There are many successful singles wrestlers; there are many successful tag teams. There are, however, very few wrestling factions or stables that truly connect with fans. Many stables existed during the 1980s and 1990s, but many of them failed. Only a select few could produce a legacy that would stand the test of time, and only this select few can be defined as 'successful' in the wider context of wrestling as a business.
A successful stable can make or break a wrestling company's success. Similarly, an involvement in a successful stable can make or break a wrestler's success. In this series of articles, you'll find a look at the most popular stables of all time, and an effort to get to the bottom of what made them so popular, and what they did for the wrestlers involved.
The Hart Foundation and Evolution
This piece looks at Bret and Owen Hart's stable built on family values, plus the transformation of Randy Orton and Batista into main event superstars as part of Evolution. The Hart Foundation were one of the biggest factions of the late 1980s, while Evolution dominated Monday Night Raw throughout 2002-2004. These two factions were crucial to the development of Hart as one of wrestling's true greats, and to the confirmation of Triple H's place in the pantheon of modern legends.
The Nation of Domination and Los Guerreros
The Rock gets his big break as the leader of the Nation of Domination, while another of wrestling's greatest families spans several organisations as Los Guerreros cement their legacy. The Nation were one of the WWF's biggest attractions in the late 1990s, while the Guerrero family have been a part of the fabric of wrestling history for several generations. Eddie and Chavo's tag team in WWE was just one of the ways their family will be remembered, while The Rock was not the only wrestler to benefit from the existence of the Nation of Domination.
D-Generation X and The Four Horsemen
This article examines the 'Attitude Era's most popular faction, D-Generation X - it also takes a look at the quintessential wrestling faction, The Four Horsemen. DX turned Shawn Michaels and Triple H into two of the biggest names in wrestling history, while The Four Horsemen allowed Ric Flair one of his greatest opportunities to truly shine. Flair was the leader and standout star of the Horsemen, while D-Generation X brought the real-life friendship between Michaels and Triple H to the fore, and turn both men into stars simultaneously.
The nWo and The Ministry Of Darkness
The final piece in this study analyses the impact of the 'New World Order' that arrived in WCW in the mid-1990s, while also taking a look at The Ministry Of Darkness, one of wrestling's most controversial groups. The nWo changed the face of the business, while the Ministry were run by an all-time great in The Undertaker. One cannot deny the effects on the business of these two 1990s groups.
