Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)
Encyclopedia
The Four Horsemen were a professional wrestling
stable in the National Wrestling Alliance
and later World Championship Wrestling
that was disbanded in 1999. The original group featured Ric Flair
, Arn
and Ole Anderson
, and Tully Blanchard
. Ric Flair
and Arn Anderson
have been constant members in each incarnation of the group except once following Arn Anderson's neck injury where Curt Hennig
was given Arn's "spot" in the Horsemen.
, with Flair's storyline
cousins Arn Anderson
and Ole Anderson
, and Tully Blanchard
, with James J. Dillon
as their manager
. They feuded
with Dusty Rhodes
(breaking his ankle and hand), Magnum TA, Barry Windham, The Rock 'n' Roll Express (breaking Ricky Morton
's nose), Nikita Koloff
(injuring his neck), and The Road Warriors. Dusty Rhodes, Animal, Hawk, Ronnie Garvin and many others fought Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title during that time period. They usually had most of the titles in the NWA, and they often bragged about their success (in the ring
and with women) in their interviews.
The Four Horsemen moniker was not planned from the start. Due to time constraints at a television
taping, production threw together an impromptu tag team
interview of Flair, the Andersons, Tully Blanchard and Dillon; all were now united after Ole Anderson returned and, along with Flair and Arn, tried to break Dusty's leg during a wrestling event at the Omni in Atlanta during the summer of 1985. It was during this interview that Arn said something to the effect of "The only time this much havoc had been wreaked by this few a number of people, you need to go all the way back to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!" The comparison and the name stuck. Nevertheless, Arn has said in an RF Video shoot
interview that he, Flair and Blanchard were as close as anybody could be away from the ring while they were together. They lived the gimmick outside of the arena, as they took limos and jets
to the cities in which they wrestled. Baby Doll
was Flair's valet for a couple of months in 1986, after previously managing Tully Blanchard during 1985.
was made an associate member of the group after he expressed his desire to become a Horseman. The others started to leave Ole out of things, after he cost him and Arn Anderson the NWA Tag Team Title at Starrcade in 1986, and eventually he was kicked out in favor of Luger that March. The fact that Ole missed a show to watch his son Brian wrestle was used against Ole in the split as Blanchard and Dillon questioned Ole's loyalty and Blanchard called Brian a "snot-nosed kid."
During this time, they wrestled Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, the Road Warriors and Paul Ellering
in a series of WarGames match
es. These matches were brutal and ended up with all five members of each team in the cage at the end trying to make somebody submit. During the first match, Dillon suffered a separated shoulder from a botched attempt at the Warriors' finishing move, the Doomsday Device
. Dillon landed directly on his right arm and shoulder, and was replaced for the series of matches by the masked War Machine
, later known as the Big Bossman.
Luger was kicked out for first blaming Horseman manager J.J. Dillon for costing him the U.S. Title, when his attempt to help him win by cheating backfired, and subsequently, not allowing Dillon to win a Bunkhouse Stampede
match as the Horsemen had agreed to among themselves. In January 1988, he teamed with Barry Windham
to feud with the Horsemen. The pair even defeated Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship
at the inaugural Clash of the Champions. In April 1988, Windham turned on Luger and took his spot in the Horsemen during a title defense against Anderson and Tully Blanchard. This group of Horsemen has been called the greatest as far as technical wrestlers goes. It was also in this year when the Horsemen held all of the major NWA titles at once, with Flair as the World Heavyweight Champion
, Windham as the United States Heavyweight Champion
, and Arn and Tully as the World Tag Team Champions
.
In September 1988, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard left to join the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) dropping the tag titles at the very last minute to the Midnight Express (Stan Lane
and Bobby Eaton
). Anderson and Blanchard were known as "The Brain Busters
" in the WWF, managed by Bobby "the Brain" Heenan
.
Flair, Windham, and Dillon continued to refer to themselves as "the Horsemen" and the NWA even flirted with the idea of bringing in new members. Butch Reed
was signed to wrestle solo matches with Dillon as his manager. Then in February 1989, Barry's brother Kendall Windham
appeared to have joined them and even held up the four fingers after turning on Eddie Gilbert during a tag team match. Then Dillon left to take a front office job with the WWF, and they dropped the Horsemen name, hiring Hiro Matsuda
as their new manager and changing their name to Yamazaki Corporation. Their major feuds were with Lex Luger
, Eddie Gilbert, Ricky Steamboat
and Sting and they did everything they could to get rid of these opponents. After losing the U. S. title
to Luger, Barry Windham left the group due to an injury (a broken hand which occurred in his match against Luger at Chi-Town Rumble
and required surgery; this enabled him to leave the promotion and show up in the WWF as "The Widowmaker") and Kendall was not used as much more than a jobber and the group seemed like a shell of the unit it looked like on paper when it formed. They added Michael Hayes
after Barry's injury and he feuded with Luger but the group disbanded when Hayes reformed The Fabulous Freebirds in May and Matsuda left the promotion.
The Horsemen concept helped define the NWA in the mid to late 1980s. The departure of Anderson and Blanchard was huge at the time, Dillon and Windham's departure made it worse, and despite numerous revivals over the coming decade, things were never quite the same.
formed the group in a shocker. Tully Blanchard was set to return as well, but failed a drug test while still with the WWF. WCW heard of this, and decided not to rehire him. They were faces
and feuded with Gary Hart
's J-Tex Corporation
of Terry Funk
, Great Muta
, Buzz Sawyer
and The Dragonmaster
. At the culmination of this feud the group returned to being heels, kicking Sting out for daring to challenge Ric Flair for the World Title. "Sting, you never were a Horseman" Ric Flair would say afterwards in a TV spot. Woman soon became Flair's valet. They feuded with Luger, Sting, Rick Steiner
, Scott Steiner
and El Gigante
during this time.
In May 1990, Ole became the manager, Barry Windham returned to WCW and the Horsemen, and Sid Vicious
was added to fill out the group. They feuded with the Dudes With Attitudes which consisted of Sting, Luger, the Steiner Brothers, Paul Orndorff
and Junkyard Dog
. By the end of 1990, Ole and Woman left the NWA. Ted Turner
had bought Jim Crockett Promotions
, the largest faction of the NWA, and turned it into World Championship Wrestling.
In October 1990, another Horsemen legend occurred. WCW World Champion Sting was defending his title against the Horsemen's Sid Vicious at the Halloween Havoc pay-per-view. During the match, Sting and Vicious brawled backstage. A few moments later, they returned to the ring. Sting attempted to slam Sid, but lost his balance and fell to the mat with Sid on top of him. Vicious got the pin and became the new World Heavyweight Champion. It was revealed, however, that the Horsemen had attacked Sting after the brawl into the backstage area. It was then that Barry Windham (in matching Sting gear and face paint) inserted himself into the match and let Vicious pin him. The real Sting showed up after the three count, which caused the match to be restarted. The real Sting was able to defeat Sid and retain the title.
The Horsemen line-up of Flair, Anderson, Windham and Vicious eventually broke up and went their own ways. In April 1991, Sid left for the WWF. Flair was fired from WCW in late May and was in the WWF by August. Windham was part of a double turn at The Great American Bash shortly after Flair's firing, where he lost to Lex Luger
in a match for the vacant WCW world championship (Windham became a face, Luger a heel). Anderson went on to form a tag team with Larry Zbyszko
called The Enforcers
and later became part of the Paul E. Dangerously
-led Dangerous Alliance
with Zbyszko, Rick Rude, Madusa
, Bobby Eaton
, and Steve Austin
.
