wrestling / Columns

The 411 Wrestling Top 5 07.15.09: Week 31 – Top Stables

July 15, 2009 | Posted by Michael Bauer

Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions. At the end, based on where all these matches rank on people’s list, we will create the 411 Wrestling Top 5 list. The scoring is very similar to the Wrestler of the Week as it looks like this:

#1 Choice – 5 points
#2 Choice – 4 points
#3 choice – 3 points
#4 Choice – 2 points
#5 Choice – 1 point
Honorable Mentions will break ties, but get no points.

Also, in the case of a tie, the most votes win, regardless of where it is listed in the individual Top 5. I will also use this rule in the event that one item is mentioned more often, but is one point behind. For example, one second place vote and two Honorable Mentions will defeat simply one first place vote.

So, on to this week’s topic…

THE TOP 5 STABLES
Since Chris Lansdell covered the topic yesterday in his article, I will use part of his opening.

Some of the greatest names in wrestling have led stables (Flair, Rock, Hogan, Hart, Michaels) and others have had their careers rescued by them. Sometimes they’ve been used to take over a promotion, or to further an agenda. Stables have evolved a lot in the past several years and are used now in several different ways.

And how true his statement is. Stables have felt more of a thing of the past in recent years, with the Legacy being the only true stable in the WWE and the Main Event Mafia being the only true stable in TNA. Ring of Honor had Sweet N’ Sour Inc. and now has the Embassy, but not much more. Long have past the days of the Four Horsemen, the New World Order, the Hart Foundation, the Hennan Family, and countless others of the 1980s and 1990s. With some many different choices to choose from, picking a Top 5 could be tricky. Especially for some of the staff, who never got to witness the greatness of the later stables.

So what did our group of writers select? Let’s find out…

John Meehan

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Corporation – As WWF’s “Attitude Era” reached its pinnacle, this unlikely band of suits made Steve Austin’s life a living hell.

The Ministry of Darkness – They weren’t much in the ring, but WWF’s stable around The Undertaker gave new meaning to “The Dark Side” with an impressive slew of mind games.

5.Evolution – Though this faction was obviously little more than an out-and-out ripoff of The Four Horsemen, it’s hard to deny that Evolution served its purpose by becoming one of the biggest starmaking stables in professional wrestling history. Since Randy Orton’s first World Heavyweight Championship victory in 2004, Evolution alumni have gone on to capture a staggering FIFTEEN heavyweight championship titles between them. And for better or worse, Evolution’s “legacy” (ha!) continues to this day — as all three of the faction’s remaining active members continue to dominate the title picture no matter where they go.

4.The Hart Foundation – No, not just Bret and Anvil — we’re talking Owen, Pillman and The Bulldog as well. In the heyday of WWF’s “Attitude Era,” the anti-American Hart Foundation was as blisteringly hot a collection of main event baddies as you were likely to find in all of professional wrestling. And were it not for the insanely heelish heat that Bret and his cronies managed to draw (stateside, at least), one would be hard-pressed (Hart-pressed?) to imagine that Shawn Michaels and/or Stone Cold Steve Austin could have reached anywhere *near* the same level of success as they would later go on to attain. Though this stable would ultimately succumb to all manner of tragedy, its momentary stay at the top of wrestling’s popularity heap makes it an easy choice for inclusion on this list.

3.degeneration X – Hard to believe that a stable could get even MORE popular after replacing a certifiable headliner like Shawn Michaels with a handful of undercard also-rans who never once so much as competed for a heavyweight title between them — and yet that is precisely what the legacy (and success) of degeneration X is all about. Make no mistake about it — Hunter and Shawn (plus Chyna and Rick Rude) most definitely put the faction on the map, but the dX name soon became as powerful a force as WWE’s Attitude Era had ever seen, which meant that X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws each saw their careers skyrocket as a result of their subsequent affiliation with the ‘Fed’s answer to the nWo. And rather than finding themselves stuck in the role of a mere undercard parody, the group quickly took on a life of its own and helped propel each of its members into all sorts of marketable success. As such, it’s pretty hard to ignore dX when talking about the greatest stables of all time.

2.The new World order – though this stable ultimately collapsed under its own weight, it was — for the better part of a HALF A DECADE — the single smartest idea ever to have come out of World Championship Wrestling. Each week, viewers would tune in en masse to see which “new” star the nWo would court away from the WWF or WCW faithful and sign to its ever growing ranks. Along the way, the nWo changed the face of professional wrestling and won back legions of new fans who’d tuned out during the cartoonish aftermath of the first Hulkamania boom. Despite countless membership changes and an insanely bloated roster, the nWo remained pro wrestling’s hottest stable for the better part of the famed Monday Night Wars. With so much as an *ounce* of foresight on the part of Eric Bischoff and the egos behind the stable who so selfishly rode this cash cow well beyond its logical point of no return, the nWo could very well have put the World Wrestling Federation out of business instead of destroying themselves (and WCW) from within.

1.The Four Horsemen – The only strike against the Horsemen was that they just so happened to be working for the wrong company when professional wrestling was finally starting to make a splash on the mainstream radar. While Hulk Hogan was playing a “larger than life” one-man wrecking machine over in WWF, the Horsemen redefined “strength in numbers” through their dangerously realistic gang warfare approach through the babyfaces of the NWA (and later WCW). You squared off against The Hulkster, and it usually ended with a big finger wiggle and a leg drop. But if you crossed the HORSEMEN? They’d beat you within an inch of your life with a baseball bat or a tire iron. That, friends, is heel stable success 101. And while the Horsemen name lived on in subsequent incarnations of the stable for years to follow, NOBODY can hold a candle to professional wrestling’s original bad-assed quartet (plus J.J.).

