Factions have been an important part of professional wrestling for decades now. They really came into prominence in the '80s, when The Four Horsemen rose to prominence in the NWA, and WWE managers like Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, and Freddie Blassie started their own factions of wrestling heels to try to conquer Hulk Hogan.

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Over the years, there have been many different factions, from tight-knit groups to large entities with countless members. Some like to claim trios groups like The Shield and New Day as factions, although technically, there should be more than a three-man unit to classify, when looking at the factions that deserve to be on a Mount Rushmore of Wrestling.

10 The Four Horsemen

The original members of The Four Horsemen.

In the '80s, there wasn't a bigger or more prominent faction in professional wrestling than the Four Horsemen. If there was only one choice to go on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling factions, this is the one that belongs there. The faction had four members at all times (plus a manager), and everyone had a strong role.

Ric Flair was world champion; one guy was going for the mid-card title like Tully Blanchard or Barry Windham, and then the tag team champions. The Four Horsemen is the blueprint for wrestling factions.

9 nWo

Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall of the nWo.

Two factions defined the Monday Night Wars. One started it all, and the other helped WWE win the war. The one who started it all was the reason that the war existed at all, though, and the nWo remains a Mount Rushmore faction regardless of the outcome of that war.

Scott Hall and Kevin Nash changed wrestling when they showed up in WCW, Hollywood Hogan turned heel, and the rest is history. The group eventually became too big, but at its core, it was truly special.

8 DX

Shawn Michaels and Triple H of DX.

The second faction from the Monday Night Wars that stands out is Degeneration X. This started as just two guys with a bodyguard and an insurance policy, with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, and Rick Rude planting the seeds for what was to come.

However, the best version of this faction only had Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The New Age Outlaws, and X-Pac changing everything WWE fans knew about the promotion. Even when Triple H and Shawn Michaels do small reunion spots, DX is still very over.

7 Evolution

triple-h-evolution-stage

In the 2000s, Triple H decided he wanted to create his own version of The Four Horsemen, and his creation was almost as successful as the original. Triple H brought in Ric Flair as a tie to the original Horsemen, and then joined forces with two of the best newcomers on the WWE roster.

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Eventually, Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista retired with multiple world titles, and it was with Evolution that the world title reigns of Batista and Orton started. Even Flair enjoyed success in the group in his later years.

6 The Heenan Family

Bobby Heenan standing with Andre and Haku.

While not always called a faction, that is exactly what the Heenan Family was. Sure, the men that Bobby Heenan managed were not connected in any other way, but he led this entire stable with one goal in mind.

The Brain wanted to bring an end to Hulkamania, and he almost succeeded. The names here are endless, with Andre the Giant, Ravishing Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig, and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair just a few in a long list of names.

5 The Nation Of Domination

The Nation Of Domination saluting in the WWE ring.

There was a point in the Attitude Era where WWE decided it wanted to have gang warfare in storylines, and this all started when two men left the Nation of Domination and started their own factions. The fact that neither of those factions matter anymore is a testament to how special the Nation was when they were united.

Farooq started the group during a time of civil unrest, before The Rock eventually took over as leader and kicked him out. The themes are still strong today, and the Nation remains one of WWE's most iconic factions.

4 Devastation Inc.

Skandor Akbar with Cactus Jack of Devastation Inc.

WWE and WCW were not the be-all and end-all in professional wrestling, especially in the '80s. At that time, the territories were just as successful and held a special place in the hearts of old-school wrestling fans worldwide. The best faction to ever appear in the territory scene was easily Devastation Inc.

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Skandor Akbar was the manager of this faction, and it was unique in that Devastation Inc. was full of monsters. Akbar managed names like Kamala, Abdullah the Butcher, Cactus Jack, The Missing Link, The Great Kabuki, and more. No matter where he went, his faction was full of top heels.

3 The Hart Foundation

Bret Hart with his Hart Foundation allies in a promo photo.

The Hart Foundation began as a tag team, with Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart managed by Jimmy Hart. They were successful, and are in the WWE Hall of Fame. However, the faction was much bigger when it arrived at the start of the Attitude Era.

Hart was the leader, with Neidhart still around. Joining them was Hart's brother Owen Hart and brother-in-law British Bulldog. Hart Dungeon graduate Brian Pillman also joined. This was a faction that played heels in the United States and babyfaces in Canada.

2 The Dangerous Alliance

Paul Heyman and his faction, the Dangerous Alliance.

In WCW, the Four Horsemen broke up when Ric Flair moved on to WWE. Arn Anderson came over from the Four Horsemen, joined by former Midnight Express member Bobby Eaton. Ravishing Rick Rude and former AWA World Champion Larry Zbyszko joined.

Finally, there was a guy named Steve Austin who rounded things out with Paul Heyman as the manager. This is a faction that is relatively underrated in the grand scheme of things, but their influence on the business, and the sheer credibility of the people involved cannot be ignored.

1 Bullet Club

AJ Styles and his fellow members of Bullet Club.

The most current faction to make the Mount Rushmore is still going strong in New Japan, while offshoots rule other parts of the world. This is Bullet Club. A look at the former leaders is a who's who of talent, from Finn Balor to AJ Styles and Adam Cole to Kenny Omega.

The members include names like the Young Bucks, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Cody Rhodes. Add in the Japanese contingency of Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga, this is one of the best factions in professional wrestling history.

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