Whilst it seemed as though factions in mainstream wrestling were a dying breed, the last couple of years have seen the rise of numerous groups which have gained a lot of popularity. In 2022, on both sides of AEW and WWE divide, there are equally successful factions.

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AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club and WWE’s The Bloodline are each two of the more prominent, popular, and accomplished factions in professional wrestling today, and are each having a fantastic 2022. It may be impossible to truly determine which is better, but they both have many positives to help make an argument towards being the best stable of 2022 so far.

10 Blackpool Combat Club - Enjoyable Formation

Jon Moxley Bryan Danielson AEW

The way the Blackpool Combat Club came together felt very natural, with Bryan Danielson looking to initially join forces with Jon Moxley, only for Moxley to say that he needs to bleed with someone before teaming. This has been a big philosophy for the BCC, with members proving their worth by beating the hell out of one another.

When Moxley and Danielson couldn’t get on the same page, William Regal showed up to bring them together with some tough love. The same goes for Wheeler Yuta, who had to claw his way to earning respect. The journey of the BCC has been hugely enjoyable thus far.

9 The Bloodline - Family History And Connections

The Bloodline

The Bloodline is rich with wrestling heritage, with the Anoa’i family having a lot of members in the professional wrestling world. Roman Reigns heading the family as the top star, bringing aboard the likes of The Usos and Solo Sikoa, with other members making an appearance at times such as the Wild Samoans, makes the group feel authentic.

The group pays homage to the Anoa’i family in a great way, especially with the involvement of Paul Heyman too, who has notable ties to the family.

8 Blackpool Combat Club - Focus On Professional Wrestling

Blackpool Combat Club Jon Moxley Wheeler Yuta Bryan Danielson

The BCC love to fight and beat the hell out of people. The way they wrestle is very fun to watch, especially since they have a direct and open focus on professional wrestling rather than strictly ‘sports entertainment’.

This isn’t for everyone, but it is a nice change of pace for many wrestling fans who just love in-ring action. To see this type of wrestling on such a big scale is great. When it comes to the BCC, they have more frequent and better quality matches overall than The Bloodline too.

7 The Bloodline - Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn in the Bloodline WWE
Via WWE

Whilst Sami Zayn isn’t related to the Anoa’i family, he has been rewarded as being an ‘honorary Uce’, and is now seemingly a legit member of The Bloodline faction.

This has proven to be a brilliant addition with him adding some much-needed diversity in terms of personality, with him injecting some wonderful comedy into what is a very serious group. He makes the dynamics between other individuals feel so much more compelling, with him being the cause of some cracks and disagreements.

6 Blackpool Combat Club - Building A Future Star

Wheeler Yuta ROH Pure title

The Bloodline may have just added Solo Sikoa to their ranks as of this writing, but it isn’t yet clear how well he will be used in WWE. When it comes to the BCC, they have been nurturing and building the young up and comer, Wheeler Yuta, into a future star.

From his tremendous matches with Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, to winning the ROH Pure Championship and main eventing shows, Yuta is now a very popular babyface who often gets a great reaction, showing that the BCC has a good focus on the future as well as the present.

5 The Bloodline - Long-Term Title Reigns

Roman Reigns Two Belts

As a unit, The Bloodline may be the most dominant in professional wrestling today, making them feel more important and legit. Roman Reigns is on a two-year run as World Champion, whilst The Usos have been dominating the tag team division for around a year too as the champions.

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The BCC have been juggling with titles recently, as Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli dropped their ROH belts.

4 Blackpool Combat Club - Multiple Main Eventers

Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson on the September 14 edition of AEW Dynamite

The BCC arguably has more individual star power than The Bloodline, with them managing to house several big names. Both Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson are among the most popular names in wrestling over the last decade, and Claudio Castagnoli has been on the periphery of that for a long time too.

Taking nothing away from The Usos, but they aren’t on the level of those in the BCC, making The Bloodline a group with slightly less star power across the board.

3 The Bloodline - More Of A Unit

the bloodline

Whilst The BCC are seen together at times, they definitely don’t feel like as much of a unit as The Bloodline. Whenever Roman Reigns is on-screen, The Usos are with him, and that has been the case for the last two years.

In terms of the BCC, they feel more like defined singles stars who have been brought together, with them each doing their own thing. There is nothing wrong with that, but The Bloodline feels more like a defined team, which could be due to their family ties.

2 Blackpool Combat Club - More Nuanced Characters

bryan danielson

WWE have done a great job with the personalities of those in The Bloodline, but they still fall mostly into just being ‘bad guys’. When it comes to Danielson and Moxley especially, they have shades of gray which makes them compelling to watch.

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Neither are overtly babyface nor heel, often swapping their roles depending on the match they’re in, but it makes them come across as more authentic characters and human beings, rather than over-the-top villains or heroes.

1 The Bloodline - A Defined Leader

Roman Reigns Head Of The Table

Roman Reigns is without a doubt the leader of The Bloodline, and whilst it is nice to see an even playing field in the BCC, there is something special about the power structure in The Bloodline.

Seeing Reigns at the top makes him feel much more like a star, with him utilizing his dominance and power even over his own family. Whilst this may be to the detriment of The Usos at times, it has turned Reigns into the star that WWE have always wanted him to be.