. Pretty Paul Roma
became the third horsemen after Tully Blanchard and WCW could not come to terms on a deal for him to return. Ole Anderson was on hand as the adviser but made only one appearance on A Flair for the Gold. This group of Horsemen is considered by many wrestling fans to be the weakest incarnation of the group. They were faces again and feuded with Barry Windham and the Hollywood Blondes (Steve Austin
and Brian Pillman
). This group ended, due to Arn Anderson's stabbing incident with Sid Vicious during a tour of England in October, and Paul Roma turning on Erik Watts during a tag team match to join Paul Orndorff as the tag team of Pretty Wonderful
.
) were teaming with Vader to torment Hulk Hogan
and Randy Savage
. After Vader lost to Hogan in a steel cage match at Bash at the Beach, Flair entered the cage and lambasted him. Vader snapped and attacked Flair, and Arn came to his rescue. This led to a handicap match at Clash of the Champions XXXI, in which Vader defeated the team of Flair and Arn. Flair and Arn began to bicker, as Arn always felt he was doing Flair's dirty work; a feud developed that led to a match at Fall Brawl on September 17, 1995 in Asheville, North Carolina
. Arn defeated Flair with the help of Brian Pillman. Flair begged Sting to help him against them and though Sting did not trust Flair he eventually agreed. Flair ended up turning on him at Halloween Havoc to reform the Horsemen with Arn and Pillman. They quickly added Chris Benoit
to fill out the group. This version of the Horsemen feuded with Hogan, Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger. Flair eventually took Miss Elizabeth
and Woman from Hogan and Savage, and they were his valets for the next six months.
In early 1996, Pillman started his infamous "Loose Cannon" storyline and started a feud with Kevin Sullivan
. He ended up leaving WCW, going to ECW, and eventually the WWF in February and Benoit took over to create one of the most talked about feuds of all time. In this feud, Woman, who was really married to Sullivan, left him for Benoit. However, life imitated art, and Woman actually left Sullivan for Benoit. This feud got heated and some of the matches were shoot-style with the performers using stiff or even full contact
moves, rather than the typical North America
n style of softening maneuvers.
In June 1996 at the Great American Bash, former football
player Steve "Mongo" McMichael
turned on Kevin Greene
in a "gimmick match" and joined them. During this match, McMichael's then-wife Debra
was chased to the back by Woman and Elizabeth, but later came back with them and a steel briefcase, which she handed to her husband. Mongo opened it to reveal a Horsemen t-shirt and money; after thinking it over, he closed the briefcase and hit Greene with it, allowing Flair to score the pin on Greene. McMichael was officially inducted as the fourth Horseman, and in the process gave the group another ringside valet in Debra. The online rumors pages said that Debra and Woman did not get along behind the scenes. This quickly played out on TV too, as they constantly bickered, and Benoit and Mongo had to step in.
When the New World Order
(nWo) was founded the next month, the Horsemen became de facto babyfaces along with the rest of the WCW roster. In September, Flair and Anderson teamed with their bitter rivals, Sting and Lex Luger
, to lose to the nWo (Hogan, Scott Hall
, Kevin Nash
, and an impostor Sting
) in the WarGames match at Fall Brawl when Luger submitted to the impostor Sting's Scorpion Deathlock
. This angered Anderson, and he feuded with Luger for the next month. In October, two developments occurred that affected the group. First, Jeff Jarrett
came over to WCW from the WWF, and expressed his desire to join the Horsemen. He immediately gained a fan in Ric Flair, much to the chagrin of the other Horsemen. The next week, Miss Elizabeth officially announced that she had joined the nWo.
Flair finally let Jarrett join the group in February 1997 but the others did not want him. Jarrett began bickering with Mongo over Debra's attention, and in June won the U.S. Title from Dean Malenko
, with the help of Eddie Guerrero
; in July he was kicked out of the stable by Flair, who had enough of the instability Jarrett's presence caused the Horsemen. In a move uncharacteristic of the Horsemen, however, Jarrett was allowed to literally walk away, instead of receiving a classic Horsemen beatdown as was expected. He eventually took Debra from Mongo, but Mongo took Jarrett's U.S. Title. To this date, amongst fans and members of the Four Horsemen, there is still debate whether to include Jarrett as a Horsemen. In his biography, Arn Anderson clearly states that "Jeff Jarrett was never a Horseman." His "membership" and his easy departure leave the situation ambiguous. The Four Horsemen usually pick their own members, but at the time, WCW held extreme control over storylines and this may have forced them to accept a member for those purposes only and not by choice.
In August 1997, Arn Anderson retired due to a neck/back injury that did not allow him to wrestle. Curt Hennig
took his spot as "The Enforcer". The next month, Hennig turned on the Horsemen and joined the nWo. Flair disbanded the group and they went their separate ways.
and Chris Benoit
kept going to Arn about reforming the Horsemen. He kept saying no. James J. Dillon, back in WCW's front office, even made a request. Arn eventually gave in and they reformed the Horsemen with Mongo, Flair, and Arn who was the manager. They feuded with the nWo and Eric Bischoff.
In early 1999, the Horsemen turned heel again. Mongo had recently departed the wrestling world and they were down to Benoit, Malenko, Flair and Arn as the manager. They also had a referee
bias
ed to them, Charles Robinson
, whom members of the Horsemen even referred to as "Little Nature Boy" (due to his resemblance to Flair). Flair's personal nurse, Double D
(aka Asya), acted as an enforcer for the group and Ric Flair's son David Flair
, who wrestled with them and wore Horsemen shirts though never an official member. Ric Flair, the (onscreen) President of WCW at this time, had awarded him with the U.S. Title and had the Horsemen help David to keep it. Eventually, Benoit and Malenko left him in May in protest over Flair's selfishness, and joined Shane Douglas
and Perry Saturn to form the Revolution
, thereby effectively ending the Four Horsemen.
Jim Ross
as he appeared on the 2007 Four Horsemen DVD
, if not for the Horsemen, there would never have been a DX
, a New World Order
or an Evolution
.
One major difference between the Horsemen and other groups, particularly the nWo, was that the Horsemen were willing to lose matches on television and put other wrestlers over in order to make themselves appear vulnerable to faces like Rhodes and Sting. This made fans more willing to buy tickets to live events and order pay-per-views under the belief that they would see the Horsemen get their comeuppance.
and Vince Russo
returned to WCW and rebooted the company.
stable in Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
, and later Major League Wrestling
, and also appeared across Japan
, that disbanded in 2004. The groups name was in homage to the Four Horsemen, who in the 1980s were one of professional wrestling's top draws world wide. The group came together in Dusty Rhodes
' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling promotion, but the group later left Rhodes' promotion to join Major League Wrestling where Steve Corino
and "The Enforcer" C.W. Anderson were joined by former ECW superstars Justin Credible
and Simon Diamond
. This incarnation was briefly managed by former Four Horsemen manager J.J. Dillon
before Major League Wrestling ceased operations. Barry Windham also joined the group for a War Games match for one time only.
At WXW-C4's Sportsfest 2009, Steve Corino reformed the Xtreme Horsemen in the form of Corino, NYWC's Papadon, WXW-C4's A.C. Anderson, and Corino's student Alex Anthony. They are managed by Corino's personal manager, Rob Dimension.