Shawn S. Lealos

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Generation Next – Just want to give props to the best stable to exist in Ring of Honor, a group which included Alex Shelley, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Jack Evans, and later Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne).

The Legion of Doom – Most people associate the LOD with the Road Warriors, thanks in large part to the WWF. However, Hawk and Animal were just a part of the LOD. Other members of Paul Ellering’s stable included Jake “the snake” Roberts, The Spoiler, Matt Bourne, King Kong Bundy, Arn Anderson, The Iron Sheik and the original Sheik.

The Hart Foundation – I’m not just talking about the Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart version with Jimmy Hart. I preferred the version that participated in the USA/Canada feud including Bret, Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart and Brian Pillman.

5.DX – It started as former Cliq members Shawn Michaels and Triple H were teamed with bodyguard Chyna and insurance policy Rick Rude and quickly became the biggest thing going in the WWE. They were loud, brash, arrogant, and the most fun thing the WWE had going at the time. They began as the most hated men in the WWE with their feud with Steve Austin but were always entertaining and funny. When Shawn retired, it looked like DX would fold but Triple H kept it going by recruiting former Cliq member X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws tag team. It was at this time they became hugely popular. Whether it was Billy Gunn, Road Dogg and Triple H keeping the catch phrase going, their “war” against WCW, or the great promos during their feud with the Nation of Domination, they remained on top. They gradually broke apart but Shawn and Triple H continue to have random reunions even today, the only stable on my list to still remain relevant today.

4.Devestation Inc. – General Skandar Akbar was always the most hated manager where ever he chose to work. After he retired from wrestling in 1977, he became a heel manager travelling between both World Class Championship Wrestling and Mid South Wrestling. He would smoke his cigars at ringside and spend most of his time insulting fans. One of my earliest memories of attending a professional wrestling card is Akbar getting in my mom’s face and slinging insults at her. I was so mad. It was great! He wrecked havoc everywhere he went. I remember him tormenting my beloved Von Erich family in WCCW and one of the most horrific memories of watching wrestling as a child involved him throwing a fire ball in the face of Hacksaw Jim Duggan. I hated the guy and he always made me fear for my favorites because he managed the monsters. Abdullah the Butcher, The Long Riders (Bill and Scott Irwin), Kamala, The Missing Link, The Great Kabuki, Bad Leroy Brown, Nord the Barbarian and the One Man Gang. He could take these men who were just devastating in the ring and be their voice, making even the least charismatic man the most hated wrestler in the ring.

3.The nWo – Forget about how the group became so diluted with mid card talent that it lost all its charisma. Think to the time when they were an elite stable – Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Syxx with Ted DiBiase as a manager type. They also brought aboard The Giant as muscle. Then Eric Bischoff revealed himself to be a member and they brought their own referee into the mix in Nick Patrick. It was an awesome group of talent that made life hell for everyone from the Steiner brothers to Harlem Heat to Lex Luger. The stable was also the start of WCW destroying the WWF in the ratings each and every week and set up Sting to make his biggest career decision, as he felt betrayed by his WCW brethren and withdrew to the rafters taking on a Crow type look. Even more so than DX, the New World Order were the biggest stable in the world and changed the entire landscape of wrestling. The fact that WCW didn’t know how to conclude the angle properly, with added pressure from backstage politics, also marked the beginning of the end for WCW.

2.The Heenan Family – Bobby Heenan is the greatest manager to ever work in professional wrestling. Therefore, his stable – or family, as he called it – has to be at the top of any list as well. According to Wikipedia, Heenan called his group a family because “a stable is a place where you keep a bunch of fly-infested horses.” The Heenan family began in the AWA where he led Nick Bockwinkel to the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, ending Verne Gagne’s seven year run. While Bockwinkel was champion, Heenan also led Blackjack Lanza and Bobby Duncum Sr to the tag team gold, making Heenan the first manager in history to hold the world singles and tag team titles at the same time. He would also manage a young Hulk Hogan, Ken Patera and Ray “The Crippler” Stevens while in the AWA. Heenan would soon move to the WWF where the Heenan family would become HUGE. While in the WWF, it was the Heenan family that provided the Ying to Hulk Hogan’s Yang and became the most hated organization in the federation for almost a decade. Look at the members: Big John Studd, Paul Orndorff, King Kong Bundy, Andre the Giant, the Brainbusters, Rick Rude, Harley Race and Mr. Perfect. It’s a who’s who of wrestling royalty.

1.The Four Horsemen – The Horsemen were the most successful stable to ever wrestle in any federation. The joined forces in 1986 as Flair recruited his “cousins” Ole and Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, with his manager JJ Dillon to make the most dominant force in professional wrestling. They wrecked havoc along the way, trying to break Dusty Rhode’s leg and scarring the pretty boy face of Rocky Morton. They feuded with the most popular wrestlers in the NWA (Rhodes, Magnum TA, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express) and the most hated as well (the Koloffs, the Freebirds). They went through various fourth members, as Ole Anderson’s spot became a revolving door for young talent including Windham, Lex Luger, Sting and Sid Vicious. They held numerous belts. Flair was a six-time NWA World Champion, five-time TV champion (Blanchard (3) and Arn Anderson (2)), three-time US Champion (Luger, Blanchard and Windham) and two-time World Tag Team Champion (Arn and Tully). They were the best thing going in the mid eighties. They split up when Blanchard and Arn made the jump to the WWF and the Horsemen were dead. They returned in a case of poor judgment when Flair and Arn returned from the WWF and joined forces with Paul Roma. They then returned in an extremely entertaining fashion as Brian Pillman, at the start of his loose cannon storyline, joined Arn, Flair and new member Chris Benoit. During the nWo feud, the group was set on the backburner while being betrayed by two new members, Jeff Jarrett and Curt Henning. It was not the end. They were so popular, the fans wanted to see them return and during a memorable promo in 1998, Arn Anderson reformed the Horsemen with Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Steve McMichael and a returning Ric Flair. The reunion would be short lived but it was a wonderful moment for old school Horsemen fans. They are legendary and they are awesome.

