Pro Wrestling: The 15 Greatest Stables of Wrestling in the '90s

Every wrestling fan has an opinion on who their favorite wrestling stable was.  In this article I visit the 1990s, which was an extremely exciting and controversial time in wrestling history.  I count down to the faction I feel was the greatest stable of the '90s!

I want to hear opinions, arguments and analysis in the comment section.  Most importantly, though, I want to know who YOU think was the greatest stable of the 1990s.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @ClassicJoeyMac.

Honorable Mention #3: The J.O.B. Squad

Key Members:  Al Snow, Bob Holly, Scorpio (2 Cold Scorpio) and Gillberg

The "J.O.B Squad" was a byproduct of the stable-heavy wrestling world in the late 1990s.  Al Snow collected a few of the biggest “jobbers” in the WWF and they formed their own stable.

Although Al Snow and Bob Holly both captured the Hardcore title on separate occasions while members of the The J.O.B Squad, the real success story was Duane Gill.

Gill was an undersized jobber that the WWF transformed into a spoof of WCW’s Goldberg character.  “Gillberg,” as he was now referred to, replicated Goldberg’s mannerisms perfectly.  The fans thought it comical to see Gillberg acting so intimidating when he was so incredibly weak.

Gillberg actually won the Light Heavyweight Championship in an upset victory over Christian.

The group was only around for a few months, but they did make their mark in Stable History.  Unfortunately that mark was being a group of jobbers who never really went on to bigger things after the stable faded away.

Honorable Mention #2: Revolution

Key Members:  Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Shane Douglas and Perry Saturn

When "Revolution" was created their gimmick was a group of younger stars being pushed to the side for the older, veteran wrestlers. 

On paper, Revolution had four very talented wrestlers that could have gone on to be a dominant stable.  Unfortunately they formed only months before Vince Russo became the lead writer of WCW.

Once Russo took over, he changed Revolution’s gimmick so that they became extremely anti-government.  This gimmick changed the four members into heels.  Although all four members were very talented in the ring, this gimmick seemed to make them feel cheesy. 

In the five months that the group was around Benoit and Malenko stayed in the hunt for both the Television and United States championships.

Honorable Mention #1: The Brood

Key Members:  Gangrel, Edge and Christian

The "Brood" was a short lived stable in the WWF during the late 1990s.  The most memorable attribute of this stable was that they typically drowned their opponents in “blood.”  Ask Ken Shamrock how that feels.

Aside from a Light Heavyweight Championship run for Christian, the Brood did not accomplish much in terms of championships. 

Once the group joined the “Ministry of Darkness,” they simply became the Undertaker’s lackeys.  They did however defect from the Ministry when the Undertaker wanted to “sacrifice” Christian.  I remember the crowd actually cheered them on that night.

The Brood may not have been the most successful stable, but they were very unique with the blood baths and their ability to be all over the arena at once.  They had a mysterious aura about them that just seemed to fit the feel of wrestling in the late nineties.

#15: The Dungeon of Doom

Key Members:  The Master, The Taskmaster, The Giant, Meng, Jimmy Hart, One Man Gang, Barbarian, The Shark

The "Dungeon of Doom" had far too many mutilated jobbers to list.  Kevin Sullivan, The Taskmaster, created this stable with one purpose:  destroy Hulkamania.  Sullivan and his gang of bizarre circus acts attempted many times to destroy Hogan, but failed.

The Giant, managed by Jimmy Hart, also wanted to demolish Hogan.  At the time the Giant was doing a storyline where he claimed to be “the son of Andre” and wanted revenge on Hogan for defeating his father.  So, Hart and the Giant joined the Dungeon of Doom.

Hogan actually lost the World Heavyweight championship to the Giant during this feud, although the title was later vacated due to the controversial ending of the match.  The two would have a rematch where Hogan defeated the Giant, thus ending their feud.

The Dungeon of Doom eventually faded into irrelevancy.  Chris Benoit defeated Sullivan in a retirement match in 1997, and the stable dissolved.

