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Hunter's stable reverts back to `old days'
Tully Blanchard and Ole Anderson are retired.
A career-ending neck injury forced Arn Anderson to prematurely end his in-ring career, and he now works as a WWE road agent.
Ric Flair's days as the suave, pompous "Nature Boy" have passed.
A faction that defined the 1980s and a simplistic booking mentality of good vs. evil would hardly be recognizable in today's industry, which often values silly entertainment ahead of competition. The thought of a heel faction running roughshod over a federation seems antiquated, especially considering the group was born in Atlanta, not Stamford, Conn.
Enter a "new" version of The Four Horsemen at least an offshoot inspired by the past and surprisingly endorsed by Vince McMahon.
The so-called modern-day "Nature Boy," Triple H, has surrounded himself with two would-be superstars in a Flair-like maneuver. Flair, the figurehead of the past Horsemen incarnations, has assumed the role of adviser. That spot belonged to J.J. Dillon when the original Four Horsemen were at their peak.
The role of Blanchard will be played by second-generation star Randy Orton, with Batista assuming Ole's spot.
A Feb. 16 "Raw" house show has Rhyno advertised as Batista's partner against Rob Van Dam and Kane, suggesting that Rhyno could be added as the fourth active member of Triple H's unnamed stable. Rhyno had neck surgery and has been out of action since November 2001.
Let's call Rhyno the Arn Anderson of the group, if for no other reason than they both use a spinebuster as part of their repertoire.
The pseudo-Horsemen faction has terrorized Scott Steiner for the past two weeks on "Raw," leaving WWE's newest acquisition bloodied and beaten in the middle of the ring. The role of punching bag suits Steiner, who drew jeers from the live crowd at the "Royal Rumble," perhaps because he was portrayed as untouchable in the weeks leading up to the pay-per-view. His unbeatable demeanor didn't translate in the ring with a four-star match. Instead, fans got two guys (Hunter-Steiner) lumbering around for way too long.
Now, thanks to Hunter's group, Steiner's playing the overmatched babyface, trying his best to play the numbers game against four, and perhaps soon-to-be five, superstars. In turn, his next match against Triple H will have more of a grudge match feeling to it, which is what should have been the selling point the first time these two met. Steiner also will increase his longevity as a babyface playing opposite four or five strong heels.
The emergence of a Horsemen-type clique also can afford WWE the option of prolonging a second Steiner-Hunter showdown. Steiner can turn his attention away from Hunter and feud with Orton, Batista or Rhyno as somewhat of a side venture while Hunter turns his attention to a new challenger.
When WWE's ready, it can promote another Steiner-Hunter match, and the program will seem fresh because the two were separated while they pursued other feuds.
Dusty Rhodes made a living wrestling Flair in just about every city down south, but he also feuded with other Horsemen alums such as Blanchard and both Andersons. Rhodes and Blanchard intensely battled for Tully's NWA Television title. When Rhodes finished with Blanchard, he'd come knocking at Flair's door again.
The NWA repeated this process for years until Rhodes vs. The Four Horsemen in one form or another had nothing left to offer.
What WWE's version of The Four Horsemen offers is a unique throwback to how simple professional wrestling and subsequent booking decisions were made: Good guy overcomes insurmountable odds and exacts revenge over the bad guy and his group of thugs.
The group also forces Triple H to share the spotlight with some younger talent and will highlight what few babyfaces WWE has to offer, not just Steiner.
The original Four Horsemen no longer dominate professional wrestling, but their affect on sports entertainment remains strong. The once innovative and powerful group is living vicariously through WWE's latest creation.