, and Max.
) was going to reform the Four Horsemen with Triple H
, Randy Orton
, and Batista. This group was eventually formed, but under the name Evolution instead of the Four Horsemen, and with Triple H as the leader instead of Flair. They served much the same function as the original heel Horsemen had, dominating the titles on Raw
and feuding with that brand's top faces. The group slowly died between August 2004 and October 2005. Orton was kicked out of the group after he won the World Heavyweight Championship
. In February 2005, Batista left the group after winning the Royal Rumble
, in a storyline where Triple H tried to protect his title from Batista. During a Triple H hiatus, Flair turned face, and at WWE Homecoming, Triple H returned as a face, but turned heel by the end of the night, hitting Flair in the face with a sledgehammer and officially ending Evolution. In 2007's Raw 15th anniversary, an Evolution reunion took place, though then-heel Randy Orton refused to participate and instead challenged babyfaces Flair, Batista, and Triple H to a match in which he partnered with Edge and Umaga, and at the same time reforming Rated-RKO
for one night.
On the March 31, 2008 edition of Raw, Flair delivered his farewell address. Afterward, Triple H brought out many current and retired superstars to thank Flair for all he has done, including Four Horsemen members, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, J.J. Dillon and Dean Malenko. Also, was the night in which Evolution got back together in the ring except for Randy Orton (who was outside the ring). This would mark the last time both groups would be in the ring together.
face stable in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
, announced by Ric Flair
on June 17, 2010 as a "reformed" version of the Four Horsemen. Ric Flair had been loosely associated with A.J. Styles
, Desmond Wolfe, Beer Money, Inc.
(James Storm
and Robert Roode) and Kazarian
since April 5, 2010, and announced that each of them and anyone else who wanted to join Fortune (originally spelled Fourtune) would have to earn their place in the stable. On July 11 at Victory Road
, Styles and Kazarian became the first official members of Fortune by defeating Samoa Joe
and Rob Terry
in a tag team match. On the July 29 edition of Impact!
, Flair announced that James Storm and Robert Roode had earned the right to become the final two members of Fortune. However, on the August 12 edition of Impact! Douglas Williams
, who had helped Flair defeat his nemesis Jay Lethal
the previous week, and Matt Morgan were added to Fortune as the stable assaulted Extreme, Version 2.0 (EV 2.0)
, a stable consisting of former Extreme Championship Wrestling
performers. Fortune had since merged with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff's Immortal
stable, but turned on them months later, splitting them into two feuding factions. Ric Flair would turn on Fortune and remain associated with Immortal.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
stable in the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
and later World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
that was disbanded in 1999. The original group featured Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Arn
Arn Anderson
Martin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
and Ole Anderson
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
, and Tully Blanchard
Tully Blanchard
Tully Arthur Blanchard is a semi-retired second generation American professional wrestler. He is best known as an original member of the Four Horsemen....
. Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
and Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson
Martin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
have been constant members in each incarnation of the group except once following Arn Anderson's neck injury where Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
was given Arn's "spot" in the Horsemen.
The original Four Horsemen (1986–1987)
The Four Horsemen formed in January 1986 with Ric FlairRic Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, with Flair's storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
cousins Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson
Martin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
and Ole Anderson
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
, and Tully Blanchard
Tully Blanchard
Tully Arthur Blanchard is a semi-retired second generation American professional wrestler. He is best known as an original member of the Four Horsemen....
, with James J. Dillon
James J. Dillon
James J. "J.J." Dillon is a retired American professional wrestler and manager.He is best known for being the strategic leader of the original Four Horsemen that consisted of Nature Boy Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson. He is most remembered as a manager in pro wrestling...
as their manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
. They feuded
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
(breaking his ankle and hand), Magnum TA, Barry Windham, The Rock 'n' Roll Express (breaking Ricky Morton
Ricky Morton
Richard Wendell "Ricky" Morton is an American professional wrestler who has worked for such wrestling organizations as Jim Crockett Promotions, the American Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action...
's nose), Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National...
(injuring his neck), and The Road Warriors. Dusty Rhodes, Animal, Hawk, Ronnie Garvin and many others fought Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title during that time period. They usually had most of the titles in the NWA, and they often bragged about their success (in the ring
Wrestling ring
A wrestling ring is the ring stage on which professional wrestlers wrestle.-Configuration and construction:The configuration and construction of the "traditional" ring is very similar to that of a boxing ring, though the wrestling version has three ring ropes...
and with women) in their interviews.
The Four Horsemen moniker was not planned from the start. Due to time constraints at a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
taping, production threw together an impromptu tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
interview of Flair, the Andersons, Tully Blanchard and Dillon; all were now united after Ole Anderson returned and, along with Flair and Arn, tried to break Dusty's leg during a wrestling event at the Omni in Atlanta during the summer of 1985. It was during this interview that Arn said something to the effect of "The only time this much havoc had been wreaked by this few a number of people, you need to go all the way back to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!" The comparison and the name stuck. Nevertheless, Arn has said in an RF Video shoot
Shoot (professional wrestling)
A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...
interview that he, Flair and Blanchard were as close as anybody could be away from the ring while they were together. They lived the gimmick outside of the arena, as they took limos and jets
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
to the cities in which they wrestled. Baby Doll
Nickla Roberts
Nickla Ann Roberts is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name, "The Perfect 10" Baby Doll...
was Flair's valet for a couple of months in 1986, after previously managing Tully Blanchard during 1985.
Lex Luger and Barry Windham (1987–1989)
In February 1987, WCW newcomer Lex LugerLex Luger
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
was made an associate member of the group after he expressed his desire to become a Horseman. The others started to leave Ole out of things, after he cost him and Arn Anderson the NWA Tag Team Title at Starrcade in 1986, and eventually he was kicked out in favor of Luger that March. The fact that Ole missed a show to watch his son Brian wrestle was used against Ole in the split as Blanchard and Dillon questioned Ole's loyalty and Blanchard called Brian a "snot-nosed kid."
During this time, they wrestled Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, the Road Warriors and Paul Ellering
Paul Ellering
Paul Ellering is a retired professional wrestling manager.-Professional wrestling career:Before entering the wrestling business, Ellering was an accomplished weightlifter...
in a series of WarGames match
WarGames match
The WarGames match was a gimmick match used originally in the National Wrestling Alliance and later held annually in World Championship Wrestling , usually at their Fall Brawl pay-per-view event in September.-History:...
es. These matches were brutal and ended up with all five members of each team in the cage at the end trying to make somebody submit. During the first match, Dillon suffered a separated shoulder from a botched attempt at the Warriors' finishing move, the Doomsday Device
Doomsday Device
Doomsday Device, often shortened to Device, is a term used in professional wrestling to reference a tandem move in which one wrestler hoists the opponent on their shoulders so that they are facing in the same direction in what is known as the electric chair position, while another wrestler climbs...
. Dillon landed directly on his right arm and shoulder, and was replaced for the series of matches by the masked War Machine
Ray Traylor
Ray Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...
, later known as the Big Bossman.