Besides the Giant’s Heavyweight Championship win, One Man Gang had an inexplicable run as the United States Champion while a member of the Dungeon of Doom. 

The legacy of this stable was that they failed miserably to rid the WCW of Hulk Hogan.  Most members were WWF rejects.  Still, the Dungeon of Doom were important enough to feud with Hogan, thus solidifying their names on this list.

#14: the Dudley Family

Key Members:  D-Von Dudley, Bubba Ray Dudley, Big Dick Dudley, Dudley Dudley, Spike Dudley, Dances With Dudley, Sign Guy Dudley

There are too many Dudley’s to remember.  Or forget, to be honest.  However, they only needed a few good Dudley’s to make this stable successful in ECW.

The gimmick of this stable was that all of the members were half brothers that came together in ECW.  Their “father,” Big Daddy Dudley, travelled the country and got with many different women of all races and sizes.  Those children grew up and became the Dudley Family.

When I look back on the stable, the gimmick was quite ridiculous.  However, this stable was much more successful than the average wrestling fan may want to believe.

This stable created one of the most successful Tag-Teams in ECW history.  Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley went on to win the ECW Tag-Team Championship eight times between 1997 and 1999.  Even Little Spike Dudley, teaming with Balls Mahoney, was able to win the Tag titles twice.

This may have been an idiotic stable, but the creation of the Dudley Boys is enough for them to make this list.

#13: The Nation of Domination

Key Members:  Faarooq, Clarence Mason, Crush, D’Lo Brown, Savio Vega, the Rock, Kama Mustafa, Mark Henry

The "Nation of Domination" was a WWF stable in the mid-to-late nineties.  Most fans can remember the mannerisms of the group mimicking the “Black Panther Party.”  Although they began as a stable focusing on “black supremacy,” it evolved through the years and became a collection of dominant heels banding together.

The Nation of Domination led the way to a “gang violence” atmosphere in the WWF during the late nineties.  Their feuds with other stables, such as "Los Boricuas" and the "Disciples of Apocalypse," became increasingly violent and unstable.  The only reason these three stables feuded was because they each wanted to get rid of the other two groups.

When Farooq was kicked out from the group, the Rock took over.  He held the Intercontinental championship for a long run during this time, as the Nation continually helped him remain champion.  D’Lo Brown also found success while the Rock was in charge, as he won the European championship on two separate occasions.

The Nation had some less than memorable feuds, but the stable did help young stars such as the Rock and Mark Henry go on to have very successful careers.

#12: The Million Dollar Corporation

Key Members:  Ted Dibiase, IRS, Tatanka, Bam Bam Bigelow, King Kong Bundy, Sid, 1-2-3 Kid, Steve Austin, Kama Mustafa (The Supreme Fighting Machine)

I am always surprised to see the "Million Dollar Corporation" left out of conversation when discussing the greatest stables of all time.  Admittedly, the stable never captured a real championship (excluding the Million Dollar belt), but they were involved in many great storylines in the mid nineties for the WWF.

The greatest moment this stable ever had was when Ted Dibiase convinced the WWF fans that the Undertaker joined the Million Dollar Corporation.  An Undertaker look-alike became part of the stable and eventually fought the real Undertaker at Summerlsam 1994.  This storyline was pushed hard during the summer of 1994. 

Another brilliant moment for the Million Dollar Corporation was when they tricked everyone in to thinking that Lex Luger was going to join them.  Dibiase would actually send members of the Corporation to help Luger win matches at this time just to make it look real.  Later, it was Tatanka that turned heel, betraying Luger, and that was a big deal back then.

Perhaps my favorite moment for the Million Dollar Corporation was when Kama Mustafa stole the Undertaker’s urn and melted it down into a chain.

The most important member of this stable was the “Ringmaster” Steve Austin.  While a member, Steve Austin began to get real heat with the crowd.  He would eventually become "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and the rest is history.

They may not have been the most successful group of wrestlers, but if not for this heel stable the WWF would have had very few memorable storylines in the mid 1990’s.