Julian Bond

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Evolution – This is another lovely tough “Top 5” topic. Oh my! With my first pick, I have to give a shout out to the foursome of Evolution (Ric Flair, Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton). I know that A LOT of people (included myself at one point) hated on this group mainly cause of HHH’s stranglehold on the WWE Title at the time, but this group was pretty awesome considering that its gimmick perfectly matched with its past (Flair), present (HHH), and future (Orton, Batista) lineup, it at one point had every major title in the WWE, and produced today’s main eventers of Orton and Batista.

Right To Censor – Their horribly annoying “WARNING WARNING” entrance music may have made my ears bleed, but this stable’s gimmick of being the “network censors” of the WWE was beautifully done, especially with the former “porn star” Val Venis and former “pimp” Godfather being the mainstays.

The Flock/The Age of The Fall (tie) – This was an absolute tie here for me. I had to mention both of these somewhat similar stables. One in WCW had the slacker/gother Raven gather up great underrated talent like Perry Saturn and Billy Kidman to sit amongst the crowds looking like zombies and aiding when necessary. The other in ROH had once goody two-shoes, song-singing Jimmy Jacobs “give up love” and put together various grapplers such as up and coming Tyler Black and the hardcore crazed Necro Butcher to form the blood-seeking Age of The Fall. Both groups were excellent stables that were great in getting together the “misfits” of their respective companies.

5.The Million Dollar Corporation – I swear my youth watching of the WWF wouldn’t had be complete without the inclusion of The Million Dollar Corporation. The super-heel stable, put together appropriately by The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, was the ultimate wrestling “goon-squad”. Back then (mainly in WWF), I’ve always seen a bunch of heels working loosely together with one another (and mostly with Bobby Heenan) to destroy the “good guys”, but never really under one big umbrella of stable evilness like these guys here. From their variety with their roster in guys like I.R.S., Bam Bam Bigelow, King Kong Bundy, and Tatanka to their multiple silly attempts to get rid of the Undertaker (via a “fake” Undertaker to stealing his urn and making it into a gold chain), the Million Dollar Corporation was awesome to watch as a kid.

4.Degeneration X – Degeneration X may not have been known to be “gang-like” like other stables that were known to kick people’s asses and take names, but their antics, both on and off the mic, were pure comedic gold. While the original group was cool as hell (Rick Rude, Chyna, HHH, Shawn Michaels), the second incarnation (X-Pac, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, Chyna, HHH) was even better. The various skits they did from impersonating the Nation of Domination and “invading” WCW to their entertaining as hell matched and promos (“Let’s get ready to SUCK IT”) were priceless. On top of this, DX was one of the few stables that told a very random selection of mid-card wrestlers and made every one of them household names at the time. When EVERYONE (fans and non-fans) back in the day of my high school wanted to be like and act like DX (i.e. wearing the t-shirts and telling teachers to “suck it” with a follow-up crotch shot of a “X”), you know that this group is greatness.

3.The New World Order (nWo) – Speaking of wrestling influencing high school kids, the nWo was yet another group that people I knew wanted to imitate. From the “Too Sweet” hand signals and the signature t-shirts to the multiple trademark sayings and gestures from mainstays such as Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan, everyone thought that the New World Order was easily one of the best stables ever created. This would have easily been #1 on this list with the crazy roster of people who have been members (Hogan, Nash, Hall, Randy Savage, Sean Waltman aka X-Pac, Ted DiBiase, the Big Show aka The Giant, Curt Hening aka Mr. Perfect), but the memories of overdoing the group with multiple spin-offs such as the “new” nWo Wolfpac with Sting and Lex Luger (which was sweet at first…and then it became REAL lame), nWo “Hollywood”, nWo “Elite” , and of course the often-forgotten nWo “2000” will sadly forever remain in my head. Of all of the things memorable from this group, the one main thing that I personally could NEVER get out of my head is their corny-as-all-hell, but catchy as shit entrance music. Sounded like cheesy porn music, but was actually one of the best songs to come to the ring to.

2.The New Hart Foundation – I had a debate with myself of putting this group here in the #2 spot above the New World Order and Degeneration X. But it all came down to this question: What stable has been well established with fans and hasn’t suffered from any unnecessary “group changes” that usually results in the watering down of a group? New World Order’s out of the picture, DX had many back and forth cuts and changes (remember the “bootleg” version with just Chyna and Billy Gunn keeping the name?), and even the great Four Horsemen unfortunately was watered down after their original roster. But despite only lasting just under a year, the new Hart Foundation never fell into this trap and honestly probably wouldn’t have if they were still together (and sadly all alive) today. Plus on top of this fact, this stable is one of the only ones that were 210% true to their gimmick…which was essentially being themselves but united for one common cause (…CANADA!!!). You take the best wrestlers from a well respected and well established wrestling family in the Harts (Bret, Owen, Jim Niethart, British Bulldog), add in the crazed and awesome Brian Pillman, and take into account that these guys had won every major championship at the time (World, Intercontinental, European, Tag Team), and you easily had one of the best well-known stables ever.