Luger was kicked out for first blaming Horseman manager J.J. Dillon for costing him the U.S. Title, when his attempt to help him win by cheating backfired, and subsequently, not allowing Dillon to win a Bunkhouse Stampede
Bunkhouse Stampede
The Bunkhouse Stampede was a professional wrestling show held annually by Jim Crockett Promotions from 1985 through 1988.-Concept:In 1985, the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions came up with a new match to increase the fans' interest in their product...
match as the Horsemen had agreed to among themselves. In January 1988, he teamed with Barry Windham
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
to feud with the Horsemen. The pair even defeated Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
at the inaugural Clash of the Champions. In April 1988, Windham turned on Luger and took his spot in the Horsemen during a title defense against Anderson and Tully Blanchard. This group of Horsemen has been called the greatest as far as technical wrestlers goes. It was also in this year when the Horsemen held all of the major NWA titles at once, with Flair as the World Heavyweight Champion
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
, Windham as the United States Heavyweight Champion
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
, and Arn and Tully as the World Tag Team Champions
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
.
In September 1988, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard left to join the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) dropping the tag titles at the very last minute to the Midnight Express (Stan Lane
Stan Lane
Wallace Stanfield "Stan" Lane is an American professional wrestler, trained by Ric Flair, who started wrestling in 1974 in Championship Wrestling from Florida. For a brief time in Florida, he was nicknamed Nature Boy...
and Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
). Anderson and Blanchard were known as "The Brain Busters
Brain Busters
The Brain Busters was the World Wrestling Federation name for the professional wrestling tag team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Anderson and Blanchard adopted this name after joining the WWF in 1988 from Jim Crockett Promotions, where the two men had wrestled as part of the Four Horsemen...
" in the WWF, managed by Bobby "the Brain" Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
.
Flair, Windham, and Dillon continued to refer to themselves as "the Horsemen" and the NWA even flirted with the idea of bringing in new members. Butch Reed
Butch Reed
Butch Reed is an American professional wrestler best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
was signed to wrestle solo matches with Dillon as his manager. Then in February 1989, Barry's brother Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
appeared to have joined them and even held up the four fingers after turning on Eddie Gilbert during a tag team match. Then Dillon left to take a front office job with the WWF, and they dropped the Horsemen name, hiring Hiro Matsuda
Yasuhiro Kojima
was a professional wrestler and the trainer of Hulk Hogan, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Keiji Mutoh, and many other professional wrestlers. He was better known as Hiro Matsuda, an identity he adopted while competing in the southern U.S., inspired by earlier wrestlers...
as their new manager and changing their name to Yamazaki Corporation. Their major feuds were with Lex Luger
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
, Eddie Gilbert, Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
and Sting and they did everything they could to get rid of these opponents. After losing the U. S. title
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
to Luger, Barry Windham left the group due to an injury (a broken hand which occurred in his match against Luger at Chi-Town Rumble
Chi-Town Rumble
Chi-Town Rumble was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling under the National Wrestling Alliance banner. It took place on February 20, 1989 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois....
and required surgery; this enabled him to leave the promotion and show up in the WWF as "The Widowmaker") and Kendall was not used as much more than a jobber and the group seemed like a shell of the unit it looked like on paper when it formed. They added Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
after Barry's injury and he feuded with Luger but the group disbanded when Hayes reformed The Fabulous Freebirds in May and Matsuda left the promotion.
The Horsemen concept helped define the NWA in the mid to late 1980s. The departure of Anderson and Blanchard was huge at the time, Dillon and Windham's departure made it worse, and despite numerous revivals over the coming decade, things were never quite the same.
Reformation; Sting and Sid Vicious (1989–1991)
The Horsemen reformed in December 1989 in the NWA. Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson, and long standing rival StingSting (wrestler)
Steven James "Steve" Borden , better known by his ring name Sting, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
formed the group in a shocker. Tully Blanchard was set to return as well, but failed a drug test while still with the WWF. WCW heard of this, and decided not to rehire him. They were faces
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
and feuded with Gary Hart
Gary Hart (wrestler)
Gary Richard Williams, was a former professional wrestling manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring name Gary Hart...
's J-Tex Corporation
J-Tex Corporation
J-Tex Corporation, also known as Gary Hart International, was a heel professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling. The group was managed by Gary Hart and consisted of several popular wrestlers including Terry Funk, Dick Slater, The Great Muta, The Dragonmaster, and Buzz Sawyer...
of Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
, Great Muta
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
, Buzz Sawyer
Buzz Sawyer
Bruce Woyan was a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Buzz Sawyer. Throughout his career, he was also known by the nickname "Mad Dog". He was characterized by his crazy antics inside the ring and out.-Career:Sawyer started wrestling in 1979 in the National Wrestling Alliance 's...
and The Dragonmaster
Kazuo Sakurada
, better known as Mr. Sakurada and as the Japanese version of , is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known, under various monikers, for his work in Stampede Wrestling, National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling. Sakurada is also highly regarded by Bret Hart as...
. At the culmination of this feud the group returned to being heels, kicking Sting out for daring to challenge Ric Flair for the World Title. "Sting, you never were a Horseman" Ric Flair would say afterwards in a TV spot. Woman soon became Flair's valet. They feuded with Luger, Sting, Rick Steiner
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
, Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...
and El Gigante
Jorge Gonzales
Jorge González was an Argentinian basketball player and professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name El Gigante between 1989 and 1992 and in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Giant González in...
during this time.
In May 1990, Ole became the manager, Barry Windham returned to WCW and the Horsemen, and Sid Vicious
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
was added to fill out the group. They feuded with the Dudes With Attitudes which consisted of Sting, Luger, the Steiner Brothers, Paul Orndorff
Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
and Junkyard Dog
Junkyard Dog
Sylvester Ritter was an American professional wrestler and professional football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as The Junkyard Dog...
. By the end of 1990, Ole and Woman left the NWA. Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
had bought Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
, the largest faction of the NWA, and turned it into World Championship Wrestling.
In October 1990, another Horsemen legend occurred. WCW World Champion Sting was defending his title against the Horsemen's Sid Vicious at the Halloween Havoc pay-per-view. During the match, Sting and Vicious brawled backstage. A few moments later, they returned to the ring. Sting attempted to slam Sid, but lost his balance and fell to the mat with Sid on top of him. Vicious got the pin and became the new World Heavyweight Champion. It was revealed, however, that the Horsemen had attacked Sting after the brawl into the backstage area. It was then that Barry Windham (in matching Sting gear and face paint) inserted himself into the match and let Vicious pin him. The real Sting showed up after the three count, which caused the match to be restarted. The real Sting was able to defeat Sid and retain the title.
The Horsemen line-up of Flair, Anderson, Windham and Vicious eventually broke up and went their own ways. In April 1991, Sid left for the WWF. Flair was fired from WCW in late May and was in the WWF by August. Windham was part of a double turn at The Great American Bash shortly after Flair's firing, where he lost to Lex Luger
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
in a match for the vacant WCW world championship (Windham became a face, Luger a heel). Anderson went on to form a tag team with Larry Zbyszko
Larry Zbyszko
Lawrence "Larry" Whistler is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino during the early 1980s....
called The Enforcers
Enforcers
The Enforcers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko. This unit is best known for their run in World Championship Wrestling from 1991-1992.-History:...
and later became part of the Paul E. Dangerously
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
-led Dangerous Alliance
Dangerous Alliance
The Dangerous Alliance was a heel professional wrestling stable that made a name for itself in World Championship Wrestling in the early '90s and the American Wrestling Association in 1987, with Adrian Adonis, Randy Rose, and Dennis Condrey making up the AWA incarnation of the group.-American...
with Zbyszko, Rick Rude, Madusa
Debra Miceli
Debrah Ann Miceli is a Monster truck driver and former professional wrestler. She is best known under her ring names Madusa or Alundra Blayze. Her early career was spent in the American Wrestling Association, where she held the AWA World Women's Championship one time...
, Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
, and Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
.
Three Horsemen (1993)
The next incarnation was from May 1993 to December 1993. Flair returned from the WWF to WCW to rejoin Arn and they promised a Horsemen reunion at the Slamboree pay-per-viewPay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
. Pretty Paul Roma
Paul Roma
Paul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
became the third horsemen after Tully Blanchard and WCW could not come to terms on a deal for him to return. Ole Anderson was on hand as the adviser but made only one appearance on A Flair for the Gold. This group of Horsemen is considered by many wrestling fans to be the weakest incarnation of the group. They were faces again and feuded with Barry Windham and the Hollywood Blondes (Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
and Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
). This group ended, due to Arn Anderson's stabbing incident with Sid Vicious during a tour of England in October, and Paul Roma turning on Erik Watts during a tag team match to join Paul Orndorff as the tag team of Pretty Wonderful
Pretty Wonderful
Pretty Wonderful was a professional wrestling tag team composed of "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and "Pretty" Paul Roma who competed in World Championship Wrestling in 1993 and 1994-The making of the team:...
.
Reformation and feud with the nWo (1995–1997)
In 1995, Flair and Arn (back to being heelsHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
) were teaming with Vader to torment Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
. After Vader lost to Hogan in a steel cage match at Bash at the Beach, Flair entered the cage and lambasted him. Vader snapped and attacked Flair, and Arn came to his rescue. This led to a handicap match at Clash of the Champions XXXI, in which Vader defeated the team of Flair and Arn. Flair and Arn began to bicker, as Arn always felt he was doing Flair's dirty work; a feud developed that led to a match at Fall Brawl on September 17, 1995 in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. Arn defeated Flair with the help of Brian Pillman. Flair begged Sting to help him against them and though Sting did not trust Flair he eventually agreed. Flair ended up turning on him at Halloween Havoc to reform the Horsemen with Arn and Pillman. They quickly added Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
to fill out the group. This version of the Horsemen feuded with Hogan, Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger. Flair eventually took Miss Elizabeth
Miss Elizabeth
Elizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late...
and Woman from Hogan and Savage, and they were his valets for the next six months.
In early 1996, Pillman started his infamous "Loose Cannon" storyline and started a feud with Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
. He ended up leaving WCW, going to ECW, and eventually the WWF in February and Benoit took over to create one of the most talked about feuds of all time. In this feud, Woman, who was really married to Sullivan, left him for Benoit. However, life imitated art, and Woman actually left Sullivan for Benoit. This feud got heated and some of the matches were shoot-style with the performers using stiff or even full contact
Contact sport
Many sports involve a degree of player-to-player or player-to-object contact. The term "contact sport" is used in both team sports and combat sports, medical terminology and television game shows, such as the Gladiators and Wipeout, to certain degrees...
moves, rather than the typical North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n style of softening maneuvers.
In June 1996 at the Great American Bash, former football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player Steve "Mongo" McMichael
Steve McMichael
-World Wrestling Federation :After the end of his NFL career, he appeared at ringside in the WWF for Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania XI on April 2, 1995 in Hartford, Connecticut. Taylor was wrestling Bam Bam Bigelow and there were several football players at ringside to keep wrestlers from...
turned on Kevin Greene
Kevin Greene
Kevin Darwin Greene is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years and who retired after the 1999 NFL season...
in a "gimmick match" and joined them. During this match, McMichael's then-wife Debra
Debra Marshall
Debra Gale Marshall is an American actress and former professional wrestling manager and WWE Diva. Arguably best known by her ring name, Debra, she gained recognition for her appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1998 and 2002.She began her career in professional wrestling in...
was chased to the back by Woman and Elizabeth, but later came back with them and a steel briefcase, which she handed to her husband. Mongo opened it to reveal a Horsemen t-shirt and money; after thinking it over, he closed the briefcase and hit Greene with it, allowing Flair to score the pin on Greene. McMichael was officially inducted as the fourth Horseman, and in the process gave the group another ringside valet in Debra. The online rumors pages said that Debra and Woman did not get along behind the scenes. This quickly played out on TV too, as they constantly bickered, and Benoit and Mongo had to step in.
When the New World Order
New World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
(nWo) was founded the next month, the Horsemen became de facto babyfaces along with the rest of the WCW roster. In September, Flair and Anderson teamed with their bitter rivals, Sting and Lex Luger
Sting and Lex Luger
The professional wrestling tag team of Sting and Lex Luger were best known for competing in Jim Crockett Promotions , which later became World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling All-Stars...
, to lose to the nWo (Hogan, Scott Hall
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
, Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
, and an impostor Sting
Jeff Farmer (wrestler)
Jeff Farmer is a professional wrestler best known as Fake Sting, and later nWo Sting. A mainstay of World Championship Wrestling during the 1990s, he led a Japanese faction of the heel stable New World Order in New Japan Pro Wrestling competing in the promotion until WCW's close in 2001. Farmer is...
) in the WarGames match at Fall Brawl when Luger submitted to the impostor Sting's Scorpion Deathlock
Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)
The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
. This angered Anderson, and he feuded with Luger for the next month. In October, two developments occurred that affected the group. First, Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
came over to WCW from the WWF, and expressed his desire to join the Horsemen. He immediately gained a fan in Ric Flair, much to the chagrin of the other Horsemen. The next week, Miss Elizabeth officially announced that she had joined the nWo.
Flair finally let Jarrett join the group in February 1997 but the others did not want him. Jarrett began bickering with Mongo over Debra's attention, and in June won the U.S. Title from Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko
Dean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
, with the help of Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
; in July he was kicked out of the stable by Flair, who had enough of the instability Jarrett's presence caused the Horsemen. In a move uncharacteristic of the Horsemen, however, Jarrett was allowed to literally walk away, instead of receiving a classic Horsemen beatdown as was expected. He eventually took Debra from Mongo, but Mongo took Jarrett's U.S. Title. To this date, amongst fans and members of the Four Horsemen, there is still debate whether to include Jarrett as a Horsemen. In his biography, Arn Anderson clearly states that "Jeff Jarrett was never a Horseman." His "membership" and his easy departure leave the situation ambiguous. The Four Horsemen usually pick their own members, but at the time, WCW held extreme control over storylines and this may have forced them to accept a member for those purposes only and not by choice.
In August 1997, Arn Anderson retired due to a neck/back injury that did not allow him to wrestle. Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
took his spot as "The Enforcer". The next month, Hennig turned on the Horsemen and joined the nWo. Flair disbanded the group and they went their separate ways.
The final incarnation (1998–1999)
The last incarnation came in September 1998. On the September 14 edition of WCW Monday Nitro in Greenville, South Carolina when Ric Flair returned after a hiatus from the ring after a disagreement with WCW president Eric Bischoff. Dean MalenkoDean Malenko
Dean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
and Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
kept going to Arn about reforming the Horsemen. He kept saying no. James J. Dillon, back in WCW's front office, even made a request. Arn eventually gave in and they reformed the Horsemen with Mongo, Flair, and Arn who was the manager. They feuded with the nWo and Eric Bischoff.
