Strength in numbers: pro wrestling's greatest stables

Wrestling is primarily a pursuit for individuals, but sometimes you need someone to watch your back. In the always volatile world of Pro Wrestling, nearly anything can take place, and being on your own makes you vulnerable, indeed.

Perhaps that is why so many wrestlers choose to join a faction of like-minded individuals. Called a Stable in the parlance of wrestling, these groups exist to help each other achieve new heights of career success.

From the Horsemen to the Bullet Club, here are ten of the best stables in wrestling history.

#10 The Fabulous Freebirds

The legendary faction from Atlanta, Georgia, were the first wildly popular stable in modern pro wrestling history. Led by the Charismatic Michael PS Hayes, their membership included big man Terry Bam Bam Gordy -- of the Gordbuster -- Buddy Jack Roberts, and, eventually, Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin.

Full of southern pride and with a penchant for breaking the rules, the Freebirds were the first three-man tag team to become famous. The "Freebird Rule" still used today -- where any of three members of the faction are considered tag team champions -- was created solely for them.

The Freebirds were so big, they were featured in the Hollywood cult classic Highlander film. They were also the first wrestlers to have their own, custom theme song, sung by frontman Michael Hayes.

Wherever the Freebirds went, title success was sure to follow. Even after the group split, Michael Hayes and Gordy continued to have great success as singles stars. When mentioning the greatest wrestling stables, no list would be complete without the power trio from Badstreet, USA.

Here they are taking on the Road Warriors for the championship.

#9 The Beautiful People

Often in wrestling, the predominantly male crowd will refuse to boo very attractive female wrestlers, no matter how vile their deeds. That is why the Beautiful People stable was such an accomplishment.

Featuring women with pin-up model good looks, the Beautiful People managed to raise the ire of fans to the point where they received wall to wall boos. Consisting of Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, Angelina Love, and Lacey Von Erich, they ran roughshod over TNA wrestling for much of the mid-2000s.

Women wrestling factions are starting to make a comeback these days, and it's important to remember where it all began. Here they are taking on rivals the Dollhouse.

#8 The Dangerous Alliance

When Paul E Dangerously was hired by WCW in the early 1990s, he was initially assigned the managership of the Original Midnight Express, who were feuding with the Stan Lane/Bobby Eaton variation of that team. Quickly, the WCW management recognized Paul Heyman's gift of gab and decided to make him the figurehead of the top heel faction in their promotion.

The line up of the Alliance reads like a who's who of some of the greatest names to ever work in wrestling. Veteran performer Larry Zybysko joined former Horseman Arn Anderson to form the Enforcers, the Alliance's tag team. Aerial specialist Beautiful Bobby Eaton would also join the lineup, as well as (then) newcomer Steve Austin, and top draw Ravishing Rick Rude.

The Alliance worked the bloodiest match in history against Sting's Squadron in a Wargames match that is still talked about today.

Gathering such a plethora of talent behind one of the sport's most skilled talkers was a genius move, and the Dangerous Alliance is still talked about today. Here they are taking on fellow listers the Freebirds.

#7 The Nation of Domination

After the departure of top stars like Rick Rude and Davey Boy Smith, Vince McMahon became reluctant to promote wrestlers under their real names. Thus, when first black heavyweight champion Ron Simmons was signed to a WWF contract, he was re-christened Faarooq and was repackaged as a black separatist with his own stable: The Nation of Domination.

Though the membership varied, the most famous of the group were Kama Mustafa, D-Lo Brown, Faarooq, and a young Rocky Maivia. In fact, it was working with the Nation that the Rock gimmick was born, and he would eventually depose Faarooq to take over leadership of the faction.

Controversial at the time, the Nation garnered a lot of heat from the predominantly white crowds of the mid-1990s. Eventually, the stable became problematic, as changing societal mores reflected a greater sympathy for people of colour and their struggles, and the stable was disbanded. But not before they went on a path of destruction. Here they are taking on the Road Warriors.

#6 The LWO

After the onset of the nWo faction, many of the lower card wrestlers felt marginalized and expressed their displeasure in the locker room. The LWO faction was inspired by these events, including one off-camera instance where Eric Bischoff threw his coffee on Eddie Guerrero.

Latino Heat decided that enough was enough, and formed his own stable, the Latino World Order. One of the most powerful stables in terms of sheer numbers, the LWO listed as members most of the luchadors working for WCW at that time. In fact, the LWO also makes history as the stable with the most masked talent of all time.

Though they were disbanded after JJ Dillon pleaded with Eddie for help against the nWo, the Latino World Order represents one of the few times Mexican stars were given a spotlight all their own. Here is an excellent promo by Eddie himself when he forms the LWO.

#5 The New Day

Let's be honest here: The New Day was never intended to be as wildly popular as they have become. The WWE packaged them as a comedy act, and partially as a punishment for Kofi Kingston botching the end of a match with Randy Orton. Big E Langston was coming off a failed push as a monster heel, and the former Consequences Creed Xavier Woods was thought of as unseasoned at best.

