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Over the years in WWE, we have seen some amazing factions grace the ring. A faction is successful based on several factors, including a clear purpose, the level of members, and the lasting impression it creates.
We tend to remember groups like D-Generation X and the New World Order, both of which are in or confirmed for the WWE Hall of Fame. More recent examples include The Shield and the Undisputed Era. These factions will stand the test of time and be remembered for years and decades.
However, WWE has had its fair share of forgotten factions. Those that were created off the back of a more recognizable one, or for one single purpose. These factions were not necessarily bad, they just don't stick out in the memory.
Whether they served a bigger storyline or simply faded away, here are five WWE factions, from the past 15 years, you forgot ever existed.
#5 The Corre
The Nexus was a sound concept when WWE first brought it in, with their initial debut on Monday Night RAW stunning the WWE Universe. However, some poor booking ruined their momentum and altered the group's course. Shortly after a damaging defeat to John Cena, Wade Barrett was replaced by CM Punk as the leader of the Nexus.
The new faction was dubbed "The New Nexus", while Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater followed Barrett to SmackDown. As the "core" members of the Nexus, the three called themselves the Corre, bafflingly adding an extra 'R' to the name.
Ezekiel Jackson joined the Corre and gave them a momentary surge of momentum during their feud against the Big Show, with Slater and Gabriel even picking up the Tag Team Championships. However, things ended pretty badly for Barrett's spin-off stable, following a quick 8-man tag team defeat at WrestleMania 27.
Even an Intercontinental Title victory for Barrett couldn't turn the Corre's fortunes around. They eventually disbanded, leading to Jackson turning face and beating Barrett for his title.
#4 The Welcoming Committee
Some WWE factions only form for a solitary common goal and once that goal is fulfilled, they disband and go their separate ways. The Welcoming Committee is a prime example of that kind of faction. The catalyst to their formation was the high-profile arrival of Charlotte Flair to SmackDown.
WWE's Queen moved to SmackDown shortly after WrestleMania 33 and instantly challenged Naomi for the SmackDown Women's Championship. This drew the ire of Natalya, Tamina, and Carmella, who felt that Charlotte was being handed a title shot. They ended up interfering in the title match.
Natalya, Tamina, and Carmella, along with James Ellsworth, formed the Welcoming Committee, intending to show Charlotte her place on the Blue brand. Becky Lynch pretended to join the Welcoming Committee but ended up fighting them before the trio left her laying.
At Backlash 2017, Natalya, Tamina, and Carmella defeated Becky, Naomi, and Charlotte, effectively completing the purpose of the group. The trio eventually disbanded as WWE started building to the first-ever Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
The Welcoming Committee briefly reunited at the end of 2017, with Lana being added to the mix, to take on the Riott Squad as they made their WWE main roster debut.
#3 JBL's Cabinet
2004 was a wild year for Bradshaw, starting off as part of the trusty APA alongside Ron Simmons. However, after WrestleMania 20, he underwent a drastic shift in his character. Now known as JBL, he suddenly became the top heel on SmackDown and won the WWE Championship.
Shortly after defeating Eddie Guerrero to win the title, JBL hired his own protection by forming a faction that would have his back and ensure his status as the WWE Champion. And thus, the Cabinet was born.
He brought in Amy Weber as his image consultant and Jillian Hall as his publicist, along with a couple of young stars joined. The Basham Brothers and Orlando Jordan received decent pushes as part of JBL's Cabinet, dominating the Blue brand for a while.
Along with helping their leader retain his belt against the likes of Kurt Angle and The Undertaker, the Cabinet enjoyed some title success. Jordan won the United States Championship from John Cena, while the Bashams became WWE Tag Team Champions.
However, the faction faded away soon after JBL lost the WWE Title to Cena. That was the most memorable thing either Jordan or the Basham Brothers ever did in WWE.
#2 The Cosmic Wasteland
This is probably the most forgettable faction on this list, serving no purpose except to extend the Stardust character for no reason. Following the tragic passing of Dusty Rhodes in 2015, WWE should have allowed Cody Rhodes to revert to his previous self.
They instead fleshed it out to book a tag team match involving Stardust and Stephen Amell for SummerSlam. But there was no plan or reason for him to remain with the facepaint after that. His partnership with The Ascension was born randomly.
Konnor and Viktor aligned with Stardust by attacking Neville just before his match with the AEW star, forming the Cosmic Wasteland. If WWE had put some stock behind the trio, it could have gone somewhere.
But save for a 6-man tag team victory over Neville and the Lucha Dragons on the Night of Champions kickoff show, the Cosmic Wasteland pretty much did nothing on WWE TV. The trio did tease a feud with Cesaro, but that went nowhere.
The Cosmic Wasteland eventually faded away, with the Ascension returning to the bottom of the tag team division. Cody Rhodes got fed up with playing Stardust and eventually asked WWE for his release, which was granted. Definitely not the most elite of factions in recent WWE history.
#1 The Dogs Of War
Did you know that the current WWE and Universal Champions were part of a faction together? They were, and their sole purpose was to sell for The Shield.
Braun Strowman's attempt at a Money in the Bank cash-in on Roman Reigns was thwarted by Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, with The Shield reuniting once again. The following week, the Monster Among Men decided to announce his cash-in on the then-Universal Champion for Hell in a Cell, before turning heel and allying himself with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre.
WWE booked the trios to have endless combinations of singles and tag team matches against each other. Calling themselves the Dogs Of War, Strowman, McIntyre, and Ziggler faced The Shield in an all-action 6-man tag team match at Super ShowDown in Australia. They may have lost, but Ziggler and McIntyre were still the RAW Tag Team Champions.
The two trios traded wins on RAW, with the underlying issue of Dean Ambrose's role in The Shield playing an interesting part. The Dogs Of War imploded when McIntyre blasted Strowman with a Claymore Kick after one defeat too many.
It remains a baffling decision for WWE to have turned Strowman heel, as he was still extremely popular. At least it gave Dolph Ziggler something interesting to do and helped to integrate Drew McIntyre into WWE's main event scene. So the Dogs Of War stable wasn't all bad.
This faction remains a very forgettable part of WWE's recent history. This group was only created to put The Shield over and make them look mighty. But it came at a cost, Braun Strowman's momentum was dashed due to his sudden heel turn and failed cash-in.