1.The Four Horsemen – Easily put, these guys were the one of the first real stables to influence everyone else after them. I honestly didn’t grow up watching them, but after watching their DVDs and tons of their past matches and promos online, it’s so easy to see why the original Horsemen were groundbreakers in something seemingly simple such as uniting a group of wrestlers. These guys had gang signs (“the four fingers”), sayings (stated beautifully by Ric Flair and Arn Anderson), vicious beatdowns (which seemed realistic and original at the time with “parking lot” beatdowns), and more importantly a kick-ass gimmick, which was “rich”, cocky wrestlers kicking ass, taking names, and riding fancy limos and jets all in the process. The versions put together afterwards weren’t as good as this, but the original in my opinion will always take the cake for being the godfather of great wrestling stables.

Len Archibald

HONORABLE MENTIONS

D-Generation X: CONTROVERSY! Not in the top 5, you say! Even though its latest carnation of it was nothing more than kiddie jokes and terrible potty humor, there is no denying the out and out IMPACT this group had. Whether it was the Shawn Michaels/Triple H/Chyna version that carried masks with windshield wipers for Sgt. Slaughter and had HBK pull a salami out of his pants or the Triple H led group that parodied The Nation of Domination, and “invaded” WCW, this was a group who was a force to be reckoned with.

The b.W.o.: For the hilarity and genius of a parody that got it RIGHT, kudos to Big Stevie Cool, Hollywood Nova and “The Blue Guy”. WE’RE TAKIN’ OVAH!

Raven’s Flock: It was really between these guys or Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Team for the final spot, but I gave the nod to Raven’s group because the cult-like element that was included, as well as Raven’s creepy promos and behavior towards his own stablemates was something revolutionary.

5. Evolution: Evolution was by far and away the best stable of the modern era. They took the simplest aspect of The Four Horsemen’s legacy: the protection of their champion at all costs, and modernized it for today. The point that it represented the best of past, present and future kicked it up a notch. Ric Flair represented the best of the past – a man who fully understood, from his past with The Horsemen, how to run a group of people who were in the business of protecting each other. Triple H represented the best of today, a guy who could get the job done on his own, but would never hesitate to break the rules. Randy Orton and Dave Batista represented the best of the future – a young “stud” (as JR would put it) with generational ties and a man-beast who could eat you alive in the ring. Seeing them holding all the gold on Raw was a tremendous sight. I still feel the WrestleMania 21 Main event should have been a Triple Threat match between an evil Triple H, a tweener Randy Orton and a face Batista (it’s obvious by now that Batista plays the face role WAY better than Orton ever could – they never should have turned him after beating Benoit for the title @ SummerSlam), with Ric Flair at odds at who to root for. But what I know, the WWE still makes millions of dollars without my input. Anyways, I think this is the only group right now that if reformed, would have the crowd (even the ever so cynical IWC), foaming at the mouth.

4. The n.W.o.: PLAY THAT PORN MUSIC! Ahhh, the New World Order. In 1996, these guys WERE pro wrestling. Once Hogan hit that legdrop on Savage and conducted that history making interview with Mean Gene, that was IT. Hogan was the cowardly heel champion who escaped by the skin of his teeth time and time again, while Hall and Nash were the tough-as-nails henchmen, hellbent on the total destruction and domination of WCW. With Eric Bischoff as their “puppet-master”, it seemed like they could do no wrong…Until they had basically the entire roster join them at one point. And had them split into factions. And had them constantly win. And never ENDED it. Ahhh, the New World Order, the solution, and then ultimately – the problem of WCW’s many woes.

3. The Heenan Family: So, while I was lapping up everything Vince McMahon gave me as a child, one of the first memories of my wrestling fandom was Bobby Heenan. He was a bad guy and I should root against him, but his gift of gab and comedic timing was just too good for me to cheer against. Even though I would (out of storyline closure sake) want to see him get his ass handed to him, I knew that it would be a hard thing coming because of who had his back: The Family. To be honest, there have been so many recruits and defections from Heenan’s great stable, that I don’t think I could list them all; I know of The Mighty Hercules, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Ravishing Rick Rude, Haku, King Harley Race, The Islanders, Mr. Perfect and the big one (literally) Andre the Giant, who I think his inclusion into Heenan’s heel philosophies solidified and magnified the legend of this great group of rulebreakers. If I forgot anyone who was in this group, let me know!

2. The Hart Foundation: Bret Hart’s little anti-American (not so much pro any other country) would be my number 1 choice if not for the obvious pick. But here is my reason for ranking them so high: most stables are created from heels who form a common bond of ridding the wrestling world of a singular face element, and by way of this will be booed for it. The Hart Foundation in 1997 obliterated that notion by being booed in the United States while being cheered EVERYWHERE ELSE. Who, what, why, huh? As a Canadian, or Brit (or even a fed up American), you could understand where Bret was coming from in regards to the American fans cheering asshole rulebreakers like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels while booing someone who had a sense of order and passion like Bret Hart. When Bret took Owen aside (who in storyline terms, was still feuding with) and said that their quarrels were what the Americans wanted, and got Owen to hug him, it was one of the most jaw-dropping moments for me. Even though Bret and Owen HATED each other for the better part of three years, there was one thing they could not shake: national pride. They, along with Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart and Brian Pillman (honorary Canadian) joined forces to destroy the evil and degenerate morals of Austin, HBK and the hypocrisy of McMahon’s WWF – including its fans. It was a storyline of great depth, personal investment and characters who you could relate to – on both sides. It is, in my opinion – the centerpiece for the most important angle/storyline in modern wrestling history. That’s that.

