There was a long time when it felt like stables had become passe in pro wrestling, but they have come roaring back to prominence in recent years. 

When it comes to All Elite Wrestling and WWE, both promotions have several groups operating right now, with some being more defined and cohesive than others.

There has always been strength in numbers, especially in professional wrestling. Many young Superstars have been given a major boost by being associated with a top star, and many veterans have regained relevance by hanging around with younger wrestlers who are at the top of their game.

Groups of four or more typically operate as heels because having that many associates makes it much easier to cheat behind a referee's back. Babyfaces tend to stick to groups of three in most cases, with a few notable exceptions, and most of those were groups that originated as bad guys.

For the purposes of this article, we will only count groups of three wrestlers or more, which means tag teams with a manager do not count. We will also exclude some of the looser associations that are based more on friendship than an ongoing alliance. 

With that said, let's rank all of the current stables in AEW and WWE. 

12. Legado del Fantasma

Santos Escobar has only been with WWE since August, but he has already formed a stable and won the cruiserweight title, so he must be doing something right.

The only reason Legado del Fantasma is at the bottom of this list is the amount of time it has been in existence. Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde have only been with Escobar since mid-June, so they haven't been able to do much as a group other than help Escobar win his title.

The trio may grow to add another member or two over time as the group builds power in NXT, but for now, Legado del Fantasma is the new kid on the block and needs to keep building momentum. 

11. The Nightmare Family

The Nightmare Family is a semi-loose collective of Cody, Brandi Rhodes, QT Marshall, Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson. DDP may even count as a member because of the number of times he has appeared with Cody.

The entire group rarely appears together, but its members have remained associated for several months and regularly help each other in various ways.

Brandi will often accompany Marshall and Rhodes for their tag matches while also showing up for Cody's bouts along with Anderson. 

It was tricky to even count this as a stable, but since there is official merchandise being sold with the name of the group, it counts. 

The reason it falls so low on the list is that The Nightmare Family is not as defined or used as frequently as other groups in the company. Everyone is off doing their own thing for the most part. 

10. Zelina Vega, Andrade and Angel Garza

Zelina Vega, Andrade and Angel Garza technically make up a three-person group since Vega does wrestle on occasion and doesn't just serve as a manager. 

She has quickly established herself as one of the best talkers on the roster while helping Garza and El Idolo, but her group hasn't had as much success as she would probably like.

Andrade has had a decent singles career with reigns as NXT and United States champions, but as a trio, they have only recently begun building momentum after a period of unrest.

Garza and El Idolo may still break up in the future, but it seems more likely they will have at least one reign as tag team champions before that happens. 

9. Jurassic Express

Jurassic Express consists of Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt. They have been together almost as long as AEW has been in business and have gained a lot of fans during that time.

They might be three of the most different stars on the roster, but they have come together to create a fun and family-friendly tag team that the fans have embraced.

They are still waiting for their chance to win a title, but it seems like just a matter of time before one or two of them have gold around their waists.

Jim Ross always seems to have a little extra energy when he calls matches with Jurassic Express, and that speaks to how much an old-school veteran of the business must enjoy a stable featuring a man-dinosaur hybrid. 

8. Lucha House Party

Lucha House Party has been together for a little over two years. Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado have produced many entertaining matches in that time but they have not yet held the tag titles.

Kalisto is the most successful of the three having held the U.S., cruiserweight and tag titles previously alongside Sin Cara, but he has been without gold since the group was formed in January 2018.

The only reason Lucha House Party's lack of success hasn't put it lower on the list is how consistent the group is in matches. Anytime you get one, two or all three of them involved, it's going to be fun.

Metalik just earned himself a shot at AJ Styles' Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown, so WWE clearly sees value in their abilities. With Kalisto sidelined with an injury, this could be The King of the Ropes' chance to shine. 

7. The Dark Order

The Dark Order got off to a rocky start in AEW. At first, it was just Evil Uno, Stu Grayson and a handful of nameless masked wrestlers who served as punching bags for opponents.

Over the last several months, the company has taken time to build the group into something more important. The addition of Brodie Lee as The Exalted One, Colt Cabana, Alex Reynolds, John Silver and Anna Jay has helped it become the biggest stable in the promotion.

