The professional struggle has experienced emblematic factions over the years, with many groups dominating promotions, strewn with gold and housing some of the largest stars that the company has ever seen. Each stable has a limit, and apart from a few minor exceptions, there is a life expectancy over the duration of a faction which can continue to be effective, pleasant and in the spotlight.
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Even some of the most emblematic factions of WweWCW, NJPW and AEW ended up becoming a shell of their old self. Whether it is poor reservation, repetitiveness or a change and overhaul of the members, the following groups have finally become (or currently) of the shadows of their previous self.
Day of judgment
The best stars have now left the group
- The day of the judgment experienced a difficult start under the direction of Edge
- They turned into a better act of RAW to WWE
- The outings of Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley damaged the faction
The day of the judgment took a little time to really start, but the iteration involving Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh saw the group at its peak, dominating Raw and holding several titles. However, 2024 saw Priest and Ripley expeling the group, with Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez and Carlito enrolled.
The group feels lethargic and lack of star power with the new members, and it seems that the members have separated better at this stage, because they are unrecognizable in terms of star power and to stand on the map.
Inner circle
This group led an AEW very early
- The inner circle was the number one of the Aew heel
- Ther Babyface Turn was not too fascinating
- In the end, the group clung to the expensive life
During the very first episode of Dynamite, the faction of the inner circle was formed with the world champion Aew Chris Jericho in the foreground, becoming the number one heel faction of AEW. As bad guys, they proved to be very entertaining, and they helped transport AEW throughout its first year. However, the group finally became Babyface, began to do its own things and ultimately became the shadow of its old self.
When they completely gathered for quarrels, the fans did not really care and all their antics started to feel forced. AEW finally admitted this and made Jericho tear the group.
Mental health
Their transition from NXT to the main list was poor
- Mental health was a popular force in NXT
- They lost Nikki Cross during their call
- The group has become Jobbers
The faction of Eric Young, Killian Dain, Alexander Wolfe and Nikki Cross was a success in NXT, with their wild and confused nature standing as something different. They won tag titles, competed inside the war games and looked like the next iteration of the Wyatt family with their darker characters. However, the list of main events has not seen the vision.
Mental health was called without Nikki Cross, losing a key room with the puzzle, then reserved like glorified improvement talents. Their aura and their presence exhausted, and they were a complete shell of their Self NXT.
The elite
The first act of the AEW is no longer the same
- The elite helped shape Aew
- Current iteration is lifeless and weak
- AEW needs to go from the elite
The elite of the Bullet Club elite was a huge reason for the reason why AEW met (obviously, because it is in the name), with Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Adam Page and Cody Rhodes for Direct a new era of struggle. This group had power, charm, sympathy, and looked like a headlight of hope and change.
The elite today consists of a bucks heel, a less serious Kazuchika Okada and Jack Perry. They are completely different from what they were, and although the new version of the elite is not necessarily bad, it is a shadow of the old group.
The link
WWE bothered the reservation of this faction
- The Nexus arrived at WWE with a blow
- John Cena buried the members of countless times
- The “new” link was a waste of time
The beginnings of the Nexus are one of the most emblematic of all time, because Wade Barrett led a group of recruits to provoke chaos on the main list and to feel like a very real threat in the process. However, like many promising acts of heel of the time, John Cena resisted them and made them kill them.

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This has generated the genesis of “The New Nexus”, led by CM Punk. With a few new members, a different direction and a lack of their original objective, this group was the shadow of the original bond which took control of RAW in a wild segment less than a year earlier.
The dark order
AEW’s super popular act is a shadow today
- Dark Order made his debut in an unsatisfactory manner
- The group managed to become great with fans
- Today, the act is unrecognizable
The original black order was not too impressive, but when Brodie Lee became their leader and the act began to present more personality, they became successful with the AEW fans. Lee’s tragic death saw a babyface running for the group, and the public has become super invested in each member, in particular with its involvement in the Title World Title Challenge of Adam Page.
Today, the Dark Order has only three members, losing the majority of the group over the years. Fans barely react to them, they are not involved in AEW scenarios, and they have lost their charm.
Undisputed
They feel like an act of parody
- The undisputed era transported NXT for years
- Their meetings in Aew fell flat
- They no longer have the power of a star who had formerly
The team of Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong reigned on the perch in NXT for years, putting their hands on all gold and serving best act, whether heels or babysical. The members finally resulted in AEW, and the “undisputed” initial elite was doing quite well, until several injuries interrupted their race.
Cole, O’Reilly and Strong gathered within the framework of the undisputed kingdom, but they could not be more distant from the momentum and the power of the stars they transported during their initial NXT race. In truth, they feel like a parody of themselves.
Rich
Without their leader, Hit Row failed
- Row was a popular act in NXT
- They were released from WWE very quickly
- They come together without Isiah away Scott
Hit Row was popular in NXT, and they felt like a modern act that could create a change when they moved to the main list. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon did not see his value and quickly released the faction. Triple H would then bring them back, but without their leader and star of the group, Isaiah Swerve Scott (Swerve Strickland).
Without him in the center, Hit Row was a shadow of their old self and lowered the card very quickly, before dissolving again.
Ball club
The Powerhouse Act of the NJPW is not the same
- Bullet Clubs were mainly completed for a non-WWE act
- This faction has had too many members
- They are no longer the same group
Bullet Club was a feeling in the 2010s, helping to cause a boom period for the NJPW and to create many large stars in the process. The act was renowned for the accommodation of many members and traveling leaders as new shoes, but ultimately it became a little too silly.

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The fact that Bullet Club is still in progress today is a sign that they are probably a shadow of what they were, with various sub-groups and a multitude of new members. They are always quite strong, but it is lower than the level of the old glory of the Bullet Club.
Nwo
WCW ruined the nwo… and the WWE buried it
- NWO helped give a dynamic WCW in the 1990s
- WCW did not know when to abandon the group
- WWE version was a complete failure
Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash changed the industry when they created the NWO, overthrowing the momentum of WCW and briefly putting them at the top of everyone from the professional struggle. The group has brought many members over the years and finally lost who they were. WCW did not know when to end the NWO, leading to the creation of other groups such as NWO Wolfpac and NWO 2000.
They were already the shadow of their old self, but things still got worse when the WWE called on the NWO after their purchase from WCW. Even if it was with the original members, the older, slower and attenuated version of the group looked like a parody.