#11: Camp Cornette

Key Members:  Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Yokozuna, Vader, Jim Cornette, Mr. Fuji

“Camp Cornette” was a stable managed by Jim Cornette in the WWF during the mid nineties.  Cornette began as the spokesman for Yokozuna when he debuted.  Camp Cornette was created when the unlikely team of Yokozuna and Owen Hart won the Tag-Team Championship. 

Months later, the British Bulldog would join Camp Cornette.  It was this roster of Yokozuna, Owen Hart and the British Bulldog that found the most success for the stable.  They consistently feuded with top faces Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson at a time where heels were sparse. 

Hart and Yokozuna were able to become Tag-Team champs twice.  These were the only championships the group was able to win.

At Royal Rumble 1996, Camp Cornette found a new member in Vader.  Although Vader was an extremely talented big man, it was his arrival that began the eventual destruction of the group.

In that same Royal Rumble Yokozuna and Vader began to fight, hence causing Yokozuna to resign from the stable.  Vader and Yokozuna feuded for a while after this.

The last great moments for Camp Cornette came with the multiple feuds they had with WWF Champion, Shawn Michaels.  The British Bulldog and Vader had exciting rivalries with Michaels in 1996, but neither proved victorious. 

Eventually the stable dissolved.  Their legacy was that on paper they seemed like an odd combination, but when you put great talent together, anything can happen.  You could make a case that they were the best heels in the WWF for a two year span.

#10: The Corporate Ministry

Key Members:  The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Triple H, The Acolytes, Big Bossman, Mideon, Viscera, Chyna, Paul Bearer, The Mean Street Posse

The "Corporate Ministry" came about when the Corporation and the Ministry of Darkness merged into one super stable.  The reason they came together is because the two stables had common enemies in the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.  The only other feud the Corporate Ministry had was with the forgettable stable named “The Union.”

In a few short months this faction had mild success, but not like when the Corporation and the Ministry were separate units.  When the two stables merged it almost became too much. 

During this time the Undertaker was WWF Champion, and other members of the group centered around the European, Hardcore and Tag-Team Championships. 

Eventually the “Higher Power,” Vince McMahon, and the Undertaker began to butt heads.  There were internal rifts within the super stable and eventually the group disbanded.

This was the closest stable the WWF had that could compare to the NWO in WCW.  I know many people like to compare DX to the NWO, but this always seemed the most similar to me.  Degeneration-X was its own entity and was original.  The Corporate Ministry literally controlled everything, like the NWO, and eventually got to be too big.  What was once a great idea, just became too much.   

#9: the Flock

Key Members:  Raven, Perry Saturn, Hammer, Horace, Kanyon, Kidman, Lodi, Reese, Sickboy

The "Flock" was a stable of outcasts in WCW that was led by Raven.  Most fans remember the Flock’s grunge appearance and their constant presence in the audience.  The Flock had talent, but at a time when the NWO was the hottest ticket in wrestling, this stable was often overlooked.

In terms of Championships, Raven was able to capture the United States title once and Perry Saturn won the Television title once as well.  Raven and Saturn also went on to become the WCW Tag-Team Champions on one occasion.

The reason this group makes it so high on the list is because of how unique they were in WCW.  The fans did appreciate them and their gimmick, but WCW held them all back.  Perry Saturn and Raven were extremely talented wrestlers, but were never able to move forward.

Perhaps fans, like me, could relate to the Flock as being social outcasts and always seeking acceptance from their leader, Raven.

Whatever the reason, Raven was one of the best promo men in all of wrestling during this time.  This stable had the potential to go so much further. 

Whenever you do a list of the “greatest” anything, there is always a cult hit.  The Flock is the cult hit on this list.

#8: Raven’s Nest

Key Members:  Raven, Stevie Richards, Beulah McGillicutty, The Pitbulls, Kimona, The Dudley Boyz, Mikey Whipwreck, The Eliminators

If the Flock was Raven’s cult stable, then “The Nest” was his legitimately great stable. 

