Paul Roma, the 4th Horsemen

[Deleted]

Last night I was watching Slamboree '93 where Paul Roma is brought out as the 4th Horseman. 

Why do fans hate on Roma so much?  He seemed like a fitting replacement for Blanchard with his jerkish, smug attitude.  He was also new blood and the only guy in the group who looked like he was under 40.  Most importantly, he was good in the ring, especially in tag teams.

I get that Roma was not main event or even upper midcard, but he was still an excellent talent who just needed that push to break through.  It seemed to me that the Horsemen was the ideal scenario to make Roma a star.  

Did anyone else think Roma might have made a good Horseman? 

[Deleted]

By almost all accounts the guy was a monumental dick, with the attitude of a huge star and the talent and push of an opening match guy.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

If they had brought him in and built him up first, it possibly could have worked. Instead, they hyped the reunion of the originals until literally the last possible moment and had Flair mention that Tully wasn't there in a total throwaway fashion, then brought this guy out that WCW fans either weren't familiar with at all or had mostly seen getting squashed in what many of them viewed as an inferior company. Regardless of his abilities or attributes, it was doomed from the start.

[nisidhe]

I think Paul Roma suffered a bit of a stigma as a "WWF guy" in a stable so many saw as being only for those made by WCW/NWA. It was also the idea that anyone would need to be "boosted" by joining the Horsemen, a stable seen as WCW's "elite." You had to be at or near the top of your profession in order even to get an invite, and while many might have been called, few as we know were chosen.

[Clawley Race]

He could have used building towards WCW audience...but I re-watched that a few months ago and thought the same thing. He looked the part for sure, and was good enough in the ring. They should have been building him up as the future of WCW/Horsemen.

[Deleted]

Sept 13, 2014 12:53:47 GMT -5 "Playboy" Don Douglas said:

If they had brought him in and built him up first, it possibly could have worked. Instead, they hyped the reunion of the originals until literally the last possible moment and had Flair mention that Tully wasn't there in a total throwaway fashion, then brought this guy out that WCW fans either weren't familiar with at all or had mostly seen getting squashed in what many of them viewed as an inferior company. Regardless of his abilities or attributes, it was doomed from the start.

That makes sense.  I was only a casual WCW watcher during this time period, so I missed out on the hype of the original Horsemen reuniting.  The first time I saw Roma come out with them, I just thought it was cool because of how much I liked Power & Glory.

Sept 13, 2014 13:19:04 GMT -5 Clawley Race said:

He could have used building towards WCW audience...but I re-watched that a few months ago and thought the same thing. He looked the part for sure, and was good enough in the ring. They should have been building him up as the future of WCW/Horsemen.

In retrospect, I think that could of worked. I'm imagining if they brought him in with no hype and put him against a midcard guy, booking Roma as an underdog but not necessarily a jobber, similar to how WWE booked him when he was a singles wrestler. Then somehow he pulls out a surprise victory and then puts together a winning streak over guys he wasn't really supposed to beat over the next few months. Finally, the Horsemen come out and start acting impressed with him, but they really have their eye on someone else for the 4th member. Finally, when it seems clear who the Horsemen are about to pick, Roma beats that guy in the midcard and makes the case that he should be the 4th member. Maybe Arn isn't sure, but Flair and Ole want him in... so Roma comes in and tags with Arn a few times to win his respect. Arn finally comes aboard because of how Roma reminds him so much of Blanchard.

[Clawley Race]

I think it works the best if they get him a little bit over as a face first, like you said. When the fans get behind the blue chipper, he joins the Horseman. Him betraying the fans to join gives them extra reason to hate him and gives him more heat.

[Wolf Hawkfield no1 NZ poster]

Well having him in horsemen felt like a lazy f*** it he will have to do choice.

[Tony Schiavontay]

His delusional ranting about how great he was on the Four Horsemen DVD was classic.

[Crappler El 0 M]

Two of the better candidates (Austin and Pillman) were already teaming and would be rivals with this group of Horsemen. Paul Orndorff might have worked.

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan]

Sept 13, 2014 18:33:06 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

Two of the better candidates (Austin and Pillman) were already teaming and would be rivals with this group of Horsemen. Paul Orndorff might have worked.

I still mourn for this missed opportunity. "Stunning" Steve would've been an amazing addition to the Horsemen!

[Crappler El 0 M]

Sept 13, 2014 19:08:19 GMT -5 Dr. Mantis Toboggan said:

Sept 13, 2014 18:33:06 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

Two of the better candidates (Austin and Pillman) were already teaming and would be rivals with this group of Horsemen. Paul Orndorff might have worked.

I still mourn for this missed opportunity. "Stunning" Steve would've been an amazing addition to the Horsemen!

He would have made sense and they could have said that Anderson personally recruited him due to their time together in the Dangerous Alliance. Pillman and Austin could have both joined Flair and Arn since Ole was a non-wrestling member of the group. However, Pillman and Austin were probably already penciled in as future opponents to the Horsemen.

[mrjl]

Eaton would have been a good third guy. He'd teamed with Arn and in the original run they were associates

If they wanted a dark haired guy they could have recruited Bagwell

[Deleted]

Sept 13, 2014 18:33:06 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

Two of the better candidates (Austin and Pillman) were already teaming and would be rivals with this group of Horsemen. Paul Orndorff might have worked.

I've considered that too but then decided that Orndorff's ego would have been too big to stand behind Flair and Arn.  I think it would have been a cool angle to have Orndorff step in and become leader of the Horsemen when Flair was injured or something, only for Flair to return and want his spot back. 

[Deleted]

Dustin Rhodes. He was in the middle of a pretty good run in-ring, plus you can Dusty go on television and talk up how Dustin shouldn't trust the Horsemen. Then, when it does happen you have a built-in Rhodes Family vs Horsemen feud and I can get a Dustin/Flair match.

[Capt Lunatic]

Paul Roma? The job guy from WWE?

Now that we've had a good chuckle, those were almost the exact words I said when he debuted. I didn't know what a jobber was so I said loser, and it was WWF back then.

[Deleted]

Sept 13, 2014 18:16:49 GMT -5 Wolf Hawkfield no1 NZ poster said:

Well having him in horsemen felt like a lazy f*** it he will have to do choice.

I was laughing so much at this because that sounds just like something WCW would do.

[Capt Lunatic]

Sept 13, 2014 19:25:29 GMT -5 mrjl said:

Eaton would have been a good third guy. He'd teamed with Arn and in the original run they were associates

A big part of being a Horseman was looking the part and for the life of me I can not picture Bobby Eaton in a suit.

I'm trying and the image just will not process.

[Crappler El 0 M]

Sept 14, 2014 18:22:48 GMT -5 Capt Lunatic said:

Sept 13, 2014 19:25:29 GMT -5 mrjl said:

Eaton would have been a good third guy. He'd teamed with Arn and in the original run they were associates

A big part of being a Horseman was looking the part and for the life of me I can not picture Bobby Eaton in a suit.

I'm trying and the image just will not process.

He wore them quite a bit in 1995 and 1996.

[Deleted]

Yeah, that was Robert the Earl of Eaton. Bobby would have been the Horsemen, but that would have taken him out of the Blue Bloods, which was an entertaining angle in its own right that didn't get nearly enough of a push.