Twelve of the Top Pro-Wrestling “Trio” Factions
With rumors of Dean Ambrose possibly leaving the WWE soon, I thought of how he was brought in to the main WWE roster, as part of a 3-man faction, The Shield. All 3 members of The Shield, have held titles, including the WWE World/Universal Championship.
There’s been many stables & factions in the world of pro-wrestling, which I think is something that’s missing in the present state of the WWE. Although many stables have been successful, few have held as much gold as the The Shield & few have limited their faction to just 3 people.
So, I started thinking of who I feel are some of the best 3-Man Stables in Pro Wrestling. I don’t mean 2 wrestlers and a valet or manager, I’m talking about three members that actually compete.
I know I left some good ones out, but here’s my Top 12.
12. The Jersey Triad (WCW)
Members:
- Diamond Dallas Page
- Bam Bam Bigelow
- Chris Kanyon
Why they made the list:
Much like The Shield, all members of The Jersey Triad have held some gold. DDP is a current WWE Hall of Famer and rumors are Bam Bam will be Soon.
11. The Triple Threat (ECW)
Original Members:
- Shane Douglas
- Chris Benoit
- Dean Malenko
- Other notable members: Bam Bam Bigelow, Chris Candido, Brian Lee & Lance Storm.
Why they made the list:
Why WOULD’T this trio make the list? If anything, they should probably rank higher. They’ve all been champions and was a force to be reckoned with in ECW.
10. Demolition (WWE)
Original (Triple) Members:
- Ax
- Smash
- Crush
Why they made the list:
Demolition wore executioner style outfits & wreaked havoc in the WWE back in the 90’s. They held the tag titles multiple times and at one time had the WWE record for holding the titles the longest of anyone (478 days).
09. The Shield (WWE)
Original Members:
- Roman Reigns
- Seth Rollins
- Dean Ambrose
Why they made the list:
The Shield entered the WWE main roster as a 3-Man vigilante group. All three members have held either Tag Team, US, Intercontinental, and/or World/Universal Championships.
08. The Brood (WWE)
Original Members:
- Gangrel
- Edge
- Christian
- Other Notable Members: The Hardy Boys
Why they made the list:
The Brood was a unique, vampire-like group during the Attitude Era, with one of the best entrances in all of wrestling. They were the 1st 3-man stable WWE fans had seen in a while & it went on to develop Edge and Christian as top singles wrestlers, who held many different championships in their career.
07. The Wyatt Family (WWE)
Original Members:
- Bray Wyatt
- Luke Harper
- Erick Rowan
- Other Notable Members: Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan & Randy Orton.
Why they made the list:
The Wyatt Family debuted on the main roster in 2013. They were an original, unique, breath of fresh air. All members have held titles. They remain to be a fan favorite with hopes to reunite.
06. The Undisputed Era (WWE)
Original Members:
- Adam Cole
- Bobby Fish
- Kyle O’Reilly
- Other Notable Members: Roderick Strong (Later Added to be the 4th Member)
Why they made the list:
The Undisputed Era is one of the closest things we currently have to the legendary Four Horsemen. But prior to Roderick Strong joining, they were a 3-Man wrecking crew, all, holding tag team gold. Though they’ve yet to be called up to the WWE main roster, their work in ROH & NXT is phenomenal. So, why did they make the list? Because they’re just that good. Don’t screw this up, Vince.
05. Team Angle (WWE)
Original Members:
- Kurt Angle
- Sheldon Benjamin
- Charlie Hass
Why they made the list:
Team Angle was a 3-Man Wrestling Machine, made of Legit Wrestlers. Angle, Benjamin & Hass were 3 of the most Athletic wrestlers on the main roster during their day & somewhat reminded me of the old “Varsity Club” stable from the mid 1980’s NWA/WCW.
04. The Dudley’s (ECW/WWE)
Original Members:
- Bubba Ray Dudley
- Devon Dudley
- Spike Dudley
- Other Notable Members: Big Dick, Sign Guy, Snot
Why they made the list:
The Dudley’s are one of the greatest tag teams in all of professional wrestling. Period. These Hall of Famers have held titles, (tag & singles), in about every promotion they’ve been in. Tho, Bubba Ray & Devon, are the most notable, Spike was the main 3rd member for many years, throughout ECW & WWE.
03. The Legacy (WWE)
Original Members:
- Randy Orton
- Cody Rhodes
- Ted Dibiase JR
- Other Notable Members: Manu & Sim Snuka.
Why they made the list:
The Legacy was a heel stable made of multigenerational superstar wrestlers. Originally, Randy Orton led Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase JR in the group. All have held multiple titles. You might be wondering how or why this short lived group even made the list, let alone coming in at #3. Because I LOVE this idea of a stable. Multigenerational Superstars. Its in their blood, right? Their destiny. It’s a shame it didn’t last longer. It’s a shame it’s not still around today. This group for sure had talent.
02. NWO (WCW)
Original Members:
- Hulk Hogan
- Kevin Nash
- Scott Hall
- Other Notable Members: Not going there. There was over 60 members…
Why they made the list:
Sure the New World Order ended up having like 60 members…. BUT… they began with only three. And this trio of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash & Scott Hall, changed the world of Professional Wrestling. Aside from these Hall of Famers holding multiple titles in multiple promotions, The NWO helped skyrocket the number of viewers for WCW, which started what is known as the “Monday Night Wars”. The WCW dominated the WWE in ratings for over 83 weeks. Fans are still rocking NWO shirts 20 years later.
01. The Fabulous Freebirds
Original Members:
- Michael P.S. Hayes
- Bam Bam Gordy
- Buddy Roberts
- Other Notable Members: Jimmy Garvin, Brad Armstrong (Bradstreet)
Why they made the list:
To me, the Fabulous Freebirds, are the OG’s of pro-wrestling trios. These Hall of Famers have all held multiple titles in multiple promotions. They are so legendary in the 3-man stable genre, they actually have a rule named after them…. “The Freebird” rule. The Freebird rule allows any two of the three members of the tag team champions to defend the title on any given night.
So there you have it. My top 12. I know there’s some great ones missing & I know many will disagree. By the way, here’s some Honorable Mentions: Sanity, New Day, 3-Man-Band, 3-Count, Too Cool, O.V.E., etc..
