Ole Anderson, one of the "Four Horsemen" of professional wrestling, died on Monday at age 81.
Anderson, whose real name was Alan Robert Rogowski, became one of the most influential figures in wrestling when he, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard consisted of the mid-1980s stable.
The Andersons, who played relatives in the ring, made "The Minnesota Wrecking Crew" of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Later on, they were joined by Flair and Blanchard.
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They were led by manager J.J. Dillon in the NWA wrestling organization. They battled some of wrestling's biggest names, including Dusty Rhodes, the Road Warriors, Magnum T.A. and Sting, who later became a member of the foursome.
Flair posted an ode to his former wrestling partner on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, in which he said teaming with him "launched my career."
"I Am Forever Thankful To Ole And Gene For Bringing Me In To Crockett Promotions As A Cousin," he wrote. "It Launched My Career. I Will Be Grateful Forever For You Giving Me The Opportunity To Become Who I Am Today. We Didn’t Always Agree With Each Other, But The Honest To God Truth Is You & Gene Started Me. Rest In Peace My Friend!"
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Major wrestling brands, including the WWE and AEW, posted tributes to Anderson.
Anderson was a member of the horsemen from 1986 to 1990. He took control of WCW briefly in 1993, but was fired by Eric Bischoff the next year.
It was reported in 2007 that Anderson was suffering from multiple sclerosis.
According to an obituary from the Carter Funeral Home in Winder, Georgia, he also served in the U.S. Army and is survived by his significant other of 22 years, Martha Cain, and seven children, including former wrestler Bryant Anderson.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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