Highlights
Factions are a popular booking strategy in wrestling, allowing multiple wrestlers to promote each other and form a strong group identity.
Many successful factions have standout stars within them, whether it's the leader or a breakout member who gains popularity.
Factions like Evolution, The Wyatt Family, Undisputed Era, The New Day, Hart Foundation, The Shield, Bullet Club, D-Generation X, Four Horsemen, and nWo have all had significant impact and success in wrestling.
A faction is the best way to promote multiple wrestlers at once, helping to form an identity as part of a group. There have perhaps never been more stables in wrestling than there are now across the major promotions, which shows how much it is utilized as a form of booking.
The likes of The Elite, Judgment Day, and the Blackpool Combat Club have all proven to be some of the best wrestling acts over the past few years, featuring in some of the biggest storylines. What almost all factions have in common though is a standout star, be it their leader or a breakthrough member of the group that becomes a bigger name off the back of it.
10 Evolution: Triple H
The four-man group of Evolution cemented Triple H as the top guy in WWE during the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era,’ where the likes of The Rock and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin had left a chasm through their departures. It made sense then for ‘The Game’ to have a unit to support him, whilst giving some up-and-coming talent the chance to break through under his learning tree.
Alongside Ric Flair, Triple H would help hone Randy Orton and Batista as main event talents, with both becoming multiple-time world champions in WWE. Evolution was not always the most entertaining group to watch, but it undoubtedly worked in getting everyone in the group over, with Triple H being able to hold on to his top spot within the company.
9 Wyatt Family: Bray Wyatt
Recent events will only solidify how much the Wyatt Family meant to some fans as one of the most unique acts WWE has produced this century. The Family’s aura was defined by its charismatic leader Bray Wyatt, whose sinister words were as haunting as they were enticing.
Wyatt was the figurehead of the group which contained great wrestlers such as Erick Rowan and the late Luke Harper, with Bray doing the talking for his monstrous family members. Unfortunately, WWE never really capitalized on Wyatt’s popularity when he was at his peak on at least two occasions under different characters, but his performances will never be forgotten.
8 Undisputed Era: Adam Cole
It still seems strange that the Undisputed Era never really made it onto the WWE main roster, as the faction became an all-time great group in NXT. The collection of highly accomplished in-ring competitors was encapsulated by its leader Adam Cole, who became one of the brand’s most important champions.
Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish presided over the black and gold brand for almost four years, winning multiple championships and headlining many acclaimed NXT Takeover shows. The faction would not have lasted nearly as long were it not for their leader, who WWE somehow let slip through their fingers.
7 The New Day: Big E
It is so difficult to choose one member of the New Day as the star of the group, as all three men have an equal say in the success of the team. Kofi Kingston was the standout name of the faction when it formed and led it to ‘Kofi-Mania,’ as a result of his team’s success.
Big E is the star now though if only one of the men could be chosen, which was shown through him winning the WWE Championship most recently. Fans are still clamoring for good news regarding his wrestling future, but most of all wishing that his health is in the best place possible following his injury.
6 The Hart Foundation: Bret Hart
‘The Hitman’ first entered the WWE by teaming with his long-time partner Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart as part of the Hart Foundation. The pink-laden tandem would later grow with Bret as a multiple-time WWE Champion, being joined by his brother Owen, the British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman.
The group did not actually spend much time together as a full unit, but the various iterations of the group, particularly when Bret and Owen were on the same page were fantastic. It is unfortunate fans did not get to see more of the faction, or of Bret in a WWE ring due to his career being cut short and the acrimonious way he left the company.
5 The Shield: Roman Reigns
All three men now sit atop the wrestling industry as multiple-time world champions, but Roman Reigns has entered another stratosphere as the ‘Head of the Table.’ The Shield was such a trailblazing act that WWE sorely needed when they debuted in 2012, and Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have lived up to their potential.
Admittedly, Ambrose (now Jon Moxley) had to leave WWE to be the best version of himself and Seth has only recently found his footing as a top guy. Reigns’ transition from WWE pet project to undeniable headliner has made him the biggest star though and will likely transcend the wrestling business at some point.
4 Bullet Club: Kenny Omega
Bullet Club has seen many wrestlers come and go from its ranks, with several leaders presiding over the group throughout its history. The likes of Prince Devitt and Karl Anderson were essential to the group, whilst AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes were big names imported in from other companies.
There is one person who took it to the next level though and that is ‘The Cleaner’ Kenny Omega. Alongside the Young Bucks, Kenny became the biggest star in New Japan, becoming quite easily one of the best wrestlers of all time. His success even led to a company being formed that he would star in, which makes AEW the ultimate legacy of Bullet Club.
3 D-Generation X: Shawn Michaels
Another stable featuring Triple H, D-Generation X helped usher in a new era within WWE that would lead to its most successful period critically and commercially. Shawn Michaels, a perennial WWE Championship contender and all-time great in-ring performer, led the group through its best iteration before he retired in 1998.
The original version of DX was its best, with Triple H acting as the protégé to Michaels, and Chyna being the muscle of the group. Their edgy antics and greatness inside the ring made for some of the best television of the early ‘Attitude Era,’ with Shawn just being the best, most obnoxious version of himself.
2 The Four Horsemen: Ric Flair
Ric Flair was the best wrestler in the world throughout the 1980s and his group supported him greatly in being able to achieve this. The Andersons and Tully Blanchard acted as terrific running buddies to the 'Nature Boy' who was the most famous wrestler at the time not working for Vince McMahon's WWE.
Flair was a show in himself when working for the NWA and later WCW, managing to become a record-setting world champion in the process. Every member of the original group and later iterations of the faction were all made better by their association with Flair.
1 nWo: 'Hollywood' Hogan
The New World Order changed the wrestling business and what it meant to be a faction forever, with 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan leading the way. The enduring babyface figure that incited 'HulkaMania' had perhaps the greatest career rejuvenation of all time as he turned heel, aligning himself with The Outsiders, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
The faction would eventually bloat, split, and disband without much fanfare, but at its best, it was one of the most compelling wrestling acts of all time. For a while, it helped WCW overtake WWE as the market leader, but it would not last as Vince McMahon's sports entertainment giant endured.
0 Comments