Top 5 stables of WWE's Attitude Era

WWE's Attitude Era was the most successful period in the company's history. It was the most profitable and most watched time for the promotion. Some of the biggest superstars to ever grace the squared circle came through during 1997-2001 and this includes some of the greatest stables of all time.

The NWO's success in WCW caused the WWE to counteract with some influential stables that have gone on to become some of the most memorable in wrestling history. Whether it be wildly popular groups of superstars or some of the most hated, the Attitude Era had it all. This even allowed WWE to win the Monday Night War despite how revolutionary the New World Order was on the other side.

With the 20-year anniversary of the end of the Attitude Era just passing, it seems like an ideal time to remember all the famous and infamous stables that stood the test of time. In this article, let's take a look at the top five stables of WWE's Attitude Era.

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5) The Ministry of Darkness - WWE

WWE never had a stable as demonic as the Ministry of Darkness. It all started when Paul Bearer rejoined the Undertaker following his heel turn on Kane at In Your House: Judgment Day 1998. Taker told the fans the following night that the Ministry of Darkness would be unleashed on the company as a plague of evil.

The Undertaker feuded with both Kane as well as Stone Cold Steve Austin and his dealings with the latter showed his more evil side. Taker and Bearer abducted Austin and tried to bury him alive by embalming him in a medical center beforehand. This led to a Buried Alive Match at WWE Rock Bottom: In Your House, in which Kane helped Austin defeat the Undertaker.

Bradshaw and Faarooq formed the Acolytes and became the first official members of the Ministry of Darkness. The Undertaker ordered the Acolytes to abduct Dennis Knight, formerly known as Phineas I. Godwinn. He initiated Knight to turn him into his servant and transform him into Mideon. The Acolytes then abducted Mabel and transformed him into Viscera.

The Brood of Gangrel, Edge and Christian were also recruited into the Ministry of Darkness. The group tried to take over WWE and wanted to oust Vince McMahon through many attempts to make the Chairman's life a living hell. Some of their devious acts included abducting Stephanie McMahon and trying to marry her. The stable eventually aligned with Shane McMahon's Corporation, which hurt them overall.

4) The Hart Foundation - WWE

Bret "The Hitman" Hart is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. Bret was apart of a legendary tag team with Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart as The Hart Foundation, which is widely considered an all-time great tag team in wrestling history. However, Bret went out on his own and embarked on an iconic singles career that led many to believe that he would always walk on his own.

In 1997, the WWE completely changed with the company slowly transforming into the Attitude Era. Long-time fan favorite Bret Hart slowly became hated for his traditional mindset, while Stone Cold Steve Austin gained cheers for being an anti-hero. The rivalry between the two men led to the most memorable double-turns in wrestling at WrestleMania 13.

Following becoming a top heel, Bret Hart reunited with his brother Owen Hart and his brother-in-law, the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, after reconciling their ongoing issues with one another. Hart also brought back Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart to the WWE to officially form the Hart Foundation as a stable. Their number one goal was to destroy both Austin and Shawn Michaels.

The Hart Foundation became the center of WWE's storylines throughout 1997. Not only were they feuding with Austin and Michaels, but they also had issues with Ken Shamrock, Goldust, Mankind and the Legion of Doom. Their greatest moment happened at Canadian Stampede in Calgary where the entire stable faced a team led by Austin, with the hometown heroes winning.

3) The Nation of Domination - WWE

The Nation of Domination formed shortly before the start of WWE's Attitude Era, with Faarooq forming his unit. Before coming to the company, there was another faction under the same alias in the USWA. The tag team PG-13 was a part of that stable and also joined Faarooq in WWE's first iteration of the infamous group. Crush, Savio Vega and D-Lo Brown would also join the stable.

Their initial feud was with Faarooq's main rival Ahmed Johnson. They were on opposite sides with Ahmed at WWE WrestleMania 13 in a six-man Chicago Street Fight. Johnson teamed up with Legion of Doom to face Faarooq, Savio Vega and Crush in a losing effort for the Nation. They then faced Ahmed in a Gauntlet Match at A Cold Day In Hell, with Faarooq pinning his rival in the final bout.

Faarooq excommunicated PG-13, Savio Vega and Crush to replace them with Kama Mustafa and Ahmed Johnson. However, Ahmed suffered an injury that forced him out of the group. They replaced him with their most famed member, Rocky Maivia. Former members Savio Vega and Crush formed their own groups, Los Boricuas and Disciples of Apocalypse, to start WWE's "gang war."

