The 2006 reunion is one that particularly divides fans, as some loved it, and some hated it.
There's no doubt it wasn't as good as their original run together, but it still did have its positives. Within this list, we will look at five reasons the reunion was great, and five reasons it wasn't.
10 Why It Was Great: The Band's Back Together
Everyone in wrestling loves a little bit of nostalgia, and that is why simply seeing D-Generation X back together again was so much fun. This was the first lengthy reunion since the group first split, and seeing them back together was just tons of fun.
Fans have always, and will always love DX, so any time you get the chance to see them together is always fun. Shawn Michaels and Triple H just have great chemistry together and therefore they are always entertaining.
The WWE Universe loved having the group back, even if it was just two members. They got huge reactions from the crowd every time they appeared, and that proved that it worked.
9 Why It Sucked: Not As Risky
Because WWE as a company had changed and the Attitude Era was firmly in the rearview mirror, D-Generation X was unable to be the same as it was before. They couldn't come out with the risky comments that made them so popular originally.
Sure, they could push the buttons more than other talents on the roster, simply due to their star power. However, they weren't doing things as they did in the Attitude Era and instead we just got toilet humor.
Every now and then they managed to land on something funny, but it simply wasn't as consistent as it had been originally.
8 Why It Was Great: Bringing The Best Out Of Vince
When Vince McMahon is on top form, there are few people better or more entertaining than him. The WWE Chairman is simply the absolute best when he is into a storyline which makes his promos and segments so entertaining.
Vince and Shane McMahon were at their absolute best during this feud and it led to some hilarious moments. Vince and Shane's facial expressions to sell the things that DX did were just priceless, which made this so great.
7 Why It Sucked: Burying Young Talent
While their promos and segments with Vince and Shane McMahon always led to some amazing moments, it didn't lead to them putting over young talent. WWE opted to use the Spirit Squad to fight Vince's battles.
The group was compromised of young talent from the developmental system (which included Dolph Ziggler,) and many of them showed promise. They were entertaining and served their purpose, but WWE took this time to just totally squash them all.
There wasn't one moment when WWE attempted to make the members of Spirit Squad look good and having DX squash them wasn't beneficial.
6 Why It Was Great: Allowed A Generation To Relive Their Youth
Something that was great about the 2006 reunion was the fact that a certain generation of fans were instantly taken back to their youth. This is what's great about when certain wrestlers or factions return for one last run.
It allows the fans who grew up watching them, which was a specifically young target demographic in DX's case to be transported back to those days. It meant fans who were then in adulthood could feel young again.
Not only that, but it also allowed those who had grown up and perhaps had children of their own were able to also see what it was all about.
5 Why It Sucked: HBK's Solo Run
That's right, at one point during the 2006 reunion run, Shawn Michaels was actually D-Generation X all by himself. Triple H suffered a legitimate quadricep injury and was written off television, but HBK didn't end things for DX.
This would have been an ideal time to bring an end to DX to allow HBK to just go on a single run as himself. However, WWE didn't do that. They kept him going as DX all on his own.
During this time he actually became tag team champions with John Cena, which made things even stranger for everyone, as it all just felt very unnatural.
4 Why It Was Great: Impersonating The McMahon's
When it comes to iconic moments from DX's history, few are better than this one. The 2006 reunion was all based around feuding with the McMahon family and it led to some great comedy.
One of the best moments was when DX ended up impersonating Vince and Shane McMahon. Their impressions were spot on and they were tons of fun to watch, especially Shawn Michaels as Shane.
It's so good that it is often shown alongside their classic moments from their original run. It was truly funny and made the reunion absolutely worthwhile.
3 Why It Sucked: Missing Members
A big reason that the 2006 reunion of D-Generation X wasn't as good as it could have been is simply because of the missing members. People like Chyna, X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws were major parts of the faction's original success.
Sure, Triple H and Shawn Michaels were always the two main members and the storylines of the group always revolved around them. But, what the rest of the members brought really cannot be understated.
That is one of the big reasons that the reunion wasn't quite as great as it could have been. Had there been more of the popular members part of the reunion then perhaps it could have been more enjoyable.
2 Why It Was Great: Feuding With Rated RKO
While D-Generation X's 2006 reunion was mainly focused on feuding with the McMahon family, it also brought a great feud with Rated RKO. Randy Orton and Edge were a top tag team at this time, and it really did bring the best out of them.
Putting four of the biggest stars at the time in a tag team feud simply elevated the entire card every single night, which is what good wrestling does. Fans were firmly invested in this storyline and it led to some good matches and fun segments.
All four men had enough experience at the top level by this point to make any storyline work, and they certainly did just that with this one.
1 Why It Sucked: Dad Jokes
Master time waits for nobody, and that was certainly true when it came to D-Generation X. Triple H and Shawn Michaels were still very much in their prime in 2006, but they weren't exactly the young men that they were when DX first began.
Originally it felt like a group of rebels who were sticking it to the man, which made everything very funny. They were young and had a chip on their shoulders, but that wasn't the case in 2006.
They were older men here still trying to do the same type of content. Sadly, it just wasn't as funny as they had matured, but the DX content didn't mature with them.