The Nest was an ECW stable that Raven led.  Although members came and went frequently, the Nest was still very successful.  Most members of the group were simply Raven’s followers or people Raven hired to gain an advantage from.

The strategy of using people to gain an advantage worked well for Raven.  The best moment had to be when Raven turned the Sandman’s son against his own father in order to gain a psychological edge.

Raven went on to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship twice while leading the Nest.  He also won the Tag-Team titles with Stevie Richards on two separate occasions.

This stable could only work in an environment like ECW.  The storylines and back stories for some of the members were truly classic.  Raven would do anything to psych out his enemies from turning family members against his opponents, to bringing back “fat girls” Tommy Dreamer met at Summer Camp.

#7: the Ministry of Darkness

Key Members:  The Undertaker, Paul Bearer, the Acolytes, Mideon, Viscera, The Brood

Everyone remembers Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels becoming great heels in the late nineties.  I would challenge that when the Undertaker turned heel and formed the "Ministry of Darkness," that he was just as successful.

The Ministry of Darkness, led by the Undertaker, absolutely took over the WWF.  The Undertaker became ruthless and psychotic.  To this day I still think this was the peak of the Undertaker.  He was so convincing as a heel that it was legitimately scary. 

This stable will always be remembered for their controversial path of destruction.  Whether it was sacrificing wrestlers, kidnapping Stephanie McMahon or crucifying Steve Austin, this group etched their names in Stable history.

Perhaps the most memorable moment involving the Ministry of Darkness was when the Undertaker tried to wed Stephanie McMahon.  No wrestling fan could forget the sound of glass breaking just as the Undertaker was about to kiss Stephanie.  Steve Austin ran down the aisle and saved Steph McMahon from the Undertaker.

For over a year the Ministry of Darkness was the scariest and most dominant stable in the WWF.  If not for the merging with “The Corporation,” I always wondered what would have happened with this faction.

#6: The 4 Horsemen

Key Members:  Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Barry Windham, Sting, Sid Vicious, Paul Roma, Brian Pillman, Chris Benoit, Steve “Mongo” McMichael, Curt Henning, Dean Malenko

If the topic of my article was “Greatest Stables of All Time,” then the "Four Horsemen" would probably be number one.  However, the nineties were a very up and down time for the Horsemen.  There were many changes in the roster of this stable, but it did not stop them from still having success.

The early nineties were a down time for the legendary stable.  Frequent roster changes and a “feud” between Arn Anderson and Ric Flair caused the group to disband.

It was not until 1995 that the group found success again when Arn Anderson, Ric Flair, Chris Benoit and Brian Pillman reformed the Four Horsemen.  Eventually Pillman would leave to go to the WWF, and was replaced with Steve McMichael.  This incarnation was able to win championships again and go back to being a dominant heel stable.

When the NWO  formed, they overshadowed everyone else in WCW, including the Four Horsemen.  The New World Order dominated everything at this time.  So even though the Horsemen were heels, they became faces by default to feud with the NWO.  Once Arn Anderson was forced to stop wrestling due to injuries, the group became fairly irrelevant.

The final incarnation of the stable included Ric Flair, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Arn Anderson as their manager.  Benoit and Malenko were still contenders in the mid card division, but the stable never got back to being dominant again.

The legacy of the Four Horsemen in the nineties was that although they were never as successful as they were in the eighties, they still found ways to be a thriving stable with an ever changing roster. 

#5: NWO Wolfpac

Key Members:  Kevin Nash, Randy Savage, Konnan, Lex Luger, Sting, Curt Henning, Miss Elizabeth and Rick Rude

The New World Order (Black and White) became so large that in order to form a believable rival WCW created the NWO Wolfpac (Red and Black).  The Wolfpac was a stable led by Kevin Nash that was a collection of faces.  The internal rift in the original NWO blew up and so Kevin Nash formed a rival NWO. 

During the summer of 1998, there was no bigger stable than the Wolfpac.  Their constant feuding the NWO Hollywood made for great television.  Sting, a huge fan favorite, joined the stable and solidified their popularity.