Rocky Maivia would then become known as The Rock and win the Intercontinental Championship, which led to him growing cockier. The Nation of Domination recruited Mark Henry into the group thanks to The Rock. Kama would become known as The Godfather during this time as well. This eventually led to The Rock taking control and kicking Faarooq out of the stable he created.

The Nation went on to its most high profile success under The Rock's leadership. They recruited Owen Hart and found themselves in their most famed rivalry with D-Generation X. The two stables were embedded in a feud that captured the imagination of the WWE fans and made several members into bonafide stars. The Nation was influential in giving WWE a jolt of diversity during the Attitude Era.

2) The Corporation - WWE

The Nation of Domination had all the potential to be the best heel stable of WWE's Attitude Era. However, The Rock was part of a bigger heel faction that dominated WWE television after he rose to the main event scene. It helped evolve his character and gave him a boost at a vital time in his career.

The rivalry between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon is one of the best feuds in not just WWE history, but also wrestling. McMahon plotted against Austin to remove the WWE Championship from his grasp. During Survivor Series 1998, the Deadly Games tournament saw McMahon's evil plans come to fruition as he used Big Boss Man and his son Shane McMahon to prevent Austin from winning.

In the finals of the tournament, The Rock defeated Mankind thanks to Vince screwing Mankind after making him believe that he was his corporate champion. The People's Champion became the youngest WWE Champion in company history and also became the Corporate Champion. The Rock, Vince and Shane McMahon aligned with Boss Man and Ken Shamrock to form the Corporation.

The group feuded with Austin, Mankind and D-Generation X. They became the faction that the fans hated and wanted to see taken down. After Rock lost to Austin at WrestleMania 15 and Backlash 1999, Shane excommunicated him from the stable. Shane also usurped leadership from his father and aligned the group with the Ministry of Darkness.

Despite many changes and different members, The Corporation's place in WWE history is cemented especially during the Attitude Era. There would be different factions like the McMahon-Helmsley Regime and The Authority that were influenced by The Corporation. They will always be remembered for how they shaped the company for years to come.

1) D-Generation X - WWE

WWE's direct answer to the NWO was D-Generation X. The New World Order was formed on the backs of former Kliq members Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. The two men made the jump from WWE to WCW and created a legendary group that truly revolutionized the business. Before leaving the WWE, they said goodbye to their fellow Kilq members Shawn Michaels and Triple H with the infamous Curtain Call.

The remaining Kliq members were separated in WWE for quite a while after their departure, but 1997 saw a lot of things change in the company. The NWO were riding high in WCW, so Vince McMahon took more chances with the characters and allowed performers to take risks.

Shawn Michaels started to show more of his real-life personality and officially turned heel at SummerSlam 1997 when an irate chair shot to The Undertaker cost him the WWE Championship to both men's rival Bret "The Hitman" Hart. During his feud with The Undertaker, Michaels teamed up with Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a tag match against Taker and Mankind.

The two men brutally attacked Taker after the match and created a bond against The Deadman. Triple H and Chyna were soon closely associated with Shawn Michaels and his insurance policy Rick Rude from there. In October of 1997, Michaels officially dubbed the group D-Generation X in a promo exchange with Bret Hart.

DX were at the center of the most infamous moment in WWE history with the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997 against Bret Hart where HBK defeated his rival to win the WWE Championship after Vince McMahon called for the bell. With DX now on top of WWE, the company named their next pay-per-view after the stable, marking a first in the promotion's history.

To add even more star power to the faction, Iron Mike Tyson joined D-Generation X in the lead-up to WrestleMania 14 after his hostilities with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin defeated Michaels to win the WWE Championship at the Showcase of Immortals with Tyson turning on HBK afterwards in what would be Shawn's final match for four years.

D-Generation X didn't slow down there though. The next night, Triple H officially kicked Michaels to the curb and welcomed the returning X-Pac into the stable. To end the show, DX helped the New Age Outlaws win back the WWE Tag Team Championships and officially welcomed Billy Gunn and Road Dogg to the group as well.

This was DX's most memorable lineup. Triple H, X-Pac, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn and Chyna became wildly popular thanks to the charisma, outlandishness and stunts like the famed "invasion" of WCW. They also took part in a fondly remembered rivalry with The Nation that saw Triple H beat The Rock to win the Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match at SummerSlam 1998.

Triple H would betray DX at WrestleMania 15 and join the Corporation, but they would later reunite after The Game became WWE Champion in late 1999. Regardless of what iteration, DX were at the center of some of the biggest moments in company history. That's why D-Generation X is the best stable of WWE's Attitude Era.