Why isn't Brian Pillman considered a good Horseman?

[BillAlfonso]

It seems to me that "The Loose Cannon" Brian Pillman isn't considered to be a good Horsemen, the best I've heard him called is "forced." My question is why? His gimmick was/is great and it was a great dynamic between Flair/AA/Beniot's old school calm and reserve vs. his wild random antics. It was great to see how Flair and AA could barely control him even though he was always about Horseman business. So why isn't he considered a better Horseman?

 

[Caitiff]

Bill, you just answered your own question. When people think of "The Four Horsemen," they generally don't think of individuals reaching for an individual goal. They think of a group of elite wrestlers, each one working for the benefit of everyone in the group. As great as Pillman was in the ring, and as much as I liked his character (and still do), that character was the antithesis of everything the Horsemen stood for.

 

[BillAlfonso]

Bill, you just answered your own question. When people think of "The Four Horsemen," they generally don't think of individuals reaching for an individual goal. They think of a group of elite wrestlers, each one working for the benefit of everyone in the group. As great as Pillman was in the ring, and as much as I liked his character (and still do), that character was the antithesis of everything the Horsemen stood for.

I see your point but the man himself, AA, even said that Pillman was always about Horseman business when the time came. I just think that the strain he put on the group was very entertaining, I always looked at his incarceration as Flair/AA being the "parents" while Pillman was the talented rebel "son" while Benoit was their prodigal "son."

 

[mikeyboy]

flair, the andersons , tully, windham, luger ,sid and jj dillon the only real horsemen in my eyes. even though i like benoit ,malenko and pillman by the time they were in the horsemen were not relevant any more.

 

[Rammsteinerteen]

Everything you say is true, but Brian Pillman was probably slack compared to the others. Like Mikeyboy said, all those great wrestlers are hard to improve. Brian Pillman is a very good wrestler, but hes not one of the greatest horseman compared to the others

 

[Simmo]

Just to add my bit into this discussion.... I think Pillman was a great wrestler but the only group he really belonged in was the Hart Foundation, watch Hart and Soul and you can see why...

The 4 Horsemen to me is always any combination of true "old school" wrestlers and guys like Pillman, although good story wise when they were part of the Horsemen just didn't quite fit (you could put Mongo McMichael in the not quite fit group too....)

 

[ncwriter2908]

I loved Pillman in the horsemen as far as story lines go but he wasn't a horsemen. The horsemen were always straight laced hard knocks guys. The only flamboyant member was thier leader Flair. They always followed orders and what was good for the group. Pillman used the group or tried to as a stepping stone it seemed like. He was a great character but like his name to much of a loose cannon to be confined to a group.

 

[AJM]

flair, the andersons , tully, windham, luger ,sid and jj dillon the only real horsemen in my eyes. even though i like benoit ,malenko and pillman by the time they were in the horsemen were not relevant any more.

luger & sid were not good horsemen. Benoit had enough talent in the ring to be in that group but his mic skills were horrible. Pillman was a talent but I don't think he fit the Horsemen mold like Benoit did.

The best group was the original 4 & also with Windham in place of Ole. Windham was a better wrestler than Ole but Ole was much better on the mic.

Horsemen that should have never been Horsemen.

Luger, Sting, Sid, Roma (worst ever), Mongo, Malenko. Actually Malenko wouldn't have been bad but I never took him serious because he looked like a midget.

Henning would have been a good horsemen but they made him nWo (along with 1/2 the roster at the time) right away.

 

[BillAlfonso]

I guess I'm just a Pillman mark, if fact, I don't guess it, I know it. Ever since he became the Loose Cannon he was like a breath of fresh air, I believe that he had more to do with the birth of the Attitude Era than DX. What I mean is that his Loose Cannon gimmick(uncontrollable, unpredictable, unstable) and Austin's Stone Cold gimmick(hard fightin', hard drinkin', hell raisin') were the birth of the Attitude Era as opposed to DX who were just a couple of punks compared to Austin and Pillman. Wouldn't it have been great to see Stone Cold Steve Austin and Brian Pillman vs DX(HBK & HHH)? Anyway, I think another reason Pillman is one of my favorite Horseman is that his incarnation was the first I saw that wasn't looking to give someone the boot. My very first memory of the Horsemen is when they kicked Sting out.

 

[XgringolocoX]

Square peg in a round hole. Pillman was great, it just wasn't the right fit for him or the Horsemen.
Pillman was very underrated through out his career period. Great shame that he's no longer with us.

 

[hardy8778]

Brian Pillman was just all about business even if it wasn't necessarily about the horseman he tried his best to provide what he could for them.

 

[jacknife]

Too short of a tenure and too much of a difference in style. Also how he was portrayed in WCW with the Horsemen; you just knew it was a work that they were trying.

 

[hewittor]

When you think horsemen, you don't think Pillman. The Only 2 groups that stick out to me and I am a wrestling life-er...is The Hart Foundation in WWE and Hollywood Blondes in WCW (With Stunning Steve). Pillman was great...terrific on the Mic.

As far as Malenko from a post that I saw earlier. I loved the Horsemen with him and Benoit in it. Mongo was the enforcer...not bad. The crowd loved Malenko as the man of a thousand holds...especially when Jericho picked on him by calling himself the man of a thousand and 4 holds. We can probably credit Schiavone though. I know JR is great, but to me No one has ever put anyone over like Schiavone use to do, especially when Heenan or Heenan and Zybysko were paired with him. I just don't see why Vince won't throw the boat at him. I sure hope Eric could work somethin out with Tony if the whole JR thing doesn't work out.

Peace...