1. The Four Horsemen: Like this was going to be anyone else. I won’t lie – I was and still am a sheep of the WWF/E machine. I grew up on Hulkamania and the antics of the Rock n’ Wrestling Era. But somehow, some way – all the way up in Toronto, Canada, I knew of this completely BADASS crew called The Four Horsemen. I knew about Ric Flair being the World Champ, Barry Windham being the US Champ and Arn and Tully as the Tag champs. I knew J.J. Dillon was their mastermind. I knew they were assholes, but also the best in the world at what they did in the ring. I knew that they broke Dusty Rhodes’ leg. I knew that they protected Ric Flair at all costs. I knew they always had each other’s backs. I knew that there was no other group in the history of pro wrestling as feared and respected as these men. I knew that once those four fingers went up in the air, it meant something. I knew all this, but only as a myth from where I was from. They were a larger-than-life legendary faction whose reputation of greatness and infamy grew over time. They were the first main stable, the best interpretation of how a stable should function and the only stable that everyone, young and old – would go batshit crazy if they ever got back together again; even if for one night.

Larry Csonka

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Original Legion of Doom – Paul Ellering leading Hawk, Animal, Jake Roberts, the Spoiler, King Kong Bundy, Buzz Sawyer and others were a truly formidable group.

Evolution – I really liked Evolution, and felt that they did a great job (the closest in the modern era) of emulating the Horsemen.

Devastation Inc. – Devastation Inc. was a guilty pleasure of mine though out my younger fan hood. Skandor Akbar managed a huge list of talent through out the years and different incarnations of the group, which stayed a threat in the entirety of their WCCW run.

5.The Heenan Family – Bobby Heenan and the Heenan Family have roots back into the 70s, and sports an all star list of talent, such as the Blackjacks, Ray Stevens, Nick Bockwinkle, Angelo Pofo, Ernie Ladd, the Masked Superstar, Andre the Giant, Paul Orndorff, Harley Race, Mr. Perfect, the Brainbusters and many more. For years the WWF world title picture was Hogan fighting off the Heenan Family, it worked, it drew money and it was what helped WWF become a powerhouse. Although since Heenan hates the term “STABLE”, he will be pissed to make my list.

4.The Dangerous FUCKING Alliance – How my colleagues have forgotten this stable is beyond me. For a year they were the best stables in the business, and at a time when WCW was doing their best to recreate the Horsemen, they did a damn fine job with the group. Paul E> Dangerously as the leader, Madusa was the valet until she was fired, Michael PS Hayes was a loosely associated member as well. But the meat of the group was Larry Zbyszko, Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton, Arn Anderson and Rick Rude. One of the most bas ass stables of all time, but like most things, WCW fucked it up. Arn Anderson will tell you that himself. I’d love to rank them higher, but the lack of longevity during the prime formation can’t be ignored.

3.degeneration X – DX, the EARLY DX, was the perfect answer by WWF to WCW. They weren’t the power group like the Horsemen, but they started their own little revolution that made for a fun ride. Shawn and Hunter being wacky, Rude appearing on both shows at once, Mike Tyson, HBK going down and HHH stepping up, the rise of the New Age Outlaws, it was fun, it worked and it was what the company needed at the time.

2.The n.W.o – While the end result wasn’t pretty, you cannot deny that the formation of the n.W.o and the groups initial run was what caused the wrestling boom of the later 90s. Yes it got watered down, yes it stayed too long and yes the company relied on the idea of the n.W.o too much, but for a time they ran hot and were the best thing for business.

1.The Four Horsemen – I grew up an NWA fan, I was a Horsemen mark and today I still think that they kick ass. Flair, Arn, Tully, Ole and JJ Dillon started it, and they would have some other great additions, like Barry Windham and Lex Luger, and not so great, Roma, Sid, but the group was always a factor in the company. Just imagine if the Horsemen would have had the WWF/E machine behind them, they would be more iconic than they actually are. To me, The Four Horsemen are the prototype for a stable.

Aaron Hubbard

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Spirit Squad – Just kidding….

The Heenan Family – Yeah, I know a lot of people grew up on these guys. But I don’t really view them as a stable so much as a motley crew of Heenan’s hired muscle. The other stables here have more defined dynamics.

The blue World order – Arguably the greatest parody in wrestling history, the b.W.o. deserves more love than they get. I always laughed at these guys.

Generation Next – ROH has had many stables: some have worked very well (the Prophecy, the Rottweilers), some have worked moderately well (Age of the Fall, No Remorse Corps) and some have been garbage (The Resilence, The Vulture Squad). But no group was booked better or had more talent that Generation Next: Alex Shelley and Matt “Evan Bourne” Sydal are names non-ROH fans should be familiar with, but the core group of Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, and Jack Evans were as good a trio as any.

5.Evolution – Sadly, I never got to watch the “Cool Heel” Horsemen growing up, as I’ll explain later. However, when I was thirteen-fourteen, these guys were AWESOME. I was a huge Triple H mark (and I’m still a fan). Ric Flair was a legend, Batista was the “Enforcer” of the group, and Orton was the future. At the time, I couldn’t think of anything cooler than having a “Paid, Laid & Made” T-Shirt. These guys had money, they had fast cars, hot women, and championship gold. Triple H was the top guy in the business, Flair was the greatest of all time. Five years after they disbanded, everyone in the group is better off for it. Orton and Batista have become world champions and top stars, Flair’s career was rejuvenated, and Triple H got to pay tribute to Flair by imitating the Four Horsemen. Imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, and since Flair was in the group, I didn’t mind the rip-off.

