Top 10 factions in Pro Wrestling history
The Bullet Club – Are they headed to the WWE?Rumours have intensified recently about the WWE bringing in the Bullet Club into the company from New Japan Pro Wrestling to once again team up with Finn Balor.For the uninitiated, the Bullet Club was the faction that accelerated Balor's rise into the heavyweight division of NJPW when we was there as Prince Devitt. The stable helped transition Balor from a fan favourite into a heel. Initially comprising of Balor, Karl Anderson, Bad luck Fale and Tama Tonga, it grew to include the Young Bucks and Doc Gallows.It has been reported that Anderson and Gallows are close to being signed by the WWE and the company has already trademarked the term 'Balor Club' since the Bullet Club moniker is an NJPW exclusive.Currently, the Bullet Club is led by former TNA star AJ Styles and he might jump ship to the WWE roster soon as well. With the possibility of yet another faction arriving in the WWE, this list takes a look back at the top 10 stables in Pro Wrestling history.P.S: At least three wrestling members are required for a group to be considered a faction.
#1 nWo
No prize for guessing the winner of this list. Tthe impact the nWo made on the wrestling scene has been unprecedented. The trio comprising of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan was a huge draw and helped WCW overtake and almost bankrupt the WWE during their dominant run.
WWE make it a point in almost all their WCW related DVD releases to point out the fact that over-reliance on the nWo was one of the major reasons for WCW eventually going out of business, but the fact remains that Vince McMahon had no qualms about reincarnating the nWo with the original members well past their prime as late as 2002 precisely because they were still hot property.
The nWo officially came into being at Bash at the Beach 1996 when perennial fan favourite Hulk Hogan turned heel and joined the Outsiders, (Hall and Nash – who were portraying themselves as WWE wrestlers in WCW) much to the dismay of the crowd.
The faction had everything – One of the most charismatic wrestlers ever in Hall, a powerhouse in Nash and quite simply, the man who was synonymous with pro wrestling in Hogan.
The trio dominated the WCW as part of some edgy and close to real-life angles, which attracted the fans tired of the same old WWE product. nWo’s ascendancy brought about perks like guaranteed contracts and better remuneration to the wrestlers, however, the angle became quite convoluted as different incarnations of nWo came about and half of the WCW roster became members.
The creative control enjoyed by the likes of Hogan and Nash was also detrimental to the WCW Creative, but the faction enjoyed a new life in the WWE in early 2002. However, Hall’s rising substance abuse and Nash’s injury concerns put paid to the planned long run and the nWo angle finally ended just before Vengeance 2002.