Who Should Be This Era's Four Horsemen?

Brandon Gnetz

11/28/2016 12:31 pm EST

When discussing the greatest factions in the history of professional wrestling, the one that always ends up at the top of every list is The Four Horsemen. Formed in 1986, The Four Horsemen's mix of style and dominance became the blueprint for every future faction that would follow. The incarnation of the group was actually comprised of five men — Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham and manager, JJ Dillon.

The crew came together in the spring of 1988 when Barry Wyndham, turned his back on fellow fan favorite, Lex Luger, and brought the United States Championship with him to the Horsemen. When he joined, it gave the unit control of every major title in NWA as Flair carried the World Championship and Arn and Tully toted the tag titles.

Led by Ric Flair, the group were often in contention for every major championship in the WCW. They would brag about their limousine riding, jet flying ways and often back it up in the ring.

It's been over 15 years since the Horsemen have ridden to the ring. If the WWE were hoping to repackage history's most celebrated faction, here are the men who deserve a spot.

Ric Flair as the manager

What better person to lead and guide the new Four Horsemen than the leader of original faction, The Nature Boy. After following his daughter to the ring for most of the past year, Flair has gained some managerial experience. Perhaps Flair would be enraged at the thought of John Cena breaking his record of 16 world championships and want to create a new supergroup of talent to protect his legacy and keep Cena from replacing "Naich" in the record books.

Seth Rollins as the leader

To be the man, you gotta beat the man. Or just be The Man. Not only could Seth Rollins talk the talk of the Horsemen's front man, but he could back it up in the ring. Seth will be the near the championship picture for as long as he's healthy, and with Ric Flair's mentorship and the backing of 3 other elite stablemantes, he could become one of the WWE's all time greats. The only downside is that his hair apparently only bleaches on one side.

Cesaro as the enforcer

Following in Arn Anderson's footsteps, Cesaro would make the perfect enforcer for the new Horsemen. Whether watching Seth Rollins back or chasing his own mid-card championships, Cesaro's new purpose would finally give his character direction. God knows the WWE doesn't know what else to do with him, so a run with the most credible faction in wrestling history would finally push the Swiss Superman over the hump.

The Miz as the workhorse

Most people make the mistake of filling out a new Four Horseman list with all top guys, which is a mistake. The Tully Blanchard role in the Horsemen has to be filled by a true heel who can chase lower level championships and take a few pins along the way. Enter The Miz. Despite being given Ric Flair's figure four, The Miz is best suited in a back-up role. Want him to chase the tag team championships? No problem. Want him to lose to Dean Ambrose? Done.

Roman Reigns as the menacing big guy

The role of the 4th guy in the Four Horsemen has been filled by the likes of Barry Wyndham, Sid Vicious and even Steve "Mongo" McMichael. The size of the wrestler in this role helps the Horseman look more physically imposing, however, he may just be a part of the group until a face turn looms. Roman Reigns' heel turn has been brewing for over three years, and a run as the Horsemen's imposing muscle would be the perfect way to refresh his character and get him out of the riot gear. A cocky Roman would gain back the respect of the fans and put him in better position to be the WWE's number one babyface when he eventually parted from the faction.

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