4.The Hart Foundation – “I would take these men with me to Hell to fight the Devil!” said Bret Hart of his teammates. Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, and the “lovable” Owen Hart, combined with Bret Hart were an awesome (and short-lived) stable. Combining technical skill, muscle, and a unique relationship with the fans (loved in Canada, hated in the U.S.), the Foundation was truly one of the best stables in history, both in terms of being over and in terms of sheer talent. When Jim Neidhart is the worst worker in a group of five, it’s a good group.

3.The new World order – Yes, I could put this at the top two or even number one. Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall completely revolutinized the business. They were the hottest thing in wrestling. Even adding Syxx and Big Show to the mix, the group was a cool group of renegade thugs and really blurred the lines of face/heel. However, after that, it gets a little ridiculous. Sure, Randy Savage and Scott Steiner fit into the group, but did Scott Norton or Buff Bagwell really do anything for the group? Not to mention Vincent and Horace Hogan. And when it split into different groups, the Wolfpac as babyfaces and the “White n.W.o.” as heels, it just got a little much. This is a perfect example of how too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

2.D-Generation X – While Nash and Hall were making waves in WCW, two of their best friends would create a group that was just as cool, more controversial, and more talented. Shawn Michaels and Triple H decided to take their sophomoric backstage antics and put it in front of the world. People were literally in shock as those two, along with Chyna, pushed the lines of decency further and further every week. They were shocked, but they also laughed, because the trio was funny. After Shawn retired, Triple H recruited X-Pac, fresh from WCW and his run in the n.W.o. and the New Age Outlaws, the hottest team in the company, and created a babyface stable that allowed the Game to elevate himself and become a top superstar.

1.The Four Horsemen – Like a lot of my fellow writers, I grew up with the Four Horsemen. Unlike most of them, my memories of watching them were of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit and Mongo McMichael. They were not the evil, cool heels then, but they were the top babyface force, the only group that was really able to challenge the n.W.o. or Kevin Sullivan’s “Dungeon of Doom”. Even if it wasn’t the best group of guys (an aging Flair and Anderson, and Mongo), they were over because the “Four Horsemen” meant something. That was thanks to the incredible work of the original Horsemen (Flair, Arn, Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard) and its subsequent formations, which elevated future stars like Barry Windham, Lex Luger and Sting. For my money, the formation of Flair, Anderson, Blanchard and Windham was the most talented group of wrestlers ever assembled as one group. These guys definatly reign supreme as the best stable, and I doubt they will ever be topped.

Chris Lansdell

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Right to Censor – Very few factions ever drew heel heat like these guys. They had a great gimmick for the time frame, made some excellent choices for memebrs and converts and did everything to match the gimmick, even down to the immensely annoying theme music. Kept from a higher spot by the short run and jobber nature.

Hart Foundation – More heat magnets, though they went the conventional “We hate America” route. The difference with the Harts was that they could all go in the ring. People who say Bret Hart couldn’t cut a promo should watch some of his work from this era.

d-Generation X – As much the standard bearers for the Attitude Era as Austin was, in their own way. Rude, crude, suggestive, and essential to WWF’s survival during the down period, but kept out of the top 5 proper because really, they weren’t original.

5. Devastation Inc : OK, I have a soft spot for anything from WCCW and GWF. However, one has only to look at the list of talent that ran through Akbar’s stable in various territories to know that he was a maker of stars: Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Kamala, The Great Kabuki, Abdullah the Butcher, the man who would become Ahmed Johnson, King Kong Bundy, Big Bubba Rogers aka Big Boss Man, Ted DiBiase, Greg Valentine, Dick Murdoch, Dr Death Steve Williams…it’s a long list. When you add in that Akbar was a great promo, actually managed his wrestlers and actually WAS Arabic, you see why the stable worked so well.

4. Evolution : Few stables have ever held so much past, present and future star power in just four men. HHH’s plan for Evolution was excellent: use the name of Ric Flair and the position on the card of HHH to take two guys with potential and skyrocket them to heights they likely never would have reached alone. In kayfabe HHH used the young guys to protect his title while they grew resentful and gathered fan support. Having Flair in the mix just increased the legitimacy and also gave him something to do. Just the fact that this plan worked perfectly in making Orton AND Batista multiple-time world champions is deserving of a spot.

3. Nation of Domination : A few eyebrows may be raised over this decision, but allow me to explain: the Nation is unique in extending or improving the career of EVERY person to come through it. Yes, even Owen Hart. I touched on this in my column yesterday, but Kama Mustafa came in as a castoff from the Million Dollar Corporation and left as The Godfather. Mark Henry was doing nothing at all and left as part of a strong tag team. Savio Vega was floundering in lower midcard obscurity but came out with his own stable. Of course the Nation also played a major part in the creation of the biggest new star wrestling ever had in The Rock. It might only have created one world champion, but there’s more to success than that. Not many reach that level, and when you consider that of the Nation members only D’Lo was new to the company and not in danger of unemployment, it’s remarkable that the Nation caused most of them to stick around for so long.

