5 WWE factions from the past five years you may not remember: Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, and more
Stables are a big part of WWE today. There are trios and other factions on every brand the company has. NXT has The Schism, Meta-Four, and Diamond Mine. RAW has Imperium, The Viking Raiders, and Judgment Day. SmackDown features groups such as The Bloodline, the Latino World Order, and The Brawling Brutes.
Beyond the factions running the company today, there are many that have stood the test of time and are fondly remembered despite being inactive. The New World Order, The Four Horsemen, D-Generation X, and The Shield are some of the most popular and dominant stables in wrestling history.
While there are many excellent groups in wrestling history, there are naturally some that aren't as fondly remembered. In fact, there are some that fans may not recall at all. This article will look at a handful of stables from recent history that you may have forgotten ever existed.
Below are five WWE factions from the past five years you may not remember.
#5. Seth Rollins led a little-remembered stable
Seth Rollins led a stable that most WWE fans won't remember today. It all started with his heel turn in 2019. He quickly aligned with Akam and Rezar, two of the most powerful stars on RAW.
After uniting with The Authors of Pain, Seth also found himself paired up with Buddy Murphy. Unfortunately, an injury led the group to split just months after starting. Rollins and Murphy became on-again and off-again until Buddy left the promotion.
There's a chance that the faction could have a future in WWE, however. The Authors of Pain have reportedly re-signed with the promotion secretly, and there's even speculation of an imminent return. Could the pair reunite with Seth? While Buddy can't be involved, three-fourths of the stable could see their vision come to fruition.
#4. The Forgotten Sons have lived up to their name
The Forgotten Sons started as a tag team during WWE NXT live events. Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler were both trying to find their place in the company and did so as a unit. Soon after, Jaxson Ryker joined the pair, and the trio was ready for the big time.
As a group, the three debuted on NXT TV in 2018. While they didn't win gold, they were one of the top tag teams until they were called up to WWE's main roster in 2020. Shortly after their arrival, however, Ryker put out a controversial political Tweet that seemingly spelled doom for the trio.
They were split up, and none of them went on to find much success within the company. Eventually, all three were released. The Forgotten Sons had some talent. Steve Maclin is doing well for himself in IMPACT Wrestling. Still, due to behavior away from the ring, they are perhaps left forgotten.
#3. Zelina Vega led a unique group at one point
One of the more unique stables in the company's history was formed during the pandemic. WWE was trying anything to see what could work in an era without fans in attendance. This included testing out stars on the main roster, arguably before they were ready, and creating odd pairings.
Zelina Vega managed Andrade El Idolo for quite some time, and the pairing worked. Soon, they added former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza to the mix. Not long after, relative newcomer Austin Theory also joined the ranks. He wasn't part of NXT for very long before being called up.
The group lasted for around a month or so before splitting up, but they did manage to appear together on WWE RAW regularly. Austin and Angel also united at WrestleMania. In the end, however, Theory returned to NXT, and both Andrade and Angel struggled initially. Today, Andrade is in AEW, and Angel is re-inventing himself on NXT.
#2. Three top heels united in WWE
Supergroups are a popular act in music. When major stars from other bands or solo acts unite for a major song or even an album, fans are hooked. The same thing can periodically happen in WWE.
Oftentimes, top babyfaces unite to take down a big, evil stable. In one instance, however, the opposite occurred. Three top villains, all with little in common, united in WWE to take on the babyfaces. Those heels were Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Baron Corbin.
The trio worked together in late 2018 and throughout much of 2019. They even had Lio Rush serving as their manager for a brief time, thanks to his affiliation with The All Mighty. While all three men are talented and doing well today, fans didn't enjoy their reign of terror on Monday Night RAW.
#1. Sami Zayn led a fun faction for a brief period of time
Sami Zayn is one of the biggest stars in the world today. Shinsuke Nakamura is a top heel on Monday Night RAW. Claudio Castagnoli is part of a solid stable in AEW. Despite being on such different paths, these three were once united.
While the trio never had an official name in WWE, they were aligned for quite some time. Sami had the gimmick of "The Great Liberator" and regularly united with the two talented stars in late 2019 and early 2020.
The group wasn't exactly the most dominant, but they did attain the Intercontinental Championship. Despite being entertaining, many fans were disgruntled with WWE in this era for primarily keeping Sami Zayn in a managerial role. Thankfully, that later changed, and he is one of the top stars in the world.