The Top 5 Pro Wrestling Factions of All Time

The pro wrestling faction is a time honored tradition that at one time used to be big business.

Two or more wrestlers who may or may not be relevant, joined together for a common cause.  If the faction gets enough exposure and gets over, then the wrestlers in question suddenly have new life, and the group shoots to the top of the promotion.

We have seen it a lot over the years, most recently with The Nexus.

The Nexus started off extremely hot, then cooled off as time went on.  In the end, no one lamented the faction's demise, and WWE moved on.

But while Nexus did not end on a good note, the fact is that if handled properly, the angle could have become truly epic.  The group may even still be together today, as dominating as ever.

Nexus proved that organizing, running and successfully maintaining a faction is not always an easy task. The real proof lies in not only a faction's longevity, but how well all the members can coexist in order to do business.

The following are five groups that managed to succeed where so many others failed.

No. 5: The Fabulous Freebirds

I love The Freebirds.

Michael P.S. Hayes, Terry Bam Bam Gordy and Buddy Jack Roberts, brought a youthful enthusiasm to the business, along with a swagger that few factions have ever really been able to do successfully.

They also brought a rock and roll edge that separated them from every other faction during their era.

The Fabulous Freebirds were cool heels who could all deliver in the ring, and on the mic.  They entertained fans all over the world, and thanks to Hayes' cocky personality, were some of the most hated heels of all time.

The Freebirds not only put themselves on the map, but they also did a lot to get over one of the most important wrestling families of all time, the Von Erichs.

The Freebird versus Von Erich war raged in the Lone Star State, with the obvious lifestyle differences between the two teams providing some great drama.

The Fabulous Freebirds were The Rolling Stones of pro wrestling.  They did it loud, they did it nasty and they did it better than anyone else.

No. 4: Evolution

If any fan ever needed proof that Triple H is a fan of Ric Flair, they need look no further than his tribute to The Four Horsemen.

Evolution provided the past in Flair, the present in Hunter and the future in Randy Orton and Batista. The formula was unbelievably successful, as the group drew arguably as much heat for their era as the Horsemen did in theirs.

The ego, the swagger, the commitment to putting on a great match every time, the original Horsemen mantra, was in full effect with Evolution.  Flair proved that he still had something to offer despite his age, bringing nostalgia and credibility to the group.  It simply would not have worked without him.

Hunter was great in his role as the modern day Nature Boy, reigning as the World Champion and throwing his weight around whenever he was on TV.

Batista, who could have ended up as just another big man, got the push of a lifetime because of Evolution, and went on to become a huge WWE superstar.

And, Randy Orton went on to become The Legend Killer, then The Viper.  He is still riding high in the company, and owes a large part of his success to Evolution.

It has been said that you can't go home again.  In Ric Flair's case, he not only did it, he did it with style, thanks to Evolution.

No. 3: The NWo

When Hulk Hogan dropped the leg on Randy Savage and turned heel, it was the biggest moment in the history of WCW.

The new World order was born, and changed the business forever.

The nWo, headed by Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, absolutely dominated their company in a way that no other faction in pro wrestling history ever had.  Every major storyline flowed through them, and they became the prime focus of nearly every spot, and every match, that was featured on WCW programming.

They were everywhere, they completely saturated the company and were pushed to the moon.  No other WCW star was given anywhere near the exposure of the nWo, and they ran with it, laughing all the way to the bank.

Despite heavy criticism from fans that the group was all about getting over, and not giving back to any of their opponents, there is no denying one important fact.

They were groundbreaking in their execution and they left a lasting impact on the business.

For better or worse, no one will ever forget the nWo.

No. 2: Degeneration X

During the Monday Night War, when WWE was getting their hides handed to them every week by WCW, Vince McMahon and company became desperate.

Searching for ideas, for new ways to sell their product and compete with Ted Turner's company, Vince decided to drop the gimmicks and let the workers be themselves.

And, during those days, Shawn Michaels and Triple H were degenerates.

The controversial antics, and insane spots, of Degeneration X turned the wrestling world upside down. Fans began to change the channel, to see what crazy stunt DX would be involved in, week after week.

Hunter and Shawn, along with Chyna, The New Age Outlaws and X-Pac, became the most important faction in WWE history, and helped turned the tide in McMahon's favor.

They brought the humor, they brought the wild moments, and more importantly, they brought great matches.  DX had it all and will always be remembered for what they accomplished as not only individual performers, but as one of the coolest factions that we have ever seen.

No. 1: The Four Horsemen

This is it.  It just does not get any bigger than The Four Horsemen.

No matter how many years have passed since the group's inception, no other faction has ever been able to top the influence, and impact, that Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Ole and Arn Anderson, had on the industry.

The second lineup, which saw Ole replaced with Barry Windham, was just as important, and possibly better than the first.  Now, all four men had the swagger, the style and the ego it took to make fans hate them, yet respect them, all at the same time.

The Horsemen did it all, holding every major championship in the NWA, and selling out arenas all over the country.  They made a living giving back to the business, and making every wrestler they stepped into the ring with look better than they could with anyone else.

The Horsemen cared about having the best matches on the card, and doing everything in their power to make every event fun and exciting for every fan who paid to see them perform.

In the world of professional wrestling factions, there is The Four Horsemen, and there is everyone else. Like Flair always said, diamonds are forever.

And, so are the Horsemen.