There’s a lot of old school in FTR.
Their look and style has always drawn comparisons to old school tag teams, especially Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. The comparisons continued to surface when FTR arrived in AEW and found themselves paired with Blanchard as their manager. It was at that point in time where pro wrestling fans instantly thought of the idea of a new Four Horsemen faction.
Two former members of the group in the company, with a tag team that is easily comparable to them and a potential to make two more stars in the group? Seems like a natural fit. However, FTR doesn’t think it’s so easy. The duo were guests on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated podcast in response to being named #1 on the PWI Tag Team 50. Cash Wheeler says that the comparisons are flattering, but they would never be able to capture the magic.
“The idea is very flattering, to be mentioned in the same breath as the Four Horsemen and any sort of revival. Probably one of the best compliments we’ll ever get, but I don’t think there is ever going to be a way to copy that. What they had, everything they did, was organic and magic. That’s why it worked so well. It wasn’t forced or brought up in a creative room by a bunch of guys who had no wrestling experience. It was four guys, plus JJ [Dillon] who all had something special separate, and it worked well together. Tully has given us the details on how it started. Seeing how little the plan was going in, and what it became, is unreal. I don’t think we’ll be ever to truly copy that and do it justice, but it is very flattering.”
Dax Harwood added his own thoughts, saying that trying to replicate the Four Horsemen would be a step backward, but the concept and blueprint of the group is absolutely something that could fit their want to go forward and not backward.
“As a team and unit, for what we want to accomplish, it would be a huge disservice to us both. People have asked Flair, Arn, and Tully and they’ve given us their blessing. If we were better wrestlers or talkers, it doesn’t matter because that was a once in a lifetime group that can never be replicated. To try and replicate it, you’re going backward. That’s one thing we don’t want to do. That’s why we left our former employer because we don’t want to go backward, we want to go forward. However, the blueprint of the Four Horsemen, is absolutely and goal and theme that we run with. There are a ton of talent that could be intriguing and we could turn AEW’s corner and make them, maybe the top wrestling company in the world, by having a group of individuals who work as one unit with the common goal of being the best in the world. That blueprint could change professional wrestling.”
FTR is definitely in a better position than they were when they were in the WWE. Even if they never reform the Four Horseman faction, to be able to learn from two former members in front of the camera and behind the scenes can only make them better, and make them likely candidates to repeat their #1 ranking in the Tag Team 50 next year.
h/t to Fightful for the quote.
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