When it comes to the top factions in wrestling history, there is only one viable group that could fulfill that assignment: the Four Horsemen. Whether most popular, most talent-packed, or most enduring, the Four Horsemen stable (pun intended) has proved itself to be one of the greatest triumphs in modern wrestling. So, of the 15 different individuals officially recognised as Horsemen, which were the best and which were plain foal?
Note: For this list, we will discount valets and managers such as Woman, Debrah McMichael, and J.J. Dillon. Excluded too are unofficial associates such as Kendall Windham, Michael “P.S.” Hayes, and War Machine (Ray “Big Boss Man” Traylor).
#15. Paul Roma
Now, this is to take nothing away from Paul Roma, who was a talented hand in both the Young Stallions and Power & Glory in the WWF’s mid-card scene. Yet that did not prevent him from becoming the most infamously miscast Horsemen.
In 1993, Flair returned to WCW after his memorable WWF tenure came to an end. Joining Flair were both Andersons and new WCW signee Paul Roma. Originally, the other member was supposed to be Tully Blanchard to reprise an old Horsemen iteration but underwhelmed by the offered deal, WCW scrambled for a replacement so, at Slamboree, Roma was pushed in. He just did not fit and having a reputation as mid-card at best and serving as enhancement talent for years made his appointment all the worse.
Trying to get Roma over failed to connect although he won the WCW World Tag Team titles with Arn. If anything, it really hindered the legitimacy of the group with Flair going as far as to say it “tainted” the faction.
#14. Jeff Jarrett
Ha ha, no.
#13. Curt Hennig
Hennig is the shortest-lived Horsemen, lasting just under a month. This naturally puts a glass ceiling on how good he was in this role.
Both his appointment and betrayal were great, however. Arn Anderson retired in late 1997 and allotted his position to Hennig, who graciously accepted. Under a month later, Hennig joined the nWo and turned on the Horsemen at Fall Brawl 1997’s WarGames match, slamming the cage door over Flair’s head.
This led to a surprisingly unremarkable feud with Flair over Hennig’s United States title, a belt he initially won from Horsemen Steve McMichael. It was more of an angle than actual membership.
#12. Steve McMichael
“Mongo” lasted an incredibly long time in the Horsemen, remaining from mid-1996 to early 1999. It is almost as if McMichael had it in his contract that he had to be a Four Horsemen member…oh wait, it was?
McMichael was an American footballer player for the Chicago Bears, who – according to Bleacher Report – “are the holders of the most wins in NFL history with 729 (including playoffs), as well as the best winning percentage of any team at .575.” I have no idea what any of that means but it certainly sounds impressive.
After turning on fellow NFL star Kevin Greene to join the group, “Mongo” proved his worthlessness with almost no memorable moments in the stable. He was a horrific in-ring performer, not his fault really as he was never cut out for the business, and was in the Marc Mero contingent of their gimmick being having a pretty wife.
“Mongo” did not have any of the components of a Horseman, which is instrumental to his failure in the faction.
#11. Sting
Again, more of an angle than a true member but Sting’s inclusion is certainly official.
In 1989 after the classic Ricky Steamboat/Ric Flair rivalry, “The Nature Boy” was turned face when feuding with Terry Funk. In his fight against the Garry Hart-led J-Tex Corporation, Flair sought help from an up-and-coming “Stinger”. Most famously, the two teamed at Halloween Havoc, with Ric inviting Sting into the Horsemen afterward.
Tensions soured after Sting became the number one contender for Flair’s world title after beating him at Starrcade. At Clash Of The Champions X: Texas Shootout, Sting was ejected from the group, beaten down by the Andersons and Flair over his defiance in relinquishing his world title match.
It cemented Sting as a top contender, mixing it up with the best of the best. He never fit but such was the purpose of the angle – a good angle at that. So much so, WCW did the exact same angle a few years later, making Sting look like the silliest sausage in wrestling history.
#10. Sid
Sid could have really worked in the Horsemen. Sure, he was never a top worker or great promo but he was a good monster heel who could have acted as hired muscle.
Sid joined in May 1990 on an episode of Power Hour as their “trump card” against Robo-Cop and then cut a promo dressed in a suit, which looked hilarious. Despite being introduced with this as his goal, Sid failed in his eventual task.
