10 Best Wrestling Stables Of All Time

3. The Hart Foundation

Evolution 2003
WWE.com

What's the only thing more powerful than power, money, glory, or success? Family, of course.

WrestleMania 13 was a mixed evening for the Hart family. Bret scored an amazing victory over Steve Austin, but he was unable to make Stone Cold submit to the Sharpshooter and in the process, he turned the fans against him. Meanwhile, Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith retained their Tag Team Titles, but their in-fighting was reaching dangerous levels. The following evening on Raw, Owen and Smith were about to face each other when Bret (who had been at odds with Owen for more than three years) interrupted the match, begging his family members to come together in support of one another and defiance of the fans.

The Hart Foundation was then born, with Jim Neidhart and Brian Pillman rounding out the group and the entire faction taking a pro-Canadian, anti-U.S. standpoint. That allowed them (and specifically, Bret) to become hated heels in WWE's home nation, but still appeal to fans globally. With the Foundation behind him, Bret was able to continue his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. In what was arguably the stable's crowning moment, all five members came together to defeat an Austin-led team of American babyfaces in front of a raucous Calgary crowd.

Bret would soon capture the WWE Championship from The Undertaker, but things soon turned sour - Bret left the company for WCW shortly afterwards. The controversial circumstances surrounding Bret's departure led Neidhart and Smith to leave WWE as well, only a month after Pillman died. By December of 1997, Owen was the only stable member left in WWE.

Not only is the group credited for being a part of one of the most entertaining feuds and storylines in WWE history, but the battles between Hart and Austin helped the company compete with (and ultimately, dethrone) WCW. WWE owes The Hart Foundation more historical credit than they're given.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013