Shining a Spotlight 08.05.10: Horsemen That Could Have Been

One of my favorite websites (besides 411mania, of course) is Wrestlecrap. For a decade, RD Reynolds has been chronicling some of the stupidest angles, skits, characters, etc that wrestling has ever produced. Needless to say he has slews of material from WWF and WCW while WWE and TNA are still providing more. He can be rather smarky while holding to some bizarre ideas here and there (seriously, does anyone out there actually consider Zach Cowen a “can’t miss prospect WWE blew?”) but it’s still fun to check out every week.

One feature I like is “Rewriting the Book.” Originally written by Jed Shaffer, it pretty much takes a “What If?” approach to big wrestling moments. You know, what if Vince hadn’t screwed Bret; if Paul Orndorff had won the WWF title in 1986; Fingerpoke of Doom never happening and more. Some are fun like if Tully Blanchard had returned to NWA in 1989 or CM Punk taking the ROH title to WWE. I do take issue with how he has some of the guys in his fics doing promos mentioning so much of old wrestling history like it matters to fans but otherwise, they’re good and he’s been joined by some other writers with good ideas.

The latest effort comes from Simon Rawls and looks at what might have happened in 1988 if Barry Windham hadn’t joined the Four Horsemen. Instead, the fourth slot is filled by Eddie Gilbert, which makes a lot of sense. It got me to thinking on that idea, on who in wrestling might have been a fit for the most elite heel team ever. So pardon me for a bit of rambling as I look back at what could have been.
　

The Horsemen Style

Simply being called a Horsemen isn’t enough. Paul Roma certainly proves that. These guys were the elite because they carried themselves with an aura of power. They didn’t just think they were the best, they knew it and the fans believed that. Yes, they had great wrestling skills but also an attitude that just couldn’t be beat and the fans dug it.

The mix, a great wrestler, heel persona and partying, was key to being a Horsemen. On the 2007 DVD, they say that while Steve McMichael wasn’t a great wrestler, in terms of attitude and partying, he was a true Horsemen, hung with them perfectly. These guys lived the gimmick with expensive limos, hotel suites and parties that would put the Rolling Stones to shame. That they dominated in the ring was only better, holding so many belts at once but they made it work by being the guys fans loved to hate. Fans tuned in every week to see them lose and when they didn’t, it just built the heat up more which sold tickets.

So to be a Horsemen was more than just being a good worker. You had to carry yourself with a sense of being one of the elite. Roma couldn’t do that while Windham surprised everyone by clicking with them perfectly. Pillman and Benoit were good fits with their attitudes but Malenko seemed a bit too quiet to fit in well. Lex Luger seems a bit rough looking back but fit in well as the youthful powerhouse they needed at the time. Jeff Jarrett may have worked out as he has shown a good heel style but his attitude of believing that he’s on the same level as Flair has always marred his appeal.

So when choosing who could have been a good Horsemen, it was tricky as there are lots of heels but not all of them could fit. The irony is that so many heels have been inspired by the Horsemen, following their example and yet actually fitting with the team is tricky. But I came up with a few ideas of guys who could have done well holding up that four-finger salute.
　

Eddie Gilbert: Rawls made a good choice as “Hot Stuff” had a Horsemen attitude.
Skilled in the ring, Gilbert was also great on the mic, skilled and smooth, boasting of his prowess, especially with women. He could easily have given the team some fire in interviews and as an expert cheater, he would get the fans riled up just the way the Horsemen needed it.

　
Rick Rude: Of all the guys you’re amazed were never picked as Horsemen, Rude has to top the list. This guy was made for the team, a brilliant egotist who could back up his words in the ring with a smarmy matter. He gets a hard rep for his steroid use but his party ways were perfect for the rest of them and his ring work made him even better. True, it’d be a clash between him and Flair for who got the most ladies but that would just make it more fun to see the Horsemen work with the “Ravishing One” among them.