The original NWO had been around for nearly two years by the summer of 1998, so things began to feel stale.  When the Wolfpac was formed, it was the shot in the arm that WCW needed to stay on top. 

The greatest moment for the stable came when Kevin Nash handed Goldberg his first loss ever.  Although the victory was tainted since Scott Hall shocked Goldberg with a cattle prod, Nash was still awarded the victory and the WCW Heavyweight championship. 

The popularity of the Wolfpac began to fall apart not long after Nash’s victory over Goldberg.  Hulk Hogan returned to face Nash for the belt, and Nash took a dive for Hogan allowing him to win the “match.”  This began the merging of NWO Hollywood and the Wolfpac.

The Wolfpac became the main group of stars, whereas the Black and White NWO was now just a bunch of jobbers.

Between Goldberg’s loss, Nash laying down for Hogan and the fact that the NWO had run out of legitimate opponents, it was only a matter of time before the Wolfpac’s popularity waned.  Although when Hogan became champion again, the Wolfpac did enjoy some mild success, it did not last very long.

#4: The New Hart Foundation

Key Members:  Bret Hart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart, Brian Pillman

There was no stable in 1997 that got more heat from the fans in America than the new "Hart Foundation."  They were truly hated by every fan in the arena when they came out.  However, in every other country they were easily the most popular group.  Bret Hart was beloved around the world, except in the United States, at this time.

Not only were they an excellent heel stable, but they were highly successful.  The new Hart Foundation was able to collect every championship available in the WWF at that time.

Promo wise, Bret Hart was the master of making fans hate him.  Every time he spoke, he got a reaction.

The feud between the new Hart Foundation and Steve Austin was the last piece needed to make Stone Cold Steve Austin into the top face in the WWF at that time.  There may have been no better feud than Bret Hart and Steve Austin that year.

The group disbanded after the death of Brian Pillman and the legendary “Montreal Screwjob” on Bret Hart.  Bret, Jim Neidhart and the Bulldog all left for WCW after Survivor Series 1997.

Hulk Hogan may have been the greatest face to ever turn heel, but Bret Hart had to be the second greatest heel turn.  During the nineties, no one embodied the stereotypical “good guy” as well as Hart.  When he went heel, his gimmick was so successful that every fan in America jeered him. 

This stable had star power, great champions and big time heat from the fans.  They deserve to be considered one of the great heel stables of all time.

#3: The Corporation

Key Members:  Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson, Sgt. Slaughter, The Big Bossman, Ken Shamrock, The Mean Street Posse, The Rock, Test, Triple H

The "Corporation" was formed by Vince and Shane McMahon in an effort to control “rebels” such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mankind.  The McMahons used their power within the company to recruit talent such as the Rock and Ken Shamrock to join the stable.  By late 1998 they were the most dominant stable in the WWF.

While a member of the Corporation, the Rock won the WWF Championship three times.  In fact the group’s members were able to win every title in the company at least once. 

To say this stable exuded power would be an understatement.  Vince McMahon became an icon during this time with his power strut and arrogant promos.  The rivalry between the Corporation and Stone Cold Steve Austin was easily the greatest feud during this time in wrestling.

What made this stable so great was that fans wanted to see them get destroyed.  Yes, the Corporation was highly successful and dominant, but they were still kept in check by Austin and Mankind.

Much like the Four Horsemen in the 1980’s, the recipe for being a great heel stable meant being so hated that the fans wanted to see you get your comeuppance.  The Corporation may have been dominant, but Vince knew he had to lose sometimes so the fans felt satisfied. 

Like all great stables, the Corporation eventually ended.  Storylines became convoluted and they ultimately merged with the Ministry of Darkness to stay relevant. 

#2: Degeneration X

Key Members:  Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, Rick Rude, X-Pac, the New Age Outlaws

"Degeneration X" was by far the most popular stable in the WWF during the late nineties.  After WCW debuted the NWO, the WWF fired back with the notorious DX.  Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna and Rick Rude formed the most provocative and controversial stable ever.