In early 1999, the Horsemen turned heel again. Mongo had recently departed the wrestling world and they were down to Benoit, Malenko, Flair and Arn as the manager. They also had a referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
bias
Bias
Bias is an inclination to present or hold a partial perspective at the expense of alternatives. Bias can come in many forms.-In judgement and decision making:...
ed to them, Charles Robinson
Charles Robinson (referee)
Charles Shane Robinson is an American professional wrestling referee currently signed to WWE.- Beginnings and World Championship Wrestling :...
, whom members of the Horsemen even referred to as "Little Nature Boy" (due to his resemblance to Flair). Flair's personal nurse, Double D
Christie Wolf
-Debut:In March 1999, Wolf began appearing as a head nurse to tend to Ric Flair when he was, in storyline, put into a mental instituition. She would then appear in several vignettes with him before becoming his valet upon his return to WCW...
(aka Asya), acted as an enforcer for the group and Ric Flair's son David Flair
David Flair
David Richard Fliehr better known by his ring name David Flair is a professional wrestler best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling , where he held the United States and World Tag Team championships...
, who wrestled with them and wore Horsemen shirts though never an official member. Ric Flair, the (onscreen) President of WCW at this time, had awarded him with the U.S. Title and had the Horsemen help David to keep it. Eventually, Benoit and Malenko left him in May in protest over Flair's selfishness, and joined Shane Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
and Perry Saturn to form the Revolution
Revolution (professional wrestling)
The Revolution was a professional wrestling heel stable in World Championship Wrestling led by Shane Douglas.-History:The Revolution was formed by Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Shane Douglas, and Perry Saturn on July 29, 1999...
, thereby effectively ending the Four Horsemen.
Legacy
The original Four Horsemen were innovative in developing and popularizing the concept of heel stables. According to commentatorAnnouncer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
as he appeared on the 2007 Four Horsemen DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, if not for the Horsemen, there would never have been a DX
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
, a New World Order
New World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
or an Evolution
Evolution (professional wrestling)
Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....
.
One major difference between the Horsemen and other groups, particularly the nWo, was that the Horsemen were willing to lose matches on television and put other wrestlers over in order to make themselves appear vulnerable to faces like Rhodes and Sting. This made fans more willing to buy tickets to live events and order pay-per-views under the belief that they would see the Horsemen get their comeuppance.
Team Package
In 2000, former Horsemen Ric Flair and Lex Luger reunited as a heel tag team in WCW for the first time in over 12 years as Team Package after having feuded on and off during that time, managed by Miss Elizabeth. They primarily feuded with Hulk Hogan and Sting. This team would only last until April, when Eric BischoffEric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and Vince Russo
Vince Russo
Vincent James "Vince" Russo is an American creative writer and author, well known for his work in the professional wrestling industry. He is notable for his tenure with World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
returned to WCW and rebooted the company.
Extreme Horsemen
The Xtreme Horsemen was a professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
stable in Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling was a Southeastern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Marietta, Georgia. It was founded by retired wrestler and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dusty Rhodes in 2000 and, during its three years in operation, held events throughout the...
, and later Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
, and also appeared across Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, that disbanded in 2004. The groups name was in homage to the Four Horsemen, who in the 1980s were one of professional wrestling's top draws world wide. The group came together in Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling promotion, but the group later left Rhodes' promotion to join Major League Wrestling where Steve Corino
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...
and "The Enforcer" C.W. Anderson were joined by former ECW superstars Justin Credible
Peter Polaco
Peter Joseph Polaco is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Justin Credible. He is also known for his earlier stint with the WWF under the ringname Aldo Montoya...
and Simon Diamond
Pat Kenney
Patrick Joseph Michael "Pat" Kenney , known also by his ring name, Simon Diamond, is a retired American professional wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent...
. This incarnation was briefly managed by former Four Horsemen manager J.J. Dillon
James J. Dillon
James J. "J.J." Dillon is a retired American professional wrestler and manager.He is best known for being the strategic leader of the original Four Horsemen that consisted of Nature Boy Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson. He is most remembered as a manager in pro wrestling...
before Major League Wrestling ceased operations. Barry Windham also joined the group for a War Games match for one time only.
At WXW-C4's Sportsfest 2009, Steve Corino reformed the Xtreme Horsemen in the form of Corino, NYWC's Papadon, WXW-C4's A.C. Anderson, and Corino's student Alex Anthony. They are managed by Corino's personal manager, Rob Dimension.
Apocalypse
Live Action Wrestling had a stable created by then LAW Heavyweight Champion C.W. Anderson, along Ric Flair's son David FlairDavid Flair
David Richard Fliehr better known by his ring name David Flair is a professional wrestler best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling , where he held the United States and World Tag Team championships...
, and Max.
Evolution
In 2003, rumors began circulating that Ric Flair (at the time working for the World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
) was going to reform the Four Horsemen with Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
, and Batista. This group was eventually formed, but under the name Evolution instead of the Four Horsemen, and with Triple H as the leader instead of Flair. They served much the same function as the original heel Horsemen had, dominating the titles on Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
and feuding with that brand's top faces. The group slowly died between August 2004 and October 2005. Orton was kicked out of the group after he won the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. In February 2005, Batista left the group after winning the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2005)
Royal Rumble was the eighteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 30, 2005 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California and featured talent from both the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
, in a storyline where Triple H tried to protect his title from Batista. During a Triple H hiatus, Flair turned face, and at WWE Homecoming, Triple H returned as a face, but turned heel by the end of the night, hitting Flair in the face with a sledgehammer and officially ending Evolution. In 2007's Raw 15th anniversary, an Evolution reunion took place, though then-heel Randy Orton refused to participate and instead challenged babyfaces Flair, Batista, and Triple H to a match in which he partnered with Edge and Umaga, and at the same time reforming Rated-RKO
Rated-RKO
Rated-RKO was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment based on the Raw brand. The team consisted of Edge, Randy Orton, and Lita, their valet...
for one night.
On the March 31, 2008 edition of Raw, Flair delivered his farewell address. Afterward, Triple H brought out many current and retired superstars to thank Flair for all he has done, including Four Horsemen members, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, J.J. Dillon and Dean Malenko. Also, was the night in which Evolution got back together in the ring except for Randy Orton (who was outside the ring). This would mark the last time both groups would be in the ring together.
Fortune
Fortune is a professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
face stable in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
, announced by Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
on June 17, 2010 as a "reformed" version of the Four Horsemen. Ric Flair had been loosely associated with A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, Desmond Wolfe, Beer Money, Inc.
Beer Money, Inc.
Beer Money, Inc. was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Robert "Bobby" Roode and James Storm in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where they are former four-time TNA World Tag Team Champions, while also holding the record for the longest reign as...
(James Storm
James Storm
James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J...
and Robert Roode) and Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
since April 5, 2010, and announced that each of them and anyone else who wanted to join Fortune (originally spelled Fourtune) would have to earn their place in the stable. On July 11 at Victory Road
Victory Road (2010)
Victory Road was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on July 11, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, Styles and Kazarian became the first official members of Fortune by defeating Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
and Rob Terry
Rob Terry
Robert "Rob" Terry is a Welsh professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . Before signing with TNA, he was under contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and competed in the company's developmental territory, Florida Championship...
in a tag team match. On the July 29 edition of Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
, Flair announced that James Storm and Robert Roode had earned the right to become the final two members of Fortune. However, on the August 12 edition of Impact! Douglas Williams
Doug Williams (wrestler)
Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
, who had helped Flair defeat his nemesis Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal
Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion...
the previous week, and Matt Morgan were added to Fortune as the stable assaulted Extreme, Version 2.0 (EV 2.0)
ECW Originals
The ECW Originals was a professional wrestling stable that made sporadic appearances in various wrestling promotions, including World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
, a stable consisting of former Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
performers. Fortune had since merged with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff's Immortal
Immortal (professional wrestling)
Immortal is a villainous professional wrestling alliance in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . It currently consists of Eric Bischoff, Bully Ray, Gunner, TNA founder and AAA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, his wife and valet Karen Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and Scott Steiner...
stable, but turned on them months later, splitting them into two feuding factions. Ric Flair would turn on Fortune and remain associated with Immortal.