　

Curt Henning: Among the many, many examples of WCW dropping the ball, Henning as Horsemen was one of the biggest. When Arn Anderson was forced to retire after neck problems, he did a great heartfelt speech that ended with him picking Henning as his replacement. The New World Order then mocked it with an overly abusive parody, including a shot at Arn’s drinking and WCW nixed the planned Horsemen run-in/beat-down. This led to Fall Brawl where Henning turned on the team to join the NWO. It was a real shame as Henning fit in so well and WCW threw it all away to keep pushing the tired NWO. Too bad as Henning would have made a great fit with his boasting and brilliance in the ring.

HHH: The common misconception is that Hunter only became a main-eventer because of his relationship with Stephanie. The truth is that this guy always had the talent to rise, Flair saw it in his WCW tenure but the politics of the time kept him from breaking out. Had he stayed in WCW, I could see HHH’s star rising a bit with Flair’s help. We all know what an amazing heel HHH would become, especially on the mic, so being a Horsemen is easy to imagine. If nothing else, working alongside his idol was something HHH always liked so having him with the group would been a good fit.

　

Rick Martel: An odd choice at first glance but hear me out. Martel was a skilled worker but a bit bland on the mic. But his “Model” persona opened him up as a great heel. His slick manner, cocky style and boasting of his personal greatness would make him great Horsemen material and his ring skills could balance it out nicely. He was with WWF during the Horsemen heyday but once wonders if a jump to WCW might have gotten him some membership in a group that he would have fit in well with.

Michael Hayes: The only group that could top the Horsemen when it came to attitudes and partying would have to be the Fabulous Freebirds. Hayes would no doubt consider anything other than the Freebirds a step down and he wasn’t much for the hot suit stuff. But that attitude could actually push him to join, to show these “upscale” heels how he could get down and dirty like the best of them. I can easily see him and Flair hanging out behind the scenes to try and one-up each other on partying. This man was made for wrestling with his flamboyance and killer mic and if anyone knew how to bring the party in the ring and backstage, it was him. Sounds like great Horsemen material to me.

Larry Zybsko: I’ve never quite been a fan of Zybsko in the ring with his stalling and rough style. But this guy was a great heel on the mic and when paired with the right guys, he could shine much better. He and Arn Anderson worked together as a fantastic team as the Enforcers and then the Dangerous Alliance and Zybsko was a fill-in for the Horsemen in a War Games match back in 1991. Maybe making him a full-fledged member could have done a great job, adding another conniving mind to the group with a wicked boasting style.

Bobby Eaton: Most know Eaton as the mostly silent but ultra-talented half of the Midnight Express but he had a good run as a singles wrestler in WCW, holding the TV belt and part of the Dangerous Alliance. The man has been put over by a lot of folks as more talented than WCW gave him credit for and could have done better on the mic if surrounded by such great talkers. Plus, his high-flying skills would have given the Horsemen a new offensive capability while hanging with Jim Cornette definitely taught him how to cheat.

Steve Austin: Practically everyone who saw him from his debut in 1990 seemed to know for a fact that Austin was going to be a mega-star. Flair was ready to give him a singles push in 1994 before Hogan was hired and WCW eventually pushed Austin out. Had he been able to stay, I could easily see Austin reuniting with Pillman as Horsemen and those two balanced with Flair and Anderson would have made one utterly awesome Horsemen grouping.

Summation

Being a Horsemen wasn’t easy. You didn’t just have to be skilled on the mic or a good heel or great in the ring. You needed to carry yourself with an attitude that couldn’t be touched, making the fans believe you were the best of the best. Some guys had it, others didn’t. Maybe not all the guys I’ve mentioned here could work as Horsemen but I suspect a few would have been better than some of the picks they actually had. It’s something to think of but it all goes to show that, while often imitated, the Horsemen have never truly been duplicated and it’s that very status that makes them so memorable.

For this week, the spotlight is off.