Would Have Made A Good Horsemen

[The Brain]

Most of us have fond memories of The Four Horsemen. They are widely considered to be the greatest stable in wrestling history. Even as a young WWF fan who was cheering for the good guys I couldn’t help but think the Horsemen were cool on the rare occasions I got to see them. What made them so great is you could really believe that the Horsemen was a real lifestyle instead of just a wrestling gimmick. They had expensive clothes and jewelry, fast cars, beautiful women, and rode in limos and flew in private jets. They usually had the titles too. They kicked ass in the ring and then partied all night. They were living the life.

Over the years there have been many different groupings of Horsemen. The purpose of this thread is to pick someone in wrestling history that was never with the group but would have been a good fit. Please specify the group you think he would have fit in with and who he would have replaced.

I’m going to go back to the early years and the original Horsemen. Even though he was an original Ole Anderson never seemed like a good fit for the Horsemen in my opinion. Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Arn Anderson had a certain class and attitude that I don’t think Ole had. I think Paul Orndorff would have been a good fit for the Horsemen in 1987.

Orndorff was the hottest heel in the WWF in 1986. He just came off a big feud with Hulk Hogan which was a cash cow for the company. At the beginning of 1987 Orndorff concluded his feud with Hogan with a steel cage match on Saturday Night’s Main Event. After that he took a little time off for injury. He couldn’t recapture the momentum he had before his short hiatus and didn’t really do anything significant in the WWF again. Instead of returning to the WWF I could envision him going to the NWA and joining the Horsemen. He seemed to have the right attitude. He had that cocky Horsemen swagger. I could see Orndorff running his mouth with the rest of the Horsemen, backing it up in the ring, and then going to live the nightlife with the group. I don’t know anything about Orndorff besides what I’ve seen on tv but he has me convinced he’s a cocky arrogant jock. If that’s not who he really is, good for him for playing his character so well. Either way he’s the kind of guy who I think could have fit in really well with the Horsemen.

 

[TUFFY54]

One person that I always thought could have been a Horsemen was Rick Rude. He had the look and the attitude to fit right in with Ric, Arn, and Tully. Rude would of done a great job as the midcard champ with Flair as world and the Brainbusters as tag.

 

[Rasha]

Going back to the days before the WWE and Stone Cold, how about Steve Austin in the early 90s? He and Pillman already had a tag history as the Hollywood Blonds and they could have easily meshed with Flair and Arn. "Stunning" Steve Austin would have worked easily as a Horseman and the push just might have kept him around as opposed to wha tthe history books tell us.

 

[harrythem]

I'm going to replace Sid vicious with Kevin Nash. Although I'm looking at the end of the 80s/early 90s, I'm thinking of Nash more towards the end of his WWF tenure in 96 as, at that time, he became one of the cool, hip younger guys in wrestling. We all know his love of money and, I think he had the verbals to be a good enforcer to the Horsemen, without the softball season playing havoc too!

 

[MizterColemine]

I'd say all 3 of the other members of Evolution... Orton, Batista, and Triple H. All are or became main eventers of an "elite" status and can be believable in such a fraternity.

 

[FatGuyIan]

I'd say all 3 of the other members of Evolution... Orton, Batista, and Triple H. All are or became main eventers of an "elite" status and can be believable in such a fraternity.

I totally disagree with you. Evolution was great because of what it was, different generations of wrestlers all "on top of their games". The IV Horsemen were peers that were dominant, it was a totally different dynamic.

I think you could have had some really good angles in the early 90's if Dustin Rhodes had made his way into the Horsemen. There could have been some classic stuff spawned out of the Horsemen vs. Dusty years and Dustin's rebellion against his father.

 

[UltimateHitman]

I'm going with an obscure choice here, but his WCW stint overlaps that of the Horsemen and I just think he would have fit well in the role. That man is Jimmy "Jam" Garvin. Garvin was a member of the Freebirds, was a good talent, had runs as both heel and face, and could have adapted to the Horsemen group pretty easily. I just think he would have been a good candidate instead of Luger back in '87. I guess you could make a case for Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, too, but I just see Garvin's character as the more natural feel.

 

[ramblinroy682]

I definitely like the idea of a stunning steve austin joining the horsemen. I think he would have been a really good fit with that persona.

I also always though Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig would have been a good fit. He had the attitude and charisma. He would have meshed nicely. He could have possibly been groomed for the next leader. However, he died early and Flair is still wrestling.

 

[SonicReducer]

There have been a few excellent picks so far. Kudos to those who suggested:

- Paul Orndorff (I also remember how red hot he was at the time of the Hogan feud, would have been a good fit with the 4H, plus he had his own ring robe!)

- Rick Rude (kind of an obvious choice since he aped the suit-wearing, high flying, limo riding ... thing in the Fed, also had his own ring robe!)

- Jimmy Garvin (was always a favorite of mine, as the poster explained Garvin was able to adapt to any role, and he could really have played up to the 4H lifestyle ... maybe something like the poor kid from the mean streets of North Bay, getting a taste of the lifestyle for the first time...)