Shawn Michaels and Triple H consistently did what they wanted, when they wanted.  Their main goal was to win championships and humiliate everyone in their path.  Sgt. Slaughter, the Commissioner at the time, was disgraced repeatedly. 

The original DX will be most remembered for their hilarious promo work.  Whether using prop comedy to embarrass Slaughter or dismantling a “small” version of Bret Hart, Michaels and Triple H went over the line repeatedly.  Their brand of crude and immature humor propelled them to extreme popularity.

They may have been juveniles while doing promos, but in reality this was a highly successful stable.  Triple H and Shawn Michaels were dominant contenders for the European and WWF championships during their original run as DX.  They also had an intense feud with the new Hart Foundation.

After Michaels lost to Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 14, he retired from wrestling due to injuries.  It was then that Triple H took over as leader of Degeneration X and recruited X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws to the stable.

The second generation of DX felt like a brand new stable.  They still did whatever they wanted, but they were now accepted as faces.  The group continued to be widely successful in the Intercontinental, European and Tag-Team championship divisions.

This version of DX became widely popular for “invading” WCW and also parodying other groups in the WWF at the time. 

Eventually the members of DX turned on each other and went their separate ways. 

Women flashed their breasts for them and men embraced the rule breaking mentality of Degeneration X.  There is little doubt that this was the greatest stable creation in WWF/WWE history.

#1: The New World Order

Key Members:  Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Ted Dibiase, The Giant, Fake Sting, Syxx, Vincent, Neil Patrick, Curt Henning, Buff Bagwell, Randy Savage, Miss Elizabeth, Scott Norton, Eric Bischoff, Scott Steiner

There is no other stable that could have topped this list.  The New World Order, or NWO, was the greatest stable of the nineties.  The formation of the NWO forever changed the landscape of wrestling as we knew it.  When Scott Hall and Kevin Nash “invaded” WCW in a hostile takeover, they became bigger than WCW.  Then Hulk Hogan hit the legdrop on Randy Savage at “Bash at the Beach” and everything we knew about wrestling changed.

The formation of the NWO was nothing short of perfect.  Nash, Hogan and Hall built themselves from the ground up.  They picked up key members as the months went on, but none more important than Eric Bischoff.  Once Bischoff was revealed to be working for the NWO, the perfect stable was complete.  They had the biggest stars, all the championships and the Executive Vice President in their pocket.

The NWO declared war on WCW.  Bischoff put it best when he proclaimed "Either you're with us, or you're against us."  The NWO was so powerful that they could take on the entire WCW roster.  Essentially Hogan and the “Outsiders” had formed a company within a company and were completing a hostile takeover.

It was no accident in how the stable became so powerful either.  Members were chosen for specific reasons.  Every member had a purpose.  The NWO had at least one representative that was eligible for every championship division in WCW, from Cruiserweight to Heavyweight.  There were superstars, body guards, executives, referees and psychological distractions.  The NWO as a whole was the perfect colony of wrestlers that has ever been collected.

Eventually the NWO became stale due to questionable storylines, greedy booking and chaotic match endings.  The NWO had grown too big and there was no one to keep the stable in check. 

Just as anything, all good things must come to an end.  The New World Order was no exception.  Although the creation of the Wolfpac renewed interest in the stable, nothing could quite equal the success of the original NWO in 1996 and 1997. 

There will never be a stable as powerful as the original NWO in the history of wrestling.  WCW had the perfect environment for this to work, and history has shown that any attempt to recreate the NWO has failed.

We will all remember that unforgettable summer in 1996 when Hulk Hogan traded in the red and yellow for black and white.  Every wrestling fan had at least one NWO shirt in their closet that year.  Suddenly being the good guy in wrestling was not cool.  Every belief we had as wrestling fans changed forever on July 7, 1996. 

It was ironic that the NWO’s colors were black and white.  That stable was responsible for changing the black and white landscape of wrestling into a universe where being a face meant being a heel.