Imagine the surprise backstage when the New Day became the phenomenon it is today. The epitome of turning a sow's ear into a silk purse, the New Day have inspired internet memes, fan art, and even a breakfast cereal. Their over the top, incessantly cheerful antics have made them a hallmark of the WWE's programming, and it's hard to imagine the trio not being together. In fact, many consider the New Day to be the heirs to the Freebird's throne.

Here is the New Day in an entertaining -- if controversial -- rap battle.

#4 The Shield

The brainchild of no less than CM Punk, the Shield was designed to get over three wrestlers when they came onto the main roster from NXT. Roman Reigns would replace Kassius Ohno before the team actually made it onto television, and Punk's original idea of a paramilitary faction was altered to a violent vigilante group, but they still owe Punk a debt for their success.

With the charismatic Dean Ambrose, technical wizard Seth Rollins, and the massive muscle of Roman Reigns, the Shield ran roughshod over the WWE, delivering their famous triple powerbomb on the unlucky wrestlers who didn't escape the ring in time.

Though they began as heels, the Shield would turn babyface. The faction broke up when Seth Rollins turned on his allies, but they have recently re-formed and seem poised to make another legendary run.

Here's the Shield facing Evolution.

#3 The New World Order

When WWE alums Kevin Nash and Scott Hall started 'invading' broadcasts of WCW Monday Nitro, they turned a lot of heads, including Vince McMahon's. After an unsuccessful lawsuit to prevent his former stars performing under their real names, Hall and Nash started beatdowns of popular babyface WCW talent.

Eventually, they would run afoul of the top faces in WCW at the time: Sting, Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan, and Macho Man Randy Savage. After Sting was accused of being a traitor, he no-showed a match, leaving his teammates to fend for themselves. The whole world watched with bated breath as Hulk Hogan made his way to the ring, presumably to save longtime ally Randy Savage from a beat down.

Instead, Hogan dropped the leg on Savage and founded the nWo in one of wrestling's most historic moments. Hogan becoming the equivalent of Darth Vader was unthinkable and shocking at the time, and the audience voiced their displeasure with hurled debris.

Though the nWo would eventually swell with b-list members and lose credibility, it remains the main reason for WCW's ratings dominance of WWE for nearly three years.

Here is the moment that shocked the wrestling world, and kicked off the Monday Night War.

#2 Bullet Club

The Bullet Club has changed its lineup over the years, but remain some of the most talented wrestlers in the world.

For literally decades, the WWE has tried to copy the nWo, with varying degrees of the success. However, it would be in the far east that the true heir to the New World Order would be born.

Bullet Club is, simply put, a rip off of the nWo, but with much, much more talented athletes who are in their prime. Originally portrayed as a stable of evil American wrestlers, the Bullet Club has expanded its membership to include Japanese and UK athletes as well.

How great is Bullet Club? Well, the WWE keeps filing lawsuits against them. Vince McMahon would not take such steps unless he feels threatened. The WWE currently has the upper hand, having forced the Club to stop using the nWo's famous 'too sweet' hand gesture, but the change doesn't seem to have slowed Bullet Club in the least.

Bullet Club has changed its membership over the years, but with such legends as AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and the Young Bucks among its roster they have proven to be an even more dominant force than the nWo faction, which is why they are higher on this list than the team they copied.

You're invited to a Superkick Party:

#1 The Four Horsemen

"The Four Horsemen are superior to the nWo because you had four guys who could talk AND work a match"- "Nature Boy" Ric Flair

Ouch! Can we get some aloe for that burn? But Ric Flair is correct. There will never be a stable as dominant, as explosive, as hated, or as talented, as the Four Horsemen.

The Horsemen were created by accident. Looking to save valuable TV time, Ted Turner's weekly wrestling broadcast decided to interview Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Ric Flair, and Tully Blanchard at the same time. Arn opened the interview with 'what you're looking at right now is the Four Horsemen of professional wrestling!'

And a legend was born.

Words cannot describe how HATED the Horsemen were during their heyday. Tully Blanchard was once attacked by angry fans after the stable beat down fan favourite Dusty Rhodes in a parking lot. Ric Flair received numerous death threats, and even Manager JJ Dillon was subjected to fan abuse.

The Horsemen played up their villain status, unrepentant in their cheating ways as they schemed to hold on to all the gold the NWA had to offer. The only thing strong enough to break up the Horsemen was Ted Turner's billions. When he purchased Jim Crockett productions, Flair, Arn, and Tully all left for the greener pastures of the WWE due to a perceived disrespect by new WCW manager Jim Herd.

The Horsemen would reform numerous times during the ensuing years, but the strongest, most famous line up was as follows: Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Barry Whindam.

Here's a match just chock full of legends:

There you have it; ten of Wrestling's greatest stables. Let the hate-fueled comments begin!

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