Main
- Ric FlairRic FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
(1986–1991, 1993–1999) - Arn AndersonArn AndersonMartin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
(1986–1988, 1990–1999) - Ole AndersonOle AndersonAlan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
(1986–1987; 1990; 1993) - Tully BlanchardTully BlanchardTully Arthur Blanchard is a semi-retired second generation American professional wrestler. He is best known as an original member of the Four Horsemen....
(1986–1988) - James J. DillonJames J. DillonJames J. "J.J." Dillon is a retired American professional wrestler and manager.He is best known for being the strategic leader of the original Four Horsemen that consisted of Nature Boy Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson. He is most remembered as a manager in pro wrestling...
(1986–1989) - Lex LugerLex LugerLawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
(1987) - Barry WindhamBarry WindhamBarry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
(1988–1989; 1990–1991) - StingSting (wrestler)Steven James "Steve" Borden , better known by his ring name Sting, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
(1989–1990) - Sid ViciousSid EudySidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
(1990–1991) - Paul RomaPaul RomaPaul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
(1993) - Brian PillmanBrian PillmanBrian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
(1995–1996) - Chris BenoitChris BenoitChristopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
(1995–1997; 1998–1999) - Steve "Mongo" McMichaelSteve McMichael-World Wrestling Federation :After the end of his NFL career, he appeared at ringside in the WWF for Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania XI on April 2, 1995 in Hartford, Connecticut. Taylor was wrestling Bam Bam Bigelow and there were several football players at ringside to keep wrestlers from...
(1996–1999) - Curt HennigCurt HennigCurtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
(1997) - Jeff JarrettJeff JarrettJeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
(1997) - Dean MalenkoDean MalenkoDean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
(1998–1999)
Associated members
- Kendall WindhamKendall WindhamKendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
(1989) - David FlairDavid FlairDavid Richard Fliehr better known by his ring name David Flair is a professional wrestler best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling , where he held the United States and World Tag Team championships...
(1999) - Michael HayesMichael HayesMichael Hayes may refer to:* Michael Hayes , TV director of Dr. Who episodes, such as the serial City of Death* Michael Hayes , Irish Fine Gael politician...
(1989) - Butch ReedButch ReedButch Reed is an American professional wrestler best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
(1989)
Managers and valets
- James J. DillonJames J. DillonJames J. "J.J." Dillon is a retired American professional wrestler and manager.He is best known for being the strategic leader of the original Four Horsemen that consisted of Nature Boy Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson. He is most remembered as a manager in pro wrestling...
(manager) - Baby DollNickla RobertsNickla Ann Roberts is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name, "The Perfect 10" Baby Doll...
(Blanchard's valet) - Dark Journey (Blanchard's valet)
- Hiro MatsudaYasuhiro Kojimawas a professional wrestler and the trainer of Hulk Hogan, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Keiji Mutoh, and many other professional wrestlers. He was better known as Hiro Matsuda, an identity he adopted while competing in the southern U.S., inspired by earlier wrestlers...
(manager) - Woman (Ric Flair's valet, and Benoit's wife and valet)
- Fifi (Ric Flair's maid during The A Flair for the Gold segment, portrayed by Wendy Barlow)
- Miss ElizabethMiss ElizabethElizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late...
(Ric Flair's valet) - Debra McMichaelDebra MarshallDebra Gale Marshall is an American actress and former professional wrestling manager and WWE Diva. Arguably best known by her ring name, Debra, she gained recognition for her appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1998 and 2002.She began her career in professional wrestling in...
(Steve McMichael's wife and valet) - Bobby HeenanBobby HeenanRaymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
(coached them for one match at The Great American Bash in 1996) - Charles Robinson (Ric Flair's biasBiasBias is an inclination to present or hold a partial perspective at the expense of alternatives. Bias can come in many forms.-In judgement and decision making:...
ed referee in 1999) - Double DChristie Wolf-Debut:In March 1999, Wolf began appearing as a head nurse to tend to Ric Flair when he was, in storyline, put into a mental instituition. She would then appear in several vignettes with him before becoming his valet upon his return to WCW...
(Ric Flair's nurse) - Samantha / TorrieTorrie WilsonTorrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...
(David Flair's valet while he hung out with them)
The original Horsemen (1986–1989)
- HeelsHeel (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
(1986–1987): Ric FlairRic FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Ole AndersonOle AndersonAlan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
, Arn AndersonArn AndersonMartin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
, Tully BlanchardTully BlanchardTully Arthur Blanchard is a semi-retired second generation American professional wrestler. He is best known as an original member of the Four Horsemen....
, Baby DollNickla RobertsNickla Ann Roberts is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name, "The Perfect 10" Baby Doll...
(valetManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
), James J. DillonJames J. DillonJames J. "J.J." Dillon is a retired American professional wrestler and manager.He is best known for being the strategic leader of the original Four Horsemen that consisted of Nature Boy Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson. He is most remembered as a manager in pro wrestling...
(managerManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
) - Heels (1987): Ric Flair, Lex LugerLex LugerLawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Dark Journey (valet), James J. Dillon (manager)- Associated members: War MachineRay TraylorRay Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...
- Associated members: War Machine
- Heels (1988): Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry WindhamBarry WindhamBarry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
, James J. Dillon (manager) - Heels (1988–1989): Ric Flair, Barry Windham, James J. Dillon (manager)
- Associated members: Kendall WindhamKendall WindhamKendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
, Butch ReedButch ReedButch Reed is an American professional wrestler best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
- Associated members: Kendall Windham
Yamazaki Corporation (1989)
- Ric Flair, Barry Windham, Kendall WindhamKendall WindhamKendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
, Butch ReedButch ReedButch Reed is an American professional wrestler best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
, Hiro MatsudaYasuhiro Kojimawas a professional wrestler and the trainer of Hulk Hogan, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Keiji Mutoh, and many other professional wrestlers. He was better known as Hiro Matsuda, an identity he adopted while competing in the southern U.S., inspired by earlier wrestlers...
(manager) - Ric Flair, Michael HayesMichael Hayes (wrestler)Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
, Kendall Windham, Butch Reed, Hiro Matsuda (manager)
Reformation (1989–1991)
- FacesFace (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
(1989–1990): Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Sting - Heels (1990–1991): Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, Sid ViciousSid EudySidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
, Woman (valet), Ole Anderson (manager)
Horsemen reunion (1993)
- Faces (1993): Ric Flair, Ole Anderson (only one night), Arn Anderson, Paul RomaPaul RomaPaul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
, Fifi (valet)
Reformation and feud with the nWo (1995–1997)
- Heels (1995–1996): Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Brian PillmanBrian PillmanBrian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
, Chris BenoitChris BenoitChristopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, Woman (valet), Miss ElizabethMiss ElizabethElizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late...
