The art of the wrestling faction sees multiple wrestlers working effectively together to become a hot act that benefits everyone. Fans love the concept of stables since it gives wrestlers the excuse to pair up and share a gimmick of sorts. Recent storylines of Mustafa Ali leading Retribution or rumors of Roman Reigns having his own group in the near future.
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Things don’t always start off with strong momentum when looking back at various successful factions. The stables to have a good introduction have an easier path of dominating the show right away. However, there is a chance to turn things around if bad luck or poor execution starts things off poorly.
10 Dominated Right Away: D-Generation X
Shawn Michaels was a top main event star when D-Generation X formed and became an important part of WWE television. Fans turned on Michaels during his face run as WWE Champion and the heel turn allowed him to start his own project.
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Triple H and Chyna joined Michaels to make up the new heel faction that loved pushing the envelope. DX was unlike anything else ever seen on WWE television to become must-see material. The timing of the Montreal Screwjob gave them even more heat moving forward.
9 Rebounded from Disaster: Aces and Eights
TNA built up the Aces and Eights faction for months before providing any relevant reveals. Lackluster names like Luke Gallows and Mike Knox were the first members with D-Von Dudley as one of the few noteworthy performers.
More busts like Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff continued to hurt the momentum. Bully Ray eventually turning on Hulk and Brooke Hogan to reveal he was the Aces and Eights leader all along saved the group to have a successful run before eventually ending.
8 Dominated Right Away: The Corporation
Vince McMahon had the strongest heel heat in 1998 when becoming an enemy of Steve Austin. Fans were already upset at Vince regarding the Montreal Screwjob, so doubling down on him as a heel trying to stop the top face put him over the top even more.
The Corporation formed as McMahon’s heel faction to do his bidding. Wrestlers like Ken Shamrock, the Big Boss Man, Test, and many others received huge heat for their time in the group. WWE placed The Corporation into a feud with Austin as the top angle culminating with The Rock, Triple H, and The Undertaker joining at various points.
7 Rebounded from Disaster: Evolution
Triple H came up with the idea of forming Evolution when he wanted something new to extend his run as a top heel. Ric Flair joining Triple H as the former legend pairing with the current top star was an easy decision, especially since they got along so well.
Randy Orton and Batista were eventually the future stars that Triple H wanted in the group, but it almost was ruined at the start. Batista suffered an injury in the early stages that kept him out for eight months. WWE wanted Mark Jindrak to replace him, but Triple H refused. Evolution waiting for Batista’s return saved the group from likely being a failed project.
6 Dominated Right Away: The Hart Foundation
Bret Hart slowly morphed from the top face in WWE to the top heel organically from 1996 to 1997. Steve Austin winning over the audience with his generally disrespectful character antics shifted what audiences wanted from characters at the time.
The heel turn of Bret came in the infamous WrestleMania 13 match where he defeated Austin. Bret united with his relatives Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Jim Neidhart with family friend Brian Pillman joining. The Hart Foundation was the top heel act on the roster for the rest of Bret’s run in WWE.
5 Rebounded from Disaster: The OC
AJ Styles was instantly a top name for WWE based on fan reaction and Vince McMahon believing in him faster than expected. Former Bullet Club members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows joined him to form The OC faction, referencing their original status in the NJPW stable.
However, the presentation of Gallows and Anderson placed them way below Styles to make the group not as ideal as fans hoped. Styles was moved to Smackdown in the 2016 draft and stayed away from his friends for years. The OC reunited in 2019 for a better run as a tremendous heel act for Raw before Gallows and Anderson were released.
4 Dominated Right Away: The Shield
WWE found huge success with The Shield by making them an important act from the start. Few fans knew of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns from their time in developmental, and WWE saw something quite special in each performer.
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The Shield debuted in the main event of Survivor Series 2012 by helping CM Punk retain the WWE Championship against Ryback and John Cena. WWE booked The Shield against top faces and had them winning outstanding matches for months before taking their first loss.
3 Rebounded from Disaster: The Un-Americans
The Un-Americans did not start out as an intentional faction for WWE to use in the long-term. Lance Storm and Christian were a makeshift tag team of Canadian heels picked to battle with the face duo of Edge and Hulk Hogan.
WWE did not book them strong until adding Test to the group adding the anti-American heel character shift. William Regal also joined the faction with all members running down and threatening to burn the American flag. Reports indicated the Un-Americans didn’t want to continue the faction due to the legitimate anger from fans causing them to fear for their safety.
2 Dominated Right Away: New World Order
WCW witnessed their entire landscape change for the better when Hulk Hogan turned heel to complete the initial trio of the New World Order. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall already made it a hot act by setting the table for the mystery third man.
Fans loved the storyline of three top-level wrestlers starting a hostile takeover. WCW instantly took over the Monday Night Wars and dominated for a year and a half. The impact of the nWo changed the business forever with unpredictable attacks and moments every single week.
1 Rebounded from Disaster: New Day
The best story of redemption from a wrestling faction featured New Day turning their careers around. WWE dropped the ball with the start of New Day by having Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E playing generic face characters clapping and looking for cheers.
Fans heckled them with “New Day sucks” chants and the face act flopped badly. New Day turned heel to completely save them from reaching the point of no return. The hilarious antics and creative freedom as heels made fans realize they were outstanding together. New Day got over and turned face with fans now viewing them as a defining faction of the era.
