10 Great Indie Stables That Had Multiple Future WWE Stars
For as long as fans can remember, WWE has loved its stables. From The Shield and Corporation to Nation of Domination, DX, and Hart Foundation, there have been amazing groups throughout its history. Factions were so successful in WWE and WCW that indie promotions started building some as well.
RELATED: 5 Ways The nWo Was The Top Stable Of The '90s (& 5 Ways It Was DX)
Through the years, some of the best wrestlers in the industry cut their teeth in the indies and ended up in WWE, where they became superstars. Here is a look at 10 great indie stables that had multiple future WWE superstars.
10 Age Of The Fall - Seth Rollins, Luke Harper, Joey Matthews
There wasn't a more prominent or more impactful faction in Ring of Honor in its era than the Age of the Fall. The faction debuted in 2007 with Jimmy Jacobs returning to ROH and immediately attacking the Briscoe Brothers, forming the new faction.
Jacobs, who went on to work in WWE as a writer, had a strong lineup backing him, including future WWE stars in Tyler Black (Seth Rollins), Brodie Lee (Luke Harper), and Joey Matthews.
9 Generation Next - Austin Aries, Evan Bourne, Alex Shelley, Roderick Strong
Another Ring of Honor faction that had success but had a very different reason for existing than the Age of the Fall. Instead of anarchy, Generation Next was all about young stars in ROH stepping up to let fans know that the future is now.
Alex Shelley started this group, and he brought in some big-time names that ended up moving to WWE in later years. They included Roderick Strong, Austin Aries, and Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne). Shelley himself would also work an episode of NXT in 2020.
8 The Kingdom - Matt Hardy, Michael Bennett, Adam Cole
Most people think of The Kingdom as three Ring of Honor stars who are still there today in Matt Taven, Vinny Marseglia, and TK O'Ryan. However, the faction goes back to 2014 before any of them were in it.
The original Kingdom consisted of Big Money Matt Hardy, who formed the group with none other than NXT Champion Adam Cole and former WWE superstar Mike Bennett (Mike Kanellis).
7 Mount Rushmore - Kevin Owens, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla might be the top actual indie wrestling promotion in America when it comes to cult status. Never reaching the corporate levels of Ring of Honor or EVOLVE, PWG kept its indie roots and never seemed embarrassed about it.
RELATED: 10 Best Episodes Of "Dark Side Of The Ring", Ranked (According To IMDB)
The stable Mount Rushmore consisted of the best in PWG at the time, including Kevin Owens, The Young Bucks, and Adam Cole. When Owens left for WWE, they added Roderick Strong.
6 Sweet N' Sour Inc - Kassius Ohno, Brent Albright, Daniel Puder, Evan Bourne, Sara Amato
The great Larry Sweeney was a wrestler and indie manager who was one of the best in the business until his untimely death at the age of 30. He had a stable that was the indie version of the Heenan Family in the 2000s with Sweet N' Sour Inc. that he managed in ROH.
From 2006-2009, wrestlers who competed in WWE like Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno), Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne), Brent Albright (Gunner Scott), Daniel Puder, and the American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards who made one appearance) were part of it. It also featured WWE producer Adam Pearce and Performance Center coach Sara Del Rey (Sara Amato).
5 Gold Bond Mafia - CM Punk, Kassisus Ohno, Colt Cabana
One group that a lot of fans might not know as much about is the Gold Bond Mafia. This group was a faction in the IWA: Mid-South indie wrestling promotion from 2000-2002.
The biggest name in the group was CM Punk, as well as his close friend at the time, Colt Cabana. However, other big names to join the group included Adam Pearce and Chris Hero. They also teamed in Chikara and 3PW.
4 Kings Of Wrestling - Kassius Ohno, Cesaro
Most people hear about the Kings of Wrestling and just remember the tag team that used the name in Ring of Honor. That team was Chris Hero and Cesaro, and both men moved on to WWE to varying levels of success.
RELATED: 10 Former Football Players Who Won Titles In Wrestling
However, Kings of Wrestling was a faction before it was ever a tag team. The stable included manager Larry Sweeney as well as names like AEW superstar Chuck Taylor.
3 Catch Point - Drew Gulak, Matt Riddle, TJP, Malcolm Bivens
At the moment, EVOLVE had closed its doors until further notice. However, before they shut down, the company worked hand-in-hand with WWE in developing stars, and many of its top talents have removed on to WWE, or more specifically, NXT.
One of the key stables in EVOLVE was Catch Point, which was led by Drew Gulak. Also in his stable was TJP, Matt Riddle, and Stokley Hathaway (Malcolm Bivens), all of whom had stints in WWE.
2 S.C.U.M. - Kevin Owens, Matt Hardy, Rhyno
S.C.U.M. was a stable in Ring of Honor that ruled the promotion from 2012-2013. The stable was formed by Steve Corino and included ROH World Champion Kevin Steen and Jimmy Jacobs.
Both men moved to WWE, Steen as a wrestler, and Jacobs as a writer. However, that was not the end of it, as Matt Hardy and former WWE star Rhino joined before the faction was forced to split up.
1 The House Of Truth - Roderick Strong, Rhyno, Dominik Dijakovic
When ROH picked up their national TV deal, Truth Martini was the top manager in the promotion. His faction was known as The House of Truth, and in the start, it featured Roderick Strong and Michael Elgin.
The stable grew and morphed over time and was probably at its strongest with Jay Lethal as a member. However, other names in the faction included former WWE star Rhino and future star Donovan Dijak (Dominik Dijakovic).
NEXT: 5 Reasons Why Cody Is A Great First TNT Champion (& 5 Reasons Why He's Not)
