5 Superstars who formed their first stables outside of WWE

While WWE may be at the forefront of producing some of the biggest professional wrestling stars ever to grace the industry, more than a few provided some of their best work outside of WWE.

Some WWE Superstars established their first stables outside of the company

Perhaps, due to WWE being the leader in sports entertainment, many fans worldwide seem to forget that other organizations have produced stars, teams, and, most importantly, stables that defined pro wrestling. While the definition of a stable differs from person to person, it tends to mean a team of three people or more.

Stables are always at their best when they surround a group of heels. D-Generation X, The Corporation, The Ministry of Darkness, The Corporate Ministry, Evolution, The Hart Foundation, Wyatt Family, Nation of Domination, The Million Dollar Corporation, etc. are just some examples of incredibly successful heel factions.

In short, the stable concept works best when it acts as an obstacle against the babyface who must defeat them against all odds. But more importantly, being associated with a stable can change a wrestler's stardom and, in some cases, actually catapult it to greater heights.

The more significant point is that a stable can define both the babyface and the evil leader in charge of the said group and if done right, elevates both talents to the next level.

Here are 5 Superstars who formed their first stables outside of WWE.

#5 Raven - Raven's Nest and The Flock in ECW and WCW Respectively

Raven was once a former WWE Superstar who found his footing in Paul Heyman's ECW, where he created the Raven character as a sociopathic villain playing mind games on his opponents.

Raven did what most heels did (and still do) and created a stable in ECW dubbed Raven's Nest. This included the likes of Stevie Richards, The Blue Meanie, and other known associates.

When he debuted in WCW, the stable was more defined and redubbed The Flock. It included some notable names such as Kanyon, Billy Kidman, Perry Saturn, and Scotty Riggs.

With the aid of The Flock, Raven won the WCW United States Championship but would only be the champion for a day. He would be dethroned by Goldberg, who had a rocket strapped to his back at the time.

Note: As Scotty Flamingo, Raven was a part of the Diamond Mine stable in WCW in 1991-1992 but its leader was Diamond Dallas Page

#4 Ric Flair - Four Horsemen in NWA and WCW

Few words can best describe one of the most legendary stables in history (Pic Source: WWE)

The Four Horsemen is considered one of the most iconic stables in professional wrestling. Created in 1985 outside of WWE, the original Four Horsemen consisted of the 16-time World Champion Ric Flair, Ole Anderson, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard. They feuded with many in the NWA including Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A., and The Road Warriors.

The stable in question evolved over the years and brought in different members who became major pro-wrestling Superstars. Some of these members were:

Lex Luger
Barry Windham
Sting
Sid Vicious
Paul Roma
Brian Pillman
Chris Benoit
Jeff Jarrett
Curt Hennig

The group's legacy can be gauged from the fact that numerous successful factions would draw inspiration from it. Evolution in WWE was considered to be an extension of the Four Horsemen pathos as was Fortune in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.

There are murmurs that another version of the stable could potentially form in AEW with Cody Rhodes and FTR. If the rumors actually turn out to be true, AEW would have Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson to manage the group.

The enduring legacy of The Four Horsemen is quite evident in today's wrestling and it will continue to live in the hearts and minds of professional wrestling fans in the years to come.

#3 Hulk Hogan - nWo in WCW

The greatest career resurgence of all time (Pic Source: WWE)

The Immortal Hulk Hogan. A legend onto himself and still considered one of the greatest WWE Superstars did the unthinkable in 1996 at WCW's Bash at the Beach. He turned heel!

The Hulkster ditched the red and yellow and became Hollywood Hogan. With former WWE Superstars Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, he formed the New World Order (nWo) and became one of the most significant professional wrestling factions of all time.

While nWo fizzled away over time, its impact on the pro wrestling industry can't be understated. It drove WCW Monday Nitro to the top of the rating chart.

Moreover, the heel turn proved to be a gamechanger for Hulk Hogan, whom most saw as a fading star by the mid-90s. While Hogan was skeptical of the heel turn at first, he realized that it was going to be a game-changer. He said:

“I don’t know, man, I’m a singles wrestler and I don’t really like tag teams. This is either going to be the greatest thing that ever happened to my career or my career is over. … But when [Hall and Nash] came in, I watched them the first couple of weeks and I was, oh man, I don’t want to miss this money train.”

Some prominent Superstars who joined the nWo at one point or the other were:

The Giant a.k.a. The Big Show
Ted DiBiase
Vincent a.k.a Virgil
Buff Bagwell
Scott Norton
Syxx a.k.a. X-Pac
Konnan
Curt Hennig
Scott Steiner
Dusty Rhodes
Horace Hogan
Eric Bischoff
Disco Inferno
Lex Luger

The list is long, and it would be futile to list every single member of nWo Hollywood, nWo Elite, nWo Wolfpac, nWo Black & White, nWo 2000, etc. Over time, the group became diluted.

When the original trio was brought to WWE in 2002, there were high hopes for the group to regain the magic from the glory days. But Vince McMahon was forced to turn Hulk Hogan face after his WrestleMania 18 match with The Rock and the WWE version of nWo died a slow death.

#2 Chris Jericho - The Inner Circle in AEW

Jericho has taken his career to new heights (Pic Source: AEW)

One of the greatest things about AEW has been its ability to entertain using elements of the past while keeping things fresh. While AEW already had a defined babyface stable in The Elite, it was the former WWE World Champion Chris Jericho's The Inner Circle that set AEW Dynamite on fire.

The Inner Circle includes Le Champion himself, Chris Jericho, along with Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz (Proud-N-Powerful), and former WWE Superstar Jake Hager. It's interesting to note that this stable is the first one ever to have the 10-time Intercontinental Champion as a permanent member.

Under the helm of Chris Jericho, The Inner Circle has not only turned out to be one of the most popular factions in AEW but certainly in pro wrestling today.

So far, the group has feuded with the likes of The Elite, Cody Rhodes, and Jon Moxley. It could be argued that Moxley's feud with Jericho far surpassed their rivalry in WWE.

The Inner Circle is currently at the epicenter of storylines in AEW. Chris Jericho's current feud with Orange Cassidy is one of the most entertaining things going on in the wrestling world these days.

#1 Finn Bálor - The Bullet Club in NJPW

Heir to the legacy of the original nWo, this heel faction was formed by WWE's Finn Bálor, known as Prince Devitt at the time. The Bullet Club originally comprised of gaijin or foreigners.

Aside from Devitt, the original members of the group were Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale, and Toma Tonga. Since 2013, the group has flourished in NJPW and attracted some of the best talents including AJ Styles, Doc (Luke) Gallows, Hangman Page, Jeff Jarrett, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Cody Hall, and Adam Cole.

In WWE, The Club was seemingly reformed with AJ Styles, Anderson, and Gallows. It was eventually re-dubbed The Original Club a.k.a. The O.C., but of course, it didn't last long due to Anderson and Gallows' releases.

But there is no doubting the impact that the Bullet Club has had on the world of professional wrestling (NJPW, WWE, ROH, etc.). In 2020, the group is still thriving and it'll be interesting to see where things go.

Edited by Ali Siddiqui