Well, here are my suggestions. I don't want the "what about a black wrestler" guy, but hey, what about:

- Butch Reed

- Ron Simmons

... Skill-wise, they were ready for the role, they were hot at the time, and could have easily stepped into the Arn and Ole "enforcer" roles (wouldn't that have pissed off Ole? ... racist that he was).

Anyway, those are my suggestions.


***edit***: I wrote that Rick Rude "has" his own robe, edit to "had". Discuss.

 

[reed214]

i wasnt so sure what kind of answers some people would have said for this topic, (yes im sure one of these Cena-nation type folks are saying "oooo, hulk hogan was so good, he would have made a good leader of the horsemen, or the ultimate warrior or some other b.s wrestler). that being said, i did however like the idea of Rick Rude (as long as he didnt wrestle in his wwf pants with himself on it) as long as Tully and Arn were tag team champs b/c anyone of those 3 could hold a mid card title. someone said that all members of evolution..which isnt bad except they were the horsemen 2.0. Triple H along with Ric Flair established R.K.O and that other guy who couldnt even fall down right. but they didnt have an established tag team in that faction. which brings up a good horseman would have been superheel triple H (not crotch chopping but suit wearin,ya know,his ric flair impression). i hate how HHH was shoved down our throats in the early 2000's buut i do like that he pays homage to A.A and the other past greats and you have to respect that. if it needs to be during that time period i would also say the dynamite kid or davey boy smith,goes to wcw and suited up and played the power role in the horsemen.

 

[kingkong317]

Rude and Hennig I can totally see, along with Nash. I think Orndorff in the Horsemen wouldve been killer. He was one of the best never to be in the Horsemen. In 1993 Paul Roma couldve gotten a great education if the horsemen were Roma, Anderson, Orndorff, and Flair. They would've groomed him to perfection. Unfortunately that didn't happen. Full blown clinics however, wouldve been showcased if in 1993 it was Arn, Ric, Orndorff and a returning Tully Blanchard. I think Ron Simmons would have also made a good horseman,

In 2006-2008 i heard they almost got Arn out of retirement but couldnt get legal clearance. It was going to be Ric, Arn (manager), benoit and dean malenko reuniting as the 4 horsemen in WWE. At that time i thought maybe Ric, Benoit, Arn (manager), JBL and maybe one other guy could've been the horsemen of 2006 - 2008.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

I don't quite understand why you guys seem to think Henning, Rude and Orndorff would've been good candidates for the IV Horsemen. All three of those guys had the kayfabe ego, and charisma to take leadership of the horsemen. Would Orndorff take the backseat to Flair? Hell no, what about Rude or Henning? The only one you could argue would be Perfect, but it wouldn't be a permanent member due to his ego and charisma putting him at odds with Flair.

I think the best person they could've put in the group would've been Brad Armstrong. The guy was great in the ring and you could tell he didn't have the ego or charisma to draw attention away from Flair. He would've been the perfect compliment to the stable.

 

[BillAlfonso]

People have to understand, the Horsemen weren't all about being musclebound which is why guys like Sid, Sting, and Luger never really fit. Well, Sting for a variety of reasons but that's why I have to exclude guys like Ordoff. The in ring skill-set for being a Horseman meant you had to be strategic, calculating, and no-nonsense. Here's my list of guys that would've been dynamite Horsemen in no particular order.

JBL: Straight to the point, strong but not overly muscular. Rich so he could talk about money as much as Flair did back in the day. I heard he doesn't like Tully Blanchard though.

Kurt Angle: He could drop the Olympic gimmick and just come to the ring and destroy whoever was opposing them with his technical skill and he has the same style as the Horsemen by attacking certain body parts throughout the match.

Stunning Steve Austin: Was more technical than given credit for before the injuries started piling up. He wasn't the best promo-wise at this time so he'd have to work on it but he would've been a terrific asset against Sting and Luger.

Curt Hennig: See Kurt Angle

I left off Nash as he wasn't that good in the ring, he was effective but the Horsemen were more than effective ring wise. I also wanted to add Terry Funk but some guys are just better Flair adversaries than allies.

 

[The Crock]

Orndorff for sure. He was an excellent heel who totally had that "Horseman Mentality". He was arrogant, dominant, brash, and he was a heat magnet. There is no doubt in my mind that had he been a Horseman he'd have been one of the all-time greats. People would undoubtedly talk about him as one if the greatest heels ever had he been a Horseman. His work is vastly underrated and it comes as no surprise to me that many people don't know much about him. Like you said, the heat he was getting after the Hogan feud was absurd. It is a real shame the WWE never did anything with him.

 

[wrestler36]

I don't think it would've worked with his "The Model" gimmick, but I could see Rick Martel being part of the horsemen. As a heel, I could see him as a cocky counterpart to Tully, or Arn for that matter. Eventually, there would be a falling out and a feud with either or them, maybe with Martel even facing Flair. It would've been cool to see a Figure 4 vs Boston Crab match.

