Best WWE Factions in The Sport's History

There is nothing more dangerous in the WWE than a dominant faction. When three or more Superstars get together with similar plans of taking over WWE, the rest of the roster is immediately put on notice and must step aside, or get stepped on. Over the past 50 years, we have seen countless stables come and go, but only a handful have left their mark on the WWE Universe and professional wrestling landscape as a whole.

Today, groups such as Damage Control and The Judgment Day are just beginning their runs in WWE. Both factions are off to a hot start, but only time will tell if they will reach the legendary status of the following stables.

D-Generation-X

D-Generation-X, better known as DX, is arguably the most popular and historic faction in WWE history. Led by two legends in Shawn Michaels and Triple H, the group provided fans with some of the edgiest and funniest content of the Attitude Era. DX defied authority and encouraged chaos, sex, violence, and rock and roll.

Triple H and Shawn Michaels weren’t the only members of course; the 9th Wonder of the World, Chyna, Rick Rude, Billy Gunn, X-pac, and Road Dogg were all members of the group. Mike Tyson was even a member for a brief period of time! DX’s antics, comedy, feuds, and in-ring production make them, without a doubt, one of the best factions of all time. They pushed the boundaries of what was appropriate for television, while taking over the world of wrestling at the same time. Mission accomplished.

Evolution

Another faction led by Triple H, Evolution is one of the coolest and most successful groups the WWE has ever seen. With two-time Hall of Famer Ric Flair, and future first ballot Hall Of Famers in Batista and Randy Orton, the four men took WWE by storm eventually holding all the gold on RAW. One of the coolest things about Evolution is that Batista and Randy Orton were rookies at the time, so it is remarkable to watch them learn from two of the best in wrestling history.

The group name, Evolution, was fitting for the faction as Ric Flair figuratively represented the past, Triple H represented modern wrestling at the time, while Orton and Batista represented the future.

“Adapt or perish” was the group’s mantra. Looking at all four men’s careers, they certainly were able to evolve with the times to stay relevant and become four WWE legends in their own respective rights.

The Shield

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose made up The Shield, arguably WWE’s most dominant and destructive faction ever. The three former NXT stars burst onto the scene in 2013, attacking anyone and everyone who stood in their way. It didn’t take long before the WWE Champion, CM Punk, enlisted the help of The Shield to help him retain his WWE Championship.

When The Shield were finally able to break free of Punk’s grasp, they ran roughshod over the entire WWE roster with Reigns and Rollins winning the Tag Team Championship and Dean Ambrose becoming one of the longest reigning US champions of all time. The group’s dominance got them on the map, but their stunning break up and unbelievable singles careers for all three men make this group something special. Best friends outside the ring and bitter enemies in it, The Shield is perhaps WWE’s most unique and dominant faction of all time.

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The Corporation

The Attitude Era saw the invention of some of the biggest characters in television history, one of them being the evil boss, Vince McMahon. As Mr. McMahon felt control of WWE slipping away from him, he created a group of wrestlers who didn’t mind his abuse of power and were actually on his side. Vince and Shane McMahon, The Rock, Triple H, Kane, Sgt. Slaughter, and other true legends stood by Vince’s side as he abused his corporate powers and used his star-studded lineup of crooked wrestlers to protect him.

At one point, The Corporation actually held all the gold in WWE with The Rock as WWE Champion, and members Ken Shamrock and Big Boss Man holding both the Intercontinental Titles, Hardcore Title, and Tag Team Championships. As we know this wouldn’t be the last time an evil Mr. McMahon tried to abuse his power within the company, but The Corporation represents the original corrupted authority faction that is still popular in the modern era of wrestling.

The Hart Foundation

What would a list of WWE’s greatest factions be without the Hart Foundation? Bret and Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, The British Bulldog and Brian Pillman made up one of WWE’s most famous and dominant factions of all time. Following his win at WrestleMania 13, Bret Hart recruited the rest of the group as they were family and shared the same sentiments as him: Take over the WWE.

The group held every championship in the company at the time and had notable programs with WWE’s biggest stars such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. The Hart Foundation was one of the meanest, but most technically gifted factions of all time which gave them credibility that still holds up today, making them one of the baddest and most respected factions wrestling has ever seen. The group would eventually dissolve after the infamous Montreal Screwjob later in 1997, Brian Pillman’s untimely death, and Bulldog and Neidhart jumping ship to WCW.

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