If not Roma, then who?

[JaymeFuture]

As a babyface horseman, Flair, Arn, Steamboat and Dustin is pretty good looking for 93....put them in War Games with Vader, Rude and the Blonds and you have a hell of a better looking WCW 93 than the one we got. And if Flair and Arn go heel, instant hot tag matches too.

[tofu_chipmunk]

Another future Horseman that was right there and not doing a ton as a heel at the time that could have easily been turned was Chris Benoit, who would have fit the young, but experienced criteria. He didn't have the stigma of being a job guy in the WWF for five years beforehand, either.

[Matt D]

Vinnie Vegas?

[rainmakerrtv]

Turn Steamboat and make him a Horseman. In the twilight of his career he embraces the lifestyle and camaraderie of his greatest rival.

 

I've read (unsourced) that Steamboat had said he kept suggesting to bookers to turn him heel, but they insisted he would only work as a babyface. Is there any period where he would have particularly worked as a heel?

[Mad Dog]

I'm still disappointed that the TNA budget cuts ended the Steamboat heel turn.

[kjh]

What was Owen Hart doing in 1993?

 

Owen was under contract to the WWF, but they didn't do much with him until they started the ball rolling on his feud with brother Bret at Survivor Series.

[C.S.]

Austin and Pillman would have worked, but that breaks up the Blondes.

 

Not if they ditch Ole, who was an even worse pick than Roma at that time, and go with both Blondes.

[Bierschwale]

The answer is, of course, Sean Waltman.

[El Boricua]

Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat could have worked as face Horsemen, but it would have to have been built up to. Just throwing them in there without build up would have not worked.

 

The biggest mistake made (outside of not reaching an agreement with Tully) was going ahead with introducing someone new as a Horsemen at Slamboree. With the expectation of having Tully there, there was no way introducing someone else as a Horsemen was going to work unless it was a big star (maybe). They probably would have been better off just announcing that they were going to do a recruitment drive to fill out the Horsemen soon and go from there.

 

As for who else besides Paul Roma, here's two candidates: Shane Douglas (had just left that very same month) or Johnny B Badd (would have to be toned down/somewhat repackaged).

[The Chief]

What if Davey Boy Smith turns heel two years early? It's so batshit insane that it could be fun. Imagine the promos about FLAIUH and the AWSEMEN.

[Migs]

Setting up a babyface Horsemen with their greatest rivals (or their son) in Steamboat and Rhodes would have led to a nice path toward an eventual heel turn, much like in late-89 with Sting.

[Al]

Part of the Roma problem is more that they just had 3 instead of 4, as Ole didn't do a whole lot other than that initial segment I believe.

I think Ole at that time was a worse choice than Roma. At least Roma looked the part. Ole hadn't wrestled in seven years and wasn't going to wrestle again.

[flyonthewall2983]

I would bet Ole was just window-dressing to give the segment and the new group a little credibility, and that if expanded upon his role would have been similar to what it was in 1990. I think if it was Roma and one other guy of his stature/talent, it wouldn't have been the flop that it eventually was. Jeff Jarrett was a much worse Horseman than Paul was.

[Ricky Jackson]

At the time everyone wanted the original group back, and it seemed like they were kind of pushing that idea. Going with Roma was bush league. Dustin Rhodes would have actually been a brilliant idea booked as a long term angle with either an eventual heel turn by Dustin and the rest of the Horsemen on Dusty or with the Horsemen turning on Dustin in a more drawn out version of what they did with Sting.

 

I thought the Jarrett angle with him trying to weasel his way into the Horsemen was actually quite good at the time

[cm funk]

As a babyface horseman, Flair, Arn, Steamboat and Dustin is pretty good looking for 93....put them in War Games with Vader, Rude and the Blonds and you have a hell of a better looking WCW 93 than the one we got. And if Flair and Arn go heel, instant hot tag matches too.

 

 

If they HAD to do babyface Horsemen Steamer and Dustin are the best picks. Nothing to sell them as babyfaces like teaming with one of Flair's oldest rivals and the son of one of the Horsemen's most hated enemy. Neither fits the Horsemen image.....but the image was mostly Flair and to a lesser extent Tully. Arn, Ole, Barry Windham hardly scream jet set playboys

 

If they were heels it absolutely should have been Austin and Pillman. They looked the part, had the attitude, and it gives a huge rub to younger guys. The other guy who'd be a great fit is Steven Regal.

[peachchaos]

The Horsemen should have remained heel until the nWo-era.

 

1993 Heel Horsemen is a no brainer: Flair, Arn & The Hollywood Blondes.

[flyonthewall2983]

Yes, but Flair was super over in 1993 for just having come back, especially in their southern strongholds.