Ole Anderson was a pro wrestler who joined with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard to form the Four Horseman wrestling team.
- Died: February 26, 2024 (Who else died on February 26?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Monroe, Georgia, at the age of 81.
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Ole Anderson’s legacy
Born Alan Robert Rogowski, Anderson began wrestling professionally after serving in the U.S. Army. Much of his wrestling career was focused in the southeast, and he spent more than 10 years with Georgia Championship Wrestling in the 1970s and ‘80s. He adopted his ring name, the Scandinavian-sounding Ole Anderson, in part as a tribute to his home state of Minnesota. Wrestling as a heel, he was known for his tough, no-nonsense style. In 1969, he joined Gene and Lars Anderson in the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. They became a popular tag team, winning many tag team championships.
In 1985, Anderson joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and he was quickly paired with Arn Anderson to reform the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. The two won an NWA National Tag Team Championship. A year after coming to WCW, Anderson became one of the original Four Horsemen, joining three other heels to form the stable. In the 1990s, Anderson began booking for WCW.
After retiring from wrestling in the mid-90s, Anderson spoke out about his frustration with flashy, corporate wrestling promotions, including writing the book “Inside Out: How Corporate America Destroyed Professional Wrestling.”
Notable quote
“A lot of guys tried it. A lot of guys couldn’t do it. If you look at what causes people to come to wrestling, and you realize that the biggest thing that’s involved in my mind, anyway, is the human emotions.” —from a 2004 interview for Wrestling Revue
Tributes to Ole Anderson
Full obituary: The New York Times