2. Four Horsemen : Oh Lansdell, what have you done? Why, I’ve resisted the smarkish temptation to put the Horsemen at the top. Why? Well partly because of what the #1 faction did, but mainly because the Horsemen were so hit and miss. First you have the incredible early years where they held all the titles in the NWA, with names like Barry Windham and Lex Luger joining the ever-present Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. You had people like Sting and the aforementioned Luger being made into stars by getting ejected from the Horsemen. In these days everyone in the stable could wrestle AND talk, with hardly a weak point to be seen. Then you have the people like Dean Malenko, Jeff Jarrett and Brian Pillman who were very good, but really didn’t benefit from their runs as Horsemen. Chris Benoit certainly did, but more because of the Sullivan feud. Finally you have people like Paul Roma, Sid and Mongo McMichael who should never have been anywhere near what was, at the team, a tremendous stable. The Horsemen were trailblazers for heel stables and they set the tone for many others, but in the end they were just too inconsistent and went on too long.

1. nWo : Yes I know this rather defeats the inconsistency argument I used with the Four Horsemen, but they have one advantage the Horsemen do not: the nWo were almost single-handedly responsible for WCW beating WWF for all those weeks. It’s a cliché that is bandied about far too often, but the nWo changed the face of professional wrestling forever. They pushed the scope of what wrestling could present, they blurred the lines of real and story, they did something that national audiences hadn’t seen from a wrestling promotion before, and they did it with huge names. Did they go overboard atthe end? Certainly? Were there too many members? Most likely. The fact remains that every week you tuned in to Nitro to see how they would keep the belt on Hogan this week, and to see who would turn. That in itself is something no other stable on this list can claim, and is worthy of the top spot.

Jeremy Thomas

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Evolution – I enjoyed Evolution, it simply didn’t last long enough to rate any higher. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.

Hart Foundation – The Hart Foundation group went through a couple changes over the years, but at the core it was always about great wrestling and helping get their opponents over. They didn’t truly reach the heights of success that D-X or the nWo had, but they were still a fantastic group.

Million Dollar Corporation – This one hurts me to leave out of the top five, but it must be done. I love me some Million Dollar Man and this group was a great group of heels from DiBiase to IRS, to Sycho Sid and Steve Austin. Lack of longevity is what keeps them off the top five though, sad as it is to say.

5.Raven’s Nest/The Flock – Oh yes, I did in fact put this over the Hart Foundation and Evolution. This is pure personal preference, as the Flock sure as hell didn’t have the influence that other stables did, but I consider the Flock to be just the WCW version of ECW’s Raven’s Nest and count them together. Raven ruled ECW with this particular posse, consisting of an ever-rotating group of lovers, lackeys, hit men and more. We had Stevie Richards, the Pitbulls, Cactus Jack, The Eliminators, Brian Lee, the Dudley Boys, Beulah, Chastity, Kimona…hell, at one point Raven even had Lori and Tyler Fullington just to screw with Sandman. Even the Flock version in WCW was a group I followed with as much fervor as the nWo, and I loved Kidman, Kanyon, Saturn and more. Other groups may have been stronger or more influential, but this is one of my favorites.

4.Heenan Family – Three WWF Championship reigns (if you include Ric Flair’s as a Heenan associate). Three Intercontinental Championship reigns. Two World Tag Team Title runs, and the second-ever King of the Ring. And that’s just what they did in the WWF; never mind their NWA and AWA stuff. Bobby Heenan had a great stable of heels that included some of the best in the business. They’ll always be remembered more for being Hogan’s ever-rotating group of adversaries, but to me the Heenan Family was a hated monolith that the WWF wouldn’t be safe from for years and my memories of that group are very fond indeed.

3.D-Generation X – This, to me, doesn’t include the recent run of Triple H and Shawn Michaels; that D-X is a tag team and not the stable. The stable was the group that started out as Hunter, Shawn and Chyna running out of control and doing things you just couldn’t do on TV at the time. I still crack up at their apology and things they were not allowed to do anymore promo. They rocked out with Mike Tyson and then got turned on by him…then, when the stable looked to be screwed by Shawn’s injury and temporary retirement, ‘H reassembled the group by bringing in the New Age Outlaws and X-Pac. At their height, they were one of the most popular and (sometimes at the same time) hated groups in the WWF, and I think any group would be hard pressed to recapture that magic.

2.The new World order – Dominance. Pure and utter dominance. Sure, things got ugly by the very end, but throughout the majority of the n.W.o.’s reign of terror they were THE thing to watch in professional wrestling. The Wolfpac vs. Hollywood feud was done well–for a while–and before that we just had the group making bitches out of the entire WCW roster. There are so many major and memorable events that came out of this, and the influence the group had on the landscape of the industry is so deep and enduring, that you can’t place them any lower than this even if you want to. (Okay, you can and many of my colleagues did, but…ahh, where’s your sense of hyperbole?)

1.Four Horsemen – Every stable on this list owes a debt to the Horsemen; if they didn’t exist, then none of these guys would have in the way we remember them. Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson and J.J. Dillon were THE bad guy force to be reckoned with. Unlike the n.W.o., the Horsemen lasted forever without ever seeming to have overstayed their welcome. They innovated the way heel alliances were supposed to work, and every time you see a major heel stable, you immediately think of the Horsemen. Even if you don’t think of the Horsemen, you think of the kind of stable the Horsemen pioneered, which means you’re thinking of them without realizing it. The Four Horsemen are exactly what a stable should be. End of story.