(valet), Bobby HeenanBobby HeenanRaymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
(manager; only for one night) - Heels-Faces (1996): Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, Woman (valet), Steve "Mongo" McMichael, Debra McMichael (valet), Miss Elizabeth (valet)
- Faces (1996–1997): Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, Woman (valet), Steve "Mongo" McMichael, Jeff JarrettJeff JarrettJeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
, Debra McMichael (valet) - Faces (1997): Ric Flair, Curt HennigCurt HennigCurtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
, Chris Benoit, Steve "Mongo" McMichael
Final incarnations (1998–1999)
- Faces-Heels (1998–1999): Ric Flair, Chris Benoit, Dean MalenkoDean MalenkoDean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
, Steve McMichael, Arn Anderson (manager)- Associated members: James J. Dillon
- Heels (1999): Ric Flair, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Arn Anderson (manager), Charles Robinson (referee)Charles Robinson (referee)Charles Shane Robinson is an American professional wrestling referee currently signed to WWE.- Beginnings and World Championship Wrestling :...
, Double DChristie Wolf-Debut:In March 1999, Wolf began appearing as a head nurse to tend to Ric Flair when he was, in storyline, put into a mental instituition. She would then appear in several vignettes with him before becoming his valet upon his return to WCW...
(valet)- Associated members: David FlairDavid FlairDavid Richard Fliehr better known by his ring name David Flair is a professional wrestler best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling , where he held the United States and World Tag Team championships...
and Samantha/TorrieTorrie WilsonTorrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...
(valet)
- Associated members: David Flair
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Also Sprach Zarathustra", 1st theme (1986–1989)
- "Brain Decay, 3rd theme" (1990)
- "Charge, 4th theme" (1991)
- "Groover, 5th theme" (1993)
- "Coast, 6th theme" (1995–1997)
- "The Four Horsemen Theme, 7th theme" (1998–1999)
Championships and accomplishments
All titles and awards listed were won while they were Horsemen- Jim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
/ World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and... - NWA National Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA National Heavyweight ChampionshipThe original version NWA National Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986...
– Tully Blanchard (1 time) - NWA National Tag Team ChampionshipNWA National Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986.The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Freebirds won a tournament to determine the first champions,...
– Ole and Arn AndersonMinnesota Wrecking CrewThe Minnesota Wrecking Crew was originally a professional wrestling tag team that was formed by Gene and Lars Anderson but since then has featured a number of wrestlers who wrestled under the Anderson family name despite not being blood related.-History:...
(1 time) - NWA Television ChampionshipWCW World Television ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
– Tully Blanchard (1 time) - NWA United States Heavyweight ChampionshipWWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
– Tully Blanchard (1 time), Lex Luger (1 time), Barry Windham (1 time) - NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
– Ric Flair (6 times) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)WCW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
– Arn Anderson and Tully BlanchardBrain BustersThe Brain Busters was the World Wrestling Federation name for the professional wrestling tag team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Anderson and Blanchard adopted this name after joining the WWF in 1988 from Jim Crockett Promotions, where the two men had wrestled as part of the Four Horsemen...
(2 times) - NWA World Television ChampionshipWCW World Television ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
– Tully Blanchard (2 times), Arn Anderson (2 times) - WCW United States Heavyweight ChampionshipWWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
– Ric Flair (1 time), Steve McMichael (1 time) - WCW World Heavyweight ChampionshipWCW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...
– Ric Flair (8 times) - WCW World Tag Team ChampionshipWCW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
– Arn Anderson and Paul Roma (1 time), Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko (1 time) - WCW World Television ChampionshipWCW World Television ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
– Arn Anderson (2 times), Barry Windham (1 time) - WCW Cruiserweight ChampionshipWWE Cruiserweight ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
(1 time) – Dean Malenko
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- Ric Flair was ranked # 2 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
- PWI Wrestler of the Year – Ric Flair (1985, 1986, 1989)
- PWI Feud of the Year – Four Horsemen vs. The Super PowersSuper Powers (professional wrestling)The Super Powers were a tag team in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s. The name was because an American and a "Russian" made up the team while the Cold War was still going strong.-History:...
and The Road WarriorsRoad WarriorsThe Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
(1987), Ric Flair vs. Lex LugerLex LugerLawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
(1988), Ric Flair vs. Terry FunkTerry FunkTerrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
(1989), Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (1990) - PWI Match of the Year – Ric Flair vs. Dusty RhodesDusty Rhodes (wrestler)Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
(1986), Ric Flair vs Ricky SteamboatRicky SteamboatRichard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
(1989) - PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year – Ric Flair (1987)
- PWI Manager of the Year – James J. Dillon (1988)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Wrestler of the Year – Ric Flair (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990)
- Most Outstanding Wrestler – Ric Flair (1986, 1987, 1989)
- Feud of the Year – Ric Flair vs. Terry FunkTerry FunkTerrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
(1989) - Best on Interviews – Arn Anderson (1990), Ric Flair (1991, 1994)
- Most Charismatic – Ric Flair (1993)
- Match of the Year – Ric Flair vs. Barry WindhamBarry WindhamBarry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
(1986), Ric Flair vs. StingSting (wrestler)Steven James "Steve" Borden , better known by his ring name Sting, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
(1988), Ric Flair vs. Ricky SteamboatRicky SteamboatRichard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
(1989) - Best Heel – Ric Flair (1990)
- Readers’ Favorite Wrestler – Ric Flair (1985–1993,
See also
- Alliance to End HulkamaniaAlliance To End HulkamaniaThe Alliance to End Hulkamania was a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling in 1996.-History:The Alliance to End Hulkamania was an alliance between the Dungeon of Doom and the Four Horsemen, two of WCW's heel stables, formed in an attempt to get rid of Hulk Hogan...
- Anderson familyAnderson familyThe Anderson family is a group of professional wrestlers, a fictitious extended family largely consisting of brothers and cousins. It started in the Minnesota area in the late 1960s with a tag team called The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, consisting of "brothers" Lars Anderson and Gene Anderson...
- Brain BustersBrain BustersThe Brain Busters was the World Wrestling Federation name for the professional wrestling tag team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Anderson and Blanchard adopted this name after joining the WWF in 1988 from Jim Crockett Promotions, where the two men had wrestled as part of the Four Horsemen...
- Magnificent Seven (professional wrestling)Magnificent Seven (professional wrestling)The Magnificent Seven was a professional wrestling heel group in WCW.-History:The "Magnificent Seven" was formed and led by Ric Flair in January 2001 in WCW...
- Millionaire's Club
- Minnesota Wrecking CrewMinnesota Wrecking CrewThe Minnesota Wrecking Crew was originally a professional wrestling tag team that was formed by Gene and Lars Anderson but since then has featured a number of wrestlers who wrestled under the Anderson family name despite not being blood related.-History:...
- Pretty WonderfulPretty WonderfulPretty Wonderful was a professional wrestling tag team composed of "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and "Pretty" Paul Roma who competed in World Championship Wrestling in 1993 and 1994-The making of the team:...
- Revolution (professional wrestling)Revolution (professional wrestling)The Revolution was a professional wrestling heel stable in World Championship Wrestling led by Shane Douglas.-History:The Revolution was formed by Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Shane Douglas, and Perry Saturn on July 29, 1999...
- West Texas RednecksWest Texas RednecksThe West Texas Rednecks was a professional wrestling stable and country music band in World Championship Wrestling in 1999. They are famous for recording of two songs, "Rap is Crap " and "Good Ol' Boys."-History:...