Management clearly believes The Dark Order can be an important part of the roster and is steadily establishing everyone in different ways.

With the right storylines and matches, Lee and his followers could become the most important stable in AEW. It just needs that first big victory to get going. 

6. The Elite

The Elite is another case of AEW having a group of guys with more of a loose affiliation than a defined stable, especially in recent months.

The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Adam Page and Cody make up the group. Sometimes they work together and sometimes they fight, but without the five of them, there wouldn't be an AEW.

It may have started as an offshoot of The Bullet Club in Japan, but The Elite has become its own thing in recent years thanks to its Being The Elite YouTube show becoming so popular.

Cody holding the TNT Championship while Page and Omega have the tag titles gives them more power than any other group in AEW, but there is another stable we will discuss shortly that is even bigger in terms of star power. 

5. Imperium

WALTER, Alexander Wolfe, Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel came together in NXT UK to form Imperium in 2019. Since then, the team has been nearly unstoppable. 

Aichner and Barthel are the NXT tag team champions, and WALTER holds the NXT UK title, so this is a group that is dripping in gold.

We haven't seen all four of them together in quite some time because of the current circumstances, but they maintain a constant presence thanks to the tag champs appearing on NXT frequently.

In addition to its success as a group, Imperium has one of the best theme songs in all of WWE. The moment you hear those first couple of notes from Antonin Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9," you know you are in for a good match. 

4. The Hurt Business

The Hurt Business is a brand-new group in WWE. MVP and Bobby Lashley have been allies for a few months, but Shelton Benjamin became an official member this week.

MVP is not the rightful U.S. champion, but he is the man in possession of the title. With Benjamin holding the 24/7 title, the trio already have two belts to display in the VIP Lounge.

It might be a little surprising to see such a new group put so high on the list, but when you take into account the skills of each performer, it is one of the best stables in pro wrestling.

With MVP, you have a veteran who can cut a strong promo and work a solid match; Lashley provides the dominant power; Benjamin brings pure wrestling ability and unreal athleticism to the table.

Together, The Hurt Business could be one of the most powerful groups in WWE by the end of 2020. 

3. The Undisputed Era

The Undisputed Era has been running NXT for the past couple of years, and despite losing all of the titles it once held, it is still a powerful faction.

Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish are four gifted wrestlers who have all put on incredible matches separately. Combining them into one group made them nearly unstoppable. 

It's only a matter of time before WWE moves them to Raw or SmackDown so they can start accumulating a new set of championships. If management were to break them up before then, it would be a huge mistake.

With the right booking, The Undisputed Era could be the next DX. It would just take some patience and the right opportunities to make it happen. 

2. The Inner Circle

When AEW launched, Chris Jericho was its biggest acquisition. He has had success everywhere he has gone throughout the world and is a future WWE Hall of Famer.

Putting him at the center of a new stable was a smart move because his credibility and experience will elevate anyone who teams up with him.

Jake Hager is also a former world champion and undefeated in MMA, Sammy Guevara is a talented high-flyer, and the team of Santana and Ortiz can play both serious and comedic villains.

Even without the world title around Jericho's waist, The Inner Circle is the biggest group in AEW and everyone else is just fighting for second place. 

Jericho is so good that he can go from a high-profile feud with the world champion to a storyline with a rising star like Orange Cassidy and nobody will see it as a downgrade. He brings everyone else around him up to his level, and that is the sign of a great leader. 

1. The New Day

In early 2014, Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods were all struggling to find their place as singles stars. When they joined forces in July, they couldn't have possibly known how important The New Day would become.

Not only have they been one of the cornerstones of the tag team division for six years, but Kingston also became the first African-born Superstar to win the WWE Championship while with the group.

Each Superstar brings something different to the table, and that is why they make such a great trio. Even if one of them is out with an injury, the other two pick up the slack until he returns.

Becoming one of the most beloved teams of the 21st century has not been easy. The trio used to be met with chants of "New Day sucks." But after stealing the show many times, those chants became "New Day rocks."

New Day has become one of the most important stables in all of WWE through hard work and incredible performances. If and when the group eventually breaks up, it's going to be heartbreaking for millions of fans around the world.