WWE Pitched The Spirit Squad As The Four Horsemen
But much, MUCH cooler...
What do vintage pro wrestling faction The Four Horsemen and WWE's goofy frat boy cheerleader group The Spirit Squad have in common? If you answered, "absolutely nothing", then you win a prize.
That prize is being as bemused as poor Dolph Ziggler back in 2005 when the idea was first pitched.
According to a sniggering Dolph on Corey Graves' 'After The Bell' podcast, WWE presented the stable to him and the Squad's other members as a much, much, much cooler and modernised version of the classic NWA/WCW powerhouse led by Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and others.
Even as a fresh-faced young hopeful who was coming off a run as Chavo Guerrero's golf caddy (yes, seriously), Dolph wasn't convinced that The Spirit Squad would be anything like the Horsemen. Still, he wasn't exactly in any position to turn WWE's wishes down.
Graves couldn't believe that the company tried to pass off the male cheerleader gimmick as akin to one of the blueprint factions from wrestling history. Dolph was right there with him, and now you probably are too after reading this story.
What a time to be alive.