Part 16: New Challenges and a New Horseman - The reformation of the Horsemen didn't necessarily mean the end of their troubles. Now Ric Flair had the US Heavyweight Champion "Total Package" Lex Luger breathing down his neck (notice a very young JIm Ross in this shot). Plus the Andersons had to deal with the latest version of the Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin).
In early 1990, they also had two handicaps which they had never had to think about in the past. First they were functioning as babyfaces for the first time in their collective careers. Second, they were down by one man. The latter circumstance was about to change.
It started, really, way back before the Andersons return, when a certain wrestler ran in to help out Ric Flair after his "I Quit" match with Terry Funk. The Japanese contingent of Gary Hart's "J-Tex" stable invaded the ring and would have destroyed Flair except for the interference of this certain wrestler. Now a time came when Flair and his friends were able to repay the favor and also "count coup" on Flair's chief enemy at the same time.
In a match pitting Sting as the challenger for Lex Luger's US Title, Luger got himself disqualified by using a chair on his opponent. When he threatened to use it again on the already unconscience challenger, Flair ran in to rescue Sting. Hart's forces (Buzz Sawyer, Muta, Dragon Master) then decided to interject themselves. This brought in the Andersons to even the odds.
All of this lead to Sting starting to appear with the Horsemen in interviews and facing Hart's "J-Tex Corporation" members in matches with the Horsemen in attendance. Here we observe a match between Sting and the Dragon Master over Arn's shoulder.
It was only a matter of time before Ric Flair and the Andersons announced the selection of Sting as the fourth Horseman.
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Back to Solie's Vintage Wrestling This page is a personal tribute and is in no way connected to any of the wrestling promotions mentioned on it. It is dedicated to the Dean of Wrestling announcers, Gordon Solie.
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