Sid’s booking further fell off a cliff with a 26-second loss to Lex Luger at Clash Of The Champions XI: Coastal Crush. Despite this, he had a world title match, one he failed due to face-paint shenanigans (the best kind). Sid returned to the faction after a brief foray, being in a Dave Meltzer 5-star-rated match at WrestleWar 1991 with the group in a WarGames environment. “The Master And Ruler Of The World” then quit WCW, having a short program with El Gigante.
Sid’s issue was uninspired and inconsistent, largely weak, booking. He never really felt a threat, feeling shoehorned into the group. He just couldn’t do the group Justice…Oh, shut up, that was good.
#9. Dean Malenko
“The Man Of 1,000 Holds” fit into the faction due to his high-caliber in-ring work. Yet whilst getting a rub from the Horsemen, his dourness and nonchalance were at odds with the Horsemen’s principles of partying and girls, something Dean never did outside his James Bond phase.
Dean was in the group for less than a year from September 1998 to May 1999. Whilst he did briefly win the tag titles in this run, it was only for two weeks, and entrenched in feuds with the likes of the West Texas Rednecks, who were not exactly on the top of the card.
Malenko went on to other groups after the Horsemen dissolution such as the Revolution and the Radicalz.
A top worker, Malenko’s involvement should have allowed him to gain more character but in reality, did little but further isolate him gimmicky from his stablemates.
#8. Brian Pillman
In terms of members that brought a whole new dimension to the group, I think no member was better than Brian Pillman, who incorporated his “Loose Cannon” persona to add a level of unpredictability and subtle intimidating factor to the faction.
Pillman joined up when the Horsemen were divided before the group reunited to batter Sting.
Pillman’s actions were uncontrollable, leading to others needing to try to sedate the “Loose Cannon”, including Arn slapping Brian. He did play a role at Starrcade ‘95, helping Flair regain the world title.
Unfortunately, the run was all too short at about six months. Pillman saw famous moments of blurring reality and fiction such as forcing Bobby Heenan to declare “What the f*ck are you doing?” at Clash Of The Champions XXIII and declaring “I respect you, booker man!” to Kevin Sullivan.
In 1996, Pillman was kayfabe and shoot released as a part of the storyline and legitimately left, never returning to the group.
#7. Lex Luger
The Four Horsemen made Lex a star not only whilst he was in it but after too.
Luger lasted around about a year in the stable, winning his very first United States title in the process, ending the now-10th longest reigning champion Nikita Koloff. It was during Luger’s time that he really started to be put over in the way the likes of Sid should have.
Lex was also in the group at the time of the debut of WarGames, matches of critical acclaim that furthered the Horsemen legacy.
His break-up came after JJ Dillon accidentally cost him his US belt against Dusty Rhodes at 1987’s Starrcade. Luger, in a showing of defiance that turned him babyface, then refused orders and himself won a Bunkhouse Stampede bout despite the Horsemen’s agreement to allow Dillon to win.
This led to a years-long, recurring Flair/Luger rivalry over the world title. Luger himself also won the tag titles off the future Brain Busters before his own partner Windham defected. A storyline that set Luger up as the face of the company, his time in the Horsemen has to be ruled a success.
#6. Chris Benoit
We mentioned earlier how Dean Malenko with his lack of charisma failed to fit yet Benoit, I feel, did much better. Whilst still a little dry in the character department, this grappler was given the rub while also being someone you could realistically see on a night on the town with the Horsemen lads.
Benoit was in the group for a surprisingly lengthy amount of time, becoming the workhorse of the latter-day iteration of the group. From 1995-1999, Benoit went on to be a solid mid-card worker, working with fellow Horsemen Brian Pillman, Arn Anderson, and Dean Malenko.
It would be hard to imagine this era of the Horsemen without Benoit, an integral younger member of the group that helped usher in the indication of a new era.
#5. Ole Anderson
Ole was in the group from the beginning, acting as the tough, bruising stalwart of the faction.
At the time, Ole was already an established star, having won the titles now recognised as the WCW World Tag Team titles on various occasions in the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. By the time of joining the Horsemen, Ole was teaming with Arn, holding the NWA National Tag team championship whilst ensuring Ric Flair held onto the world title belt.
In 1987, after having recently failed to win the tag straps from the Rock’n’Roll Express and receiving the blame, Ole was kicked out of the group in favor of Lex Luger.
He would return in late 1989, opposing Sting in the Horsemen and hanging around for the version featuring Sid which included the infamous Robocop angle. In 1993, he made a brief appearance with the group again.