It's hard to imagine now considering his successful singles career and being the flagship of WWF for so many years, but during the mid to late 80s, Bret Hart would've made an awesome horsemen. Keep the exact same cocky swagger when managed by Jimmy Hart, I think he would've fit right in. Same eventual falling out, then taking them on one by one until the ultimate showdown with the Nature Boy.

 

[UltimateHitman]

Just wanted to throw another idea out there, and add a comment. I agree with the Butch Reed, Ron Simmons, and Rick Rude suggestions, those were all good. But another obscure pick of mine would be Lance Storm. He could've been a good pick for a newer incarnation. He could've been a cold, calculating, ruthless, silent type. Oh, and Curt Hennig was a Horseman, taking Arn's spot after a neck injury, albeit for only a month before turning to join the NWO. Not long, but still a Horseman.

P.S. Kudos to wrestler36 for the Rick Martel post. That was my original thought before coming up w/the Storm idea. Actually started typing it and changed it mid-post. lol

 

[The Brain]

I don't quite understand why you guys seem to think Henning, Rude and Orndorff would've been good candidates for the IV Horsemen. All three of those guys had the kayfabe ego, and charisma to take leadership of the horsemen. Would Orndorff take the backseat to Flair? Hell no, what about Rude or Henning? The only one you could argue would be Perfect, but it wouldn't be a permanent member due to his ego and charisma putting him at odds with Flair.

I think the best person they could've put in the group would've been Brad Armstrong. The guy was great in the ring and you could tell he didn't have the ego or charisma to draw attention away from Flair. He would've been the perfect compliment to the stable.

If Tully Blanchard took a backseat to Flair I don’t see why Paul Orndorff wouldn’t. The Four Horsemen was an elite group of wrestling heels and I really don’t see Brad Armstrong fitting in. I think that would have gone over about as well as Paul Roma in the group.

When I mention Orndorff I am thinking about how he would fit into the Horsemen lifestyle. I can just picture him and Tully Blanchard sitting at a blackjack table together drinking some scotch with a babe on each arm. He just seemed like a natural fit for the group.

 

[Big Sexy]

I actually think Dustin Rhodes would have made a good Horsemen. In his first stint with WCW he played the happy go lucky face son of Dusty Rhodes, but after a couple years of that a heel turn would have been great for him and the Horsemen (instead of Roma they could have added Rhodes). The history was there with Dusty and Flair so having Dustin turn heel to step out of his fathers shadows would have worked.

Some may not think he had the personality to fit in with the Horsemen, but I disagree. Dustin showed with Goldust that he can adapt to any type of character and make it successful. If booked right and if Dustin was given free reign to really bring his new "character" as a heel to life, then it could have been great.

 

[reed214]

the horsemen were a success because they were all above "good" in the ring.they were great (better than dusty, sting, way better than luger,hulk) you cant have mediocre guys like Roma, P.P.O, Dustin Rhodes, Butch Reed come in and try to compete for the best match on the card, b/c that is what the horsemen did....the lance storm, bret hart -the pink and J.B.L were good ideas. SUIT UP!! and be the best.

 

[Big Sexy]

the horsemen were a success because they were all above "good" in the ring.they were great (better than dusty, sting, way better than luger,hulk) you cant have mediocre guys like Roma, P.P.O, Dustin Rhodes, Butch Reed come in and try to compete for the best match on the card, b/c that is what the horsemen did....the lance storm, bret hart -the pink and J.B.L were good ideas. SUIT UP!! and be the best.

Dustin Rhodes was more then good enough to be in the Horsemen based on in ring ability so I'm not sure why you have him on the "mediocre" list. Especially when you believe JBL was a good idea. Dustin is easily better then Bradshaw in the ring. I do agree with you though that it's important to have a guy that can really go in the ring, otherwise it just doesn't fit as well with what the Horsemen were all about.

 

[Dyno Kid]

I'd have to say the late Gino Hernandez would have made a fantastic Horseman ! He had the look, he was cocky and easily hateable, and was a good worker and a great promo guy ! He also always wore a sports coat and tie and just looked like a Horseman !

Throw in the fact that he and Tully had teamed up in the past and were a GREAT tag team and you had the makings of a great Horseman !

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

The more I think about it the more I feel that Ravishing Rick Rude would've been perfect for the Horsemen. He had the look, the skills, the talk. He had IT to be the 2nd man to Flair and be groomed as his grand-nemsis in the future. I also recall hearing that very early plans had Shane Douglas (OF ALL PEOPLE!!!) to be in the Horsemen, but all that went south after his very infamous 'release'.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Thinking about it, I reckon Shane Douglas could have been a good horseman in his younger days. He had the look, the arrogance, decent in-ring skills and was fantastic on the mic. While obviously he would not have outshone Flair as the main mouthpiece, it is always good to have the other members in a faction able to talk too. Shane could create massive heat with little effort, and I could definately see him in the suit and sunglasses like a true Horseman.

He would have to get over his hatred of Flair though for this to work!