In the annals of pro wrestling history, there are countless tag teams and factions over the years from the Fabulous Freebirds, the Four Horsemen, Rock ‘N Roll Express, Midnight Express, and the Road Warriors to the Nation Of Domination and nWo.
But the history of wrestling could’ve been far different had a couple of things gone differently.
In the early 70s, Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdock formed the popular tag team the Texas Outlaws and they had good runs everywhere, especially in Australia where tag teams weren’t the most popular.
But it was during a trip to Japan that the fortunes of professional wrestling would start to be written when a young Ric Flair went on a trip to Japan with the Texas Outlaws during his debut year (1973) in wrestling.
Thank You Dusty And Dick For Allowing Me To Live THE AMERICAN DREAM!! WOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/VPoc32fhsH
— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 7, 2022
“Rambling” Ricky Rhodes
It was during this trip that Rhodes and Murdoch gave Flair a Texas Outlaws t-shirt and around this time Flair threw out the idea of joining the Texas Outlaws.
He wanted to be introduced as a member of Rhode’s family and he wanted his name to be “Rambling” Ricky Rhodes.
This was a few years before Flair adopted his “Nature Boy” persona we all know and love, and he relied more on a powerhouse, brawling style as a 300 pound mountain of muscle.
Had they taken him up on his suggestion and the trio hit if off, we can imagine some great feuds with another trio the Fabulous Freebirds, but we may not have gotten the Four Horsemen.
Things change
In 1976 when he was 26 years old, Ric Flair was in a plane crash that left him with a broken back in three places.
While he proved doctors wrong and returned to the ring in six months, he changed his style and trimmed down to ease the burden on his back.
The change in his gimmick gave us the Nature Boy and a whole new persona that took the wrestling world by storm and he became part of the Four Horseman and eventually feuded with Hulk Hogan and the nWo in WCW.
It’s amazing how things could’ve gone on such a different path, and while we’re curious how history would remember the Texas Outlaws with Flair as an official member, we can’t imagine history without the Four Horsemen.
Sometimes, change brings in something better than we could’ve expected and this may be one of those.
What do you think? Did everyone make out better the way things worked out? Let us know in the comments below.
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