There from the outset, Ole added prestige and history to the faction, working as a source of additional experience and tradition for the group.
#4. Barry Windham
Barry Windham is no doubt one of the most underappreciated workers of his day, being the workhorse of the early Horsemen formation. So much so, “The Nature Boy” claimed: “I wish his name was remembered in more high regard because Barry Windham was one of the greatest of all-time.”
Windham had spent early 1988 feuding with the Horsemen, having had a long-standing feud with Ric Flair. At the inaugural Clash Of The Champions, Windham won the tag belts off Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard prior to turning on partner Luger to create the most iconic iteration of the group in terms of work rate and star power.
Windham saw success after, capturing the United States title – which he held for 283 days defending against high-caliber opposition such as Sting and Dusty Rhodes – so all members held gold. Windham continued even when he and Flair were the only members and pushed through the era of the rebranding of the stable to the Yamazaki Corporation. This ended when Windham left for the WWF.
Windham joined the Sid, Ole, Arn, and Flair in 1990. This saw him feud with Brian Pillman, who revived the Yellow Dog gimmick and fight inside WarGames at WrestleWar 1991.
Windham was a great addition to the group with his role a notable endorsement on his CV. Windham was a great worker who saw his best success and fame working in the group. Even if not there from the start, Barry was a true Horsemen, with the Four Horsemen prominently displaying his abilities.
#3. Tully Blanchard
Blanchard spent his glory years in the Horsemen yet he could have spent many more.
Blanchard joined the Horsemen in 1986, bringing manager J.J. Dillon. Although he had just lost the US belt, he went on to even more acclaim and success with Arn Anderson, with the duo eventually winning the tag belts in 1987 by defeating the Rock’n’Roll Express before regaining them again for a second time after the aforementioned Windham heel turn. He too saw solo success, capturing the National Heavyweight championship (unrelated to the NWA world title). He only left to join the WWF.
Blanchard was a top worker and a great promo with his run taking place at his peak. Lasting over two years, he proved himself as a brilliant solo and tag worker, solidifying a strong legacy he still has today. At the time, his joining was a momentous occasion as Blanchard was one of the biggest heels in the world at that point. A traditional tights-and-boots worker, the showman proved his worth in his mid-card slot.
Blanchard later failed to join the faction in both 1989 and 1993. Whilst you may presume this would stall and hinder his positioning on this list, it actually raises him. His absence forced slapdash members and storylines that created much worse members than himself, thus forcing him higher in the ranking. What a smart guy!
#2. Ric Flair
Yes, number two.
Flair was obviously the man in the Four Horsemen, with the whole faction built to consolidate the heels’ power whilst Ric was the world champion. He was thus the permanent face of the group, the charismatic leader who would cut a “Woo!” filled promo to David Crockett, Tony Schiavone, or “Mean” Gene Okerlund.
“Naitch”’s achievements speak for themselves. Flair won about a dozen world titles (NWA/WCW), 1985-1993 Reader’s Favourite Wrestling Observer winner, and years as a titleholder over his time in the group.
Also, and this should be a surprise to no one, he put on some absolutely stonking matches. This includes brilliant feuds with Lex Luger, Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Randy Savage, and Sting to name just a few.
Simply put, what would the Horsemen be without Flair?
#1. Arn Anderson
I can explain…
Arn Anderson is the embodiment of the Four Horsemen, with Arn’s name only ever reminding people of his loyalty to the group. With the most stints of anyone in the group at five, serving as an almost permanent member. Even when retiring, Arn was so dedicated to the group and so essential too, that he was kept on until official dissolution. Arn even coined the name, when dropping it in a promo on NWA TV.
If Flair was the face of the Four Horsemen, “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson was the heart.
In fact, in many ways, Arn led. It was he who not only gave the group the name but allowed Curt Hennig entry and kept Pillman in line if he wanted to join.
Arn won the NWA tag, WCW tag, and Television titles whilst also cutting blisteringly brilliant promos, constantly delivering in the ring, and looking some damn stylish!
I feel I will be in the minority here but Arn bleeds Horsemen. Flair used the group as a launching pad whilst Arn used it to shape his entire career, remaining true to the group, having almost every classic moment of his career in the stable or with elements synonymous with it. When it comes down to it, Arn Anderson himself claimed: “We are the Horsemen. We are the best” when it was really he who cultivated the group’s reputation as the single greatest group in the history of the professional wrestling business.