5 Best Trios in WWE History

WWE has had its share of factions over the years. Typically, those factions are comprised of four or more wrestlers. Evolution comes to mind or DX led by Triple H. There are times, however, that three is the perfect number for a faction. WWE has had some amazing trios over the years.

Some of the trio had extended tag teams that were interchangeable and others were just a strong trio, usually with a lead dog that called the shots. Every good trio usually needs three things: a good talker, a good worker and a powerhouse. A great historical example is the Fabulous Freebirds. PS Michael Hayes was the talker for the group, Buddy Roberts was the worker of the group and Terry Gordy was the powerhouse.

There are some groups left off this list that deserve mention. The NWO never quite took hold in the WWE. They were all-time greats in WCW but didn’t last long enough in WWE. Team Angle also comes to mind but they missed the formula. In many ways, Team Angle didn’t fit the blueprint. Kurt Angle was the talker and worker. Haas and Benjamin were both great workers and lousy talkers and the group lacked a scary powerhouse.

With that in mind, here are the 5 best trios in WWE history.

#5 WWE’s Original Greatest Tag Team: Demolition

WWE has had a ton of great tag teams over the years, but before there was The New Day, Demolition owned the record for longest reigning tag team champions. Originally just a twosome with Ax and Smash, the group added Crush in later years and continued as a dominating tag team force. Crush brought youth to the aging pair and added years to their relevance.

Ax and Smash originally won the title in 1988 over Strike Force. The duo started as a heel tag team with Mr Fuji as their manager but eventually turned face and rid themselves of Fuji. Demolition wore WWE tag team belts long enough to break the previous record held by the Valiant Brothers. They would hold the gold for 478 days until finally being defeated by the Brain Buster, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson.

After dropping the belts for the first time, Crush was added to the group. Demolition soon became heels again and Crush certainly added a level of aggression. The trio would win tag team gold again and the two team members would change up match to match. Demolition would be a force in WWE from 1990 to 1993 and always a threat to win tag team gold.

WWE would not see a trio strictly involved in tag team wrestling for quite some time after the ferocious trio known as Demolition.

#4 WWE’s Family Business: The Bloodline

This trio seems natural. WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns has teamed up with his real-life cousins Jey and Jimmy Uso, 7-time WWE tag team champions. Add in Paul Heyman as the advocate for the group and you have a perfect mix. The Bloodline looks like a trio that will be tough to stop for years to come.

Reigns is no stranger to trios of course but he has really thrived in his role as the head of the table, the head of the Bloodline. He had his cousins do his bidding and he has had a long and successful reign as champion. It is the perfect heel trio, a world champion that is continuously able to retain his title with the help of the other two members.

In addition to helping Reigns retain the WWE Universal title, the Usos remain one of the greatest tag teams in the history of the WWE. This only adds to their legacy and the legacy of the group.

#3 WWE’s Creep Show: The Wyatt Family

The Wyatt Family's run in the WWE was relatively short but incredibly memorable. The vignettes leading up to the group’s debut were scary enough. When they finally arrived on the scene, the Wyatt family was feared throughout WWE. Comprised of leader Bray Wyatt along with Erick Rowan and the late Luke Harper, the group was perfectly formed.

Bray Wyatt was the unquestioned leader and talker of the group. His storytelling captivated WWE audiences. Erick Rowan and Luke Harper were nearly interchangeable as the trio’s powerhouse but Harper would get the nod as the best worker of the trio. They went on to have memorable feuds with Kane, the Undertaker, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. They also frequently tormented John Cena throughout this time.

By the time Wyatt ‘set free’ Harper and Rowan, there was still so much more the WWE could have done with this trio. The trio could have ruled the WWE much like the Bloodline is now but were broken up far too soon. Wyatt went on to have a mixed results run as a solo performer while the duo of Harper and Rowan split up and were put back together a number of times.

The Wyatt Family was brought back by WWE on a few occasions, including with Braun Strowman, but was never the same as that first appearance. The original trio of Wyatt, Rowan and Harper remain one of the best of all-time.

#2 WWE: Its a New Day

To think, WWE originally formed the New Day as a positive group with memorable messages that were quickly turned on by the WWE Universe. From those humble beginnings came the most decorated trio in WWE history. The New Day would turn heel, turn the ‘power of positivity’ into a mantra and go on to capture the hearts and minds of the WWE and its fans.

The New Day is comprised of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E. The group, much like Demolition, interchanged duos in their tag team title matches. They would go on to capture tag team gold 11 times, hold the record for longest reigning tag team champs at 484 days and the most Smackdown tag team title reigns with 7.

The New Day has remained both popular and relevant. In recent years, they have split up the trio to focus on singles runs for first Kofi Kingston, then Big E and finally Xavier Woods. Each time, the trio remain together whenever they need one another.

#1. WWE’s Hounds of Justice: The Shield

WWE has never had a trio that best put all the pieces together other than The Shield. Talker? The loose cannon, Dean Ambrose is your man. Worker? Architect Seth Rollins was there for five star matches. Muscle? Roman Reigns was the epitome of the feared, silent type at the group’s outset. The Shield was the perfect combo for all that made a trio great.

When The Shield showed up at Survivor Series 2012, interfering in the Triple Threat Match between John Cena, CM Punk and Ryback, they changed the WWE landscape forever. They had the look, the attitude and the toughness necessary to be both cool and feared at the same time. Their entrance, literally coming through the crowd, was perfect. So was their entrance music. They were pushed effectively by the WWE and were made to look unstoppable.

By the time The Shield broke up two years after they were formed, the group had a number of accolades. They would win tag team titles, Intercontinental and US championships and all three were considered legitimate threats to the WWE title. They would eventually reunite for a time in 2017 and briefly in 2018-19 but the group would never reach the heights of their inaugural run.

The true testament to the greatness of this trio is the success each member has had since the group broke up in WWE. Rollins was the first to win the WWE title, Reigns would follow and eventually Ambrose would win it as well. Ambrose would also be the first Grand Slam champion in the group before departing WWE. Group success and individual success have defined the greatest trio in the history of WWE.