WWE often let real life instances seep intokayfabe borders when they are in need of storylines. The idea of stable and the battles between them was a result of this pattern. Whenever, the company had a plan to let two stables clash, it gave rise to some memorable matches and moments.Attitude Era without a doubt was the stage where the stable wars were at their best but there were many feuds spread over the remaining history as well.The company might be toning down on the stables after the Shield exploded a couple of months back. Though they teased a potential faction with Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, it also got dropped for some reason.While the creative team is reluctant to put over the stables, here is a look at some of those battles that redefined gang wars.
#5 Evolution vs. Shield
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It might be a bit surprising to see this feud among some of the more established angles in the history. However, when we look from a much wider angle, this is one battle which deserves a place in this list.
Shield was reigning as the top faction in the reality era and had the crowd firmly behind them. They turned against the Authority which once fed them and this urged Triple H to gather around his old pack in order to destroy the enemy.
A stable from the past reuniting to take out the future of the business was simply one of the best booking decisions that WWE made in recent history.
The in ring action was well above solid when the teams faced off and the result on the other hand put over the younger breed well. Almost everyone involved saw their stocks rise with this feud and especially, the daredevil moments of Seth Rollins stand out.
#4 The Four Horsemen vs. The Road Warriors and The Super Powers
For those who have no idea about the four horsemen, they are arguably ‘the’ best foursome group to ever graze the professional wrestling business. The pack was led by the Ric Flair and consisted of Arn & Ole Anderson along with Tully Blanchard.
They oozed arrogance wherever they went and being well dressed magnified the effect. Holding the title further increased the heat that the faction had.
Dusty Rhodes and Nikita Koloff along with the Road Warriors wanted to put an end to this rampant run by the Hoursmen and this led to one of the most memorable collisions.
The two teams had many matches down the road but it was the War games encounter that stands out. There were some classic moments from the match and also Rhodes got his arm broken by the opposition to make matters more realistic.
It was good vs. evil at its best as every time these two teams locked horns, the crowd felt the aura of hatred.
#3 DX vs. Nation of Domination
Impersonations have been the trade mark of D-Generation X. However, when they did it against the Nation of Dominance in 1998, it turned out to be special.
The two factions had an immense amount of friction that often made it must watch television. Having Rock and Triple H on opposite corners was the other big highlight from this angle as the duo gave their all whenever they stepped in between the ropes.
It could’ve been extended a bit further if the company hadn’t split up the Nation of Dominance but in the limited time, the two teams made headlines for the ways in which they interacted.
This was also the initial stage of Rock’s ascension into the stars which makes it worthy of finding a place in this list.
#2 New World Order vs. WCW
Hulk Hogan was the John Cena of the 90s. He was winning almost every match that he had and was a face for the majority of his tenure. When he joined WCW, the same run was expected until Eric Bischoff had an evil plan in his mind.
He recruited Scott Hall and Kevin Nash from the WWE and set the stage well for Hogan to turn heel. And when he did, it ended being one of the defining moments in professional wrestling as it steered the ratings in favor of WCW for a long time.
The idea was simple, NWo wanted to take over the company. This created the basis for many interesting twists and turns in the angle and as it went ahead, more complexity and wrestlers came without cooling off the intensity.
It is hard to imagine WCW or WWE without this feud as it could walk into the hall of fame if they have a category for stable battles.
#1 DX vs. Hart Foundation
If Hogan’s heel turn was big, the WWE had something of their own: the Montreal Screwjob. The reason why this ranks ahead of all those great feuds mentioned in the list is because of it being the catalyst that kick started Attitude Era.
Bret Hart called Michaels and Hunter as degenerates once for all the chaos that they were causing. This simple incident led to a feud that took out a major portion of 1997 and culminated in the Montreal Screwjob which saw Bret Hart getting legitimately screwed by Vince McMahon.
Michaels and Hart had some of the best matches of their career during this stable feud. Though there were distractions down the road, the friction between DX and Hart Foundation whenever they met was sky high.
This is one of those instances where DX showed how valuable they were back in the old days and still remain as one of the most loved factions in WWE.