5 Reasons Why the Four Horsemen Are the Best Faction of All Time

The Four Horsemen will soon be immortalized in the WWE Hall of Fame, and from the moment the announcement was made, the debate began raging again among fans.

Just who is the best faction of all time?

The answer to that depends on who you ask.  Many fans say the nWo, led by Hollywood Hogan. Others may say DeGeneration X, featuring Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

Then there are the Oddities, which, surprisingly enough, get virtually no respect.  Huh.  And, I was convinced that dancing around with a stuffed Eric Cartman would ensure their place in wrestling history.

But, for many of us, there are none better than the Four Horsemen, the group that set the bar for all those that would follow.

There have been several different members, but as far as we know, the five being inducted are Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, and JJ Dillon.  So, that's who I chose to focus on for this slideshow.

Time to raise the four finger salute, Horsemen style.

5- They Were Focused on Being the Best

A lot of attention has been paid recently to the latest crop of titleholders in WWE, due to the fact that they are all considered "real" pro wrestlers.  CM Punk and Daniel Bryan lead the pack as WWE, and World Champion, respectively.

They are hailed for their ability, technical prowess, and desire to have the best match every time they step foot in the ring.

Now, imagine four guys working together who do that 24/7, 365 days a year.

The Horsemen were all about tearing the house down.  Period.  It didn't matter if it was the main event, the semi main, or perhaps even higher up in the card.

When one of the four men were in the ring, they did all they could to outshine each other.  They gave fans their money's worth.

The Horsemen had a great work ethic, and even though Flair was the leader, there was no doubting that any of the other three could steal the show on any given night.

There have been stables featuring talented stars who get over in a pretty big way.  It has happened quite a bit over the years.  But, no one stable featured as many talented performers, who were as obsessed with being the best in the ring, than the Four Horsemen.

They are not just remembered for being entertaining personalities, they are remembered for being great workers,  And, that makes them special.

4- Arn Anderson

No matter how many different wrestlers came and went, there were only two constants in the Four Horsemen.  One of them was Arn Anderson.

His ring style was that of a sound technician, a man who dissected his opponents one body part at a time.  He wrestled in true Anderson fashion, and epitomized what it meant to wear that name.

His moniker as the Enforcer was one that suited him as much as his last name.  He was the one who kept all of the Horsemen's enemies at bay, the man who gave them reason for pause merely by speaking.

When Arn Anderson spoke, it was pure intimidation.  Cold, calculating, with a delivery that perhaps was only ever matched by Jake the Snake Roberts, Double A had ice water in his veins, and made every fan hang on his every word.

Arn was the anchor for the Horsemen, the one who legitimized the group as being something more than just four arrogant wrestlers who were riding around in limousines getting rich at the fans' expense.  

His presence was a constant reminder that the Horsemen were all business, and when it came to getting it done in the ring, no one could ever match up.

If you had never heard of the Four Horsemen, all it took was one Arn Anderson promo and you knew all you needed to know.  Part of their greatness was due to Arn, as he made it virtually impossible for any other faction to look even remotely important when compared to them.  

He was a true original in every sense of the word.

3- They Lived the Lifestyle

The nWo wore T-shirts to prove they were members. The Four Horsemen just walked into the room.

They lived the lifestyle. "Limousine riding, jet flying," was not just a catchphrase, it was the truth.  They did not need a cheap gimmick to get over, all they had to do was be themselves and fans could see that, for better or worse, they were real in every way.

So much of the business is a work, from what wrestlers say, to how they behave and to what they wear. With the Horsemen, there was no work. This was their reality.

They traveled the roads together, they partied together, and when they talked about it, there was no need for character embellishment. They were the real deal.

They were four guys who loved the business, were best friends and lived life to the fullest.  They came together and became the Four Horsemen. The gimmick was not created for them; the storyline was not written by anyone.  They created it. It was all about them.

They didn't have to make it work, it just worked. Another reason why they were the best.

2- They Sold Tickets

Sound shallow? The love of money over the purity of the sport? Is that the opinion on this one?

Say what you will, but at the end of the day, the Four Horsemen were great because fans paid to see them. Period.

Everything mentioned earlier (ring ability, the mic skills and the lifestyle) caused fans to want to open their wallets, and a ton of money was made. They loved what they did, and fans loved to watch them.

The sheer force of their heel personas caused fans to want to see them get beaten, to get what they deserved. Without them, Dusty Rhodes would not have been as popular.  

The Road Warriors would still have been great, but perhaps would not have become legendary. Magnum TA's short career would likely have been long forgotten by now.

But, the Horsemen made the men they stepped into the ring with better. Their philosophy of "I make you look good, and it makes me look good in the process" was the mantra they lived by in the ring.  

They elevated everyone they feuded against, and they did it with more spotlight and more heat than anyone in the company.

When you went to a Jim Crockett event, you did not just happen to get the Horsemen. You went because of the Horsemen. No other faction was able to draw the money and sell the events like Ric Flair's elite group.  

They were the NWA, and they represented the best of the business every time they hit the ring.

There have been many pretenders to the throne, but for me, they are nothing but pretenders. The Horsemen were, and still are, the symbol of excellence.

1- Ric Flair

To imagine the Four Horsemen without Ric Flair is like imagining the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger. It's just impossible.

His lifestyle, his gimmick, his promos, everything the Nature Boy was, became real with the formation of the Horsemen. They were his words come to life.

It took them all to make it work, but it came from his vision, and his pure love of life and the business. But for all of his ego, and all of his hype, what made Ric the most important component of the Horsemen was the fact that he was willing to share the spotlight.

He could have dominated the mic and dictated that the other three simply look the part and remain quiet, simply following his lead. But, instead, Ric allowed each man ample time to sell his character and get over in any way he could.

The moments when all four men were interviewed, and Flair remained silent, at times giving nothing but a one-liner to wrap up the promo, were great examples of how he was committed to the group, not just himself.

He was arguably the greatest of all time.  And, he took the Horsemen along for the ride.  They helped solidify his greatness, and he helped make them legends. Many have tried to follow Flair through the years, and many have failed.

The Four Horsemen were a one of a kind faction, and the best of all time.