A founding member of wrestling’s Four Horseman has died. Ole Anderson — real name: Alan Rogowski — died on Monday at his home in Monroe, Ga. He was 81 years old.

• The original Four Horseman were Anderson, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson (no relation) and manager J.J. Dillon.
• This group (and others who replaced them) were part of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling in the ’80s and ’90s, but Anderson’s time was mostly in 1986 and 1987.
• Years after his mid-’90s retirement from the ring, he remained a mythical figure.

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On X (formerly Twitter), Flair showed appreciation for Anderson’s career, writing, “We didn’t always agree with each other, but the honest to God truth is you (Ole) and Gene (Ole’s late-60s, ring partner Gene Anderson) started me. Rest in peace my friend.”

The Minnesota-born Anderson served in the Army prior to beginning his wrestling career in his home state. In 1968 he joined the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, a stable of Anderson’s that were not related, but presented as brothers.

Contracts with regional and national wrestling associations followed until he, Flair and co. invented the Four Horseman. Ole (pronounced “Oh-lee”) Anderson would keep wrestling into the mid-’90s, after which he became a booker for WCW.

The WWE announced Anderson’s death first:

An obituary reveals he died on Monday (Feb. 26), but his cause of death has not been shared. He’s survived by his partner Marsha Cain, seven children and numerous extended family members.

There will be no service for Anderson.