Ryan Byers

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Los Gringoes Locos – Art Barr. Eddy Guerrero. Konnan. “Black Cat” Victor Marr. “Madonna’s Boyfiend” Louie Spicolli. Los Gringos Locos were the quintessential lucha libre rudo unit. Barr and Guerrero were obviously the anchors of the team and could have done just as well without the other men involved, but the others didn’t exactly drag down the quality of the angle either as new members often do in a stable.

Kaientai Deluxe – They didn’t get that much exposure in the grand scheme of things, but the people who took the time to watch KDX all realize that their work RULED. Each member of the group (Dick Togo, MEN’S Teioh, TAKA Michinoku, Shoichi Funaki, and Kaz Hayashi) oozed heel charisma, and each was also an excellent professional wrestler at his peak. Granted, the WWF version of the group wasn’t much to write home about, but the original Michinoku Pro version more than makes up for it.

D-Generation X – Sometimes I use honorable mentions to list personal favorites of mine. Sometimes I use them to highlight groups that just barely missed my cutoff for the Top 5. DX falls in to the latter category. Obviously, the original version of the group and the later Triple H-lead fivesome were ridiculously popular during the Attitude Era. The revived HHH/HBK DX of modern day, though geared more towards children, managed to maintain that level of popularity amongst fans who are still watching. All in all, not a bad run . . . though it’s just a hair shy of the five groups listed above.

5.The Hart Foundation – Sometimes groups are great because they endure for a significant period of time. Sometimes groups are great because, even though they don’t necessarily last as long, the performances that they have in their shorter run are awesome. The 1997 version of the Hart Foundation falls in to group number two. The real key to the success of the Foundation is in the fact that every member had a clearly defined role and played it to perfection. Bret Hart was the grizzled, outspoken leader. Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart were the resident tag team. Brian Pillman was the undercard wrestler gaining more exposure. Jim Neidhart was the designated jobber in matches against the team’s rivals. The five of them, all with significant experience and talent, came together to form a whole greater than all of its parts, which is really what a stable is all about.

4.Fabulous Freebirds – I’m amazed that I haven’t seen more mentions of these guys in my compatriots’ ballots. I suppose that an argument can be made that the core group of Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Roberts was more of an unconventional tag team than a stable, but, the way I see it, every time that you’ve got three or more guys working together under the same name, that’s a stable. Plus there were tons of ancillary Freebirds over the years, guys like like Jimmy Garvin, Iceman Parsons, and Brad Armstrong who all contributed in their own way. If you do in fact consider them a stable, the Freebirds are one of the few in history to travel from promotion to promotion, which gives them a special quality that none of the other units on this list have. Their levels of success were roughly the same in every territory that they went to as well, which speaks highly of the talent level of the core group of three and the revolving cast of extras that ran with them.

3.The Four Horsemen – Some people will probably consider having the Horsemen this far down on my list to be heresy. I don’t deny it: When the Horsemen were at their best, they probably were the best stable in professional wrestling history. Like the Hart Foundation, the best Horsemen combinations featured a roster of men, each one with a distinct role and each having all of the tools necessary to perform in that role. However, there is a world of difference between the best Horseman units and the worst Horseman units, and, at least in my book, the poor Horseman combinations were bad enough to drag even the peaks down to number three on my list. For every Chris Benoit who became a star through his involvement with the group, you had a Paul Roma or a Jeff Jarrett. For every great in-ring performer like Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham, you had a Sid Vicious or a Steve McMichael. Yes, everything from the Four Horsemen prior to 1989 was awesome, but the group has eleven years of history after that, and the majority of those years are suspect.

2.The New World Order – There is one primary reason that the nWo makes number two on my list: Money. No stable in professional wrestling history made as much money as the nWo did, and, like it or not, the goal of professional wrestling at the end of the day is to make money. It was the formation and the original promotion of the nWo that took WCW from a distant number two in the “wrestling wars” and turned the company in to a force that would trump the WWF in terms of popularity (and arguably quality) for well over a year. However, like the Horsemen, the nWo gets dragged down on my list because there were just too many inferior variations of the group after the peak. Yes, the nWo Wolfpac had a period during which it was incredibly popular, but, other than that, everything after the stable’s split down the middle all the way to its death in WWE in 2002 was ridiculously bad and an extreme hindrance to the New World Order’s legacy.

1.The Dangerous Alliance – Okay, call me the odd man out. No, they didn’t last quite as long as the nWo or the Horsemen, and, no, the WWE-written version of history that we get on DVDs today doesn’t remember them as fondly. However, in 1991 and 1992, the Dangerous Alliance was EVERYTHING that the best years of the nWo and the Four Horsemen were in terms of the heel stable that rides in to a company and absolutely dominates it. The other great thing about the Dangerous Alliance was that the group formed, gained momentum, peaked, got beaten by the babyfaces, and then ENDED. They are perhaps the only awesome stable in professional wrestling history that got in, got the job done, and got out. Though there were a couple of brief revivals in ECW, those were blips on the radar compared to the constant rehashes of the Horsemen and the nWo which, at least in my mind, severely hurt those groups’ legacies. The Alliance, which featured great promos from Paul Heyman, awesome singles matches from Rick Rude, fine tag team wrestling from Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton, and a diamond in the rough rising star in Steve Austin, was not just a textbook example of how to create a wrestling stable and make it the focal point of a company but also a textbook example of how to end the story at the perfect time, which sometimes is just as important.

So with all said and done, here is the 411 Wrestling’s Overall Top 5 Stables.

5.The Hennan Family – 10 points (1 2nd place vote, 1 3rd place vote, 1 4th place vote, 1 5th place vote, 1 Honorable Mentions)