The pro-wrestler, MMA fighter, and kickboxer known as Sean O’Haire (real name Sean Christopher Haire) died Monday at his home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at the age of 43. A cause of death has not been announced yet.
A native of Hilton Head Island, O’Haire was a lifelong student of the martial arts, who competed in Toughman competitions and boxing matches during the 1990s. He also wrestled briefly on the independent circuit, and owned a gym on Hilton Head called Breakthrough Fitness Center before making his mark in professional wrestling.
O’Haire made his WCW debut in June 2000, winning a tag team match with Mark Jindrak, and went on to win three WCW World Tag Team Championships; he was also named the 2000 “Rookie of the Year” by the Wrestling Observer. O’Haire began performing in the WWE in 2001 — following the WWE’s purchase of WCW — and appeared regularly through 2003 as his “devil’s advocate” persona.
(O’Haire as a WCW rookie in 2000.)
The pro-wrestler, MMA fighter, and kickboxer known as Sean O’Haire (real name Sean Christopher Haire) died Monday at his home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at the age of 43. A cause of death has not been announced yet.
A native of Hilton Head Island, O’Haire was a lifelong student of the martial arts, who competed in Toughman competitions and boxing matches during the 1990s. He also wrestled briefly on the independent circuit, and owned a gym on Hilton Head called Breakthrough Fitness Center before making his mark in professional wrestling.
O’Haire made his WCW debut in June 2000, winning a tag team match with Mark Jindrak, and went on to win three WCW World Tag Team Championships; he was also named the 2000 “Rookie of the Year” by the Wrestling Observer. O’Haire began performing in the WWE in 2001 — following the WWE’s purchase of WCW — and appeared regularly through 2003 as his “devil’s advocate” persona.
After officially parting ways with the WWE in 2004, O’Haire made a successful transition into MMA with a guillotine choke win against Tony Towers, and went on to compile a 4-2 record in MMA, with appearances in Rumble on the Rock, Hero’s, and PRIDE. O’Haire also went 0-4 as a kickboxer in K-1, suffering knockout losses to the likes of Gary Goodridge and Musashi. O’Haire’s knockout win against Frankie Parkman at a Champions Quest MMA event in December 2007 was the last time he fought professionally.
Since then, O’Haire has owned a barbershop in Hilton Head and was recently working as personal trainer at Exzel Fitness in Spartanburg. According to an obituary on Tributes.com, a Celebration of Life visitation will be held 1:00-3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13th, 2014, at his home at 510 Hampton Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29306.
“If you’re gonna take a baseball bat to a Horseman, finish the job! Because there’s one rule of gang fighting. See, we are the original gang and we’re the most vicious in all of professional wrestling history. They send one of yours to the hospital, you send two of theirs to the morgue.”
That the legendary Four Horsemen never feuded with nobodies like Hardbody Harrison — and sure as hell never jobbed to sub-.500 fighters — is completely besides the point. “The Four Horsewomen” have become such a tired joke that even mocking people who criticize how loosely they resemble The Four Horsemen on your social media accounts is completely worn out. Since we’re all in agreement that they need a new name, let’s look to some professional wrestling stables who The Four Horsewomen have resembled far more closely. Here are six that fit the description…
A backwoods cult that’s gotten tremendously over with professional wrestling fans, despite accomplishing very little of note. Why it works: Both factions are led by a compelling, charismatic eccentric. Why it doesn’t: No offense to Bray Wyatt, but Ronda Rousey has accomplished far, far too much for this comparison to work.
“If you’re gonna take a baseball bat to a Horseman, finish the job! Because there’s one rule of gang fighting. See, we are the original gang and we’re the most vicious in all of professional wrestling history. They send one of yours to the hospital, you send two of theirs to the morgue.”
That the legendary Four Horsemen never feuded with nobodies like Hardbody Harrison — and sure as hell never jobbed to sub-.500 fighters — is completely besides the point. “The Four Horsewomen” have become such a tired joke that even mocking people who criticize how loosely they resemble The Four Horsemen on your social media accounts is completely worn out. Since we’re all in agreement that they need a new name, let’s look to some professional wrestling stables who The Four Horsewomen have resembled far more closely. Here are six that fit the description…
A backwoods cult that’s gotten tremendously over with professional wrestling fans, despite accomplishing very little of note. Why it works: Both factions are led by a compelling, charismatic eccentric. Why it doesn’t: No offense to Bray Wyatt, but Ronda Rousey has accomplished far, far too much for this comparison to work.
In ECW, Raven’s Nest were a crucial part of major storylines. In WCW, Raven’s Flock could not have possibly been used more differently.
Why it works: “I don’t think there’s ever been a more over group that lost every single outing,” Raven recently said of his WCW Flock. You can say the same thing about how over The Four Horsewomen are with MMA fans — even if they think the Horseman comparison is a total farce. Why it doesn’t: For the same reason it doesn’t work for The Wyatt Family. Ronda Rousey as Raven may sort-of work when comparing their personalities, but in terms of their accomplishments, it ain’t even close.
Much like MMA fans with “The Four Horsewomen,” professional wrestling fans are trying to pretend that one Warrior nation was never a thing that existed. Sorry for re-opening this wound, guys. Why it works: Imagine Raven’s Flock, if it were led by an accomplished, ultra-charismatic, clearly insane grappler that fans either loved or hated. Why it doesn’t: …except for the whole Halloween Havoc 1998 thing, when Hulk Hogan defeated The Warrior in one of the worst worked matches ever, but that’s another story for another day. As is that time Hulk Hogan saw The Warrior in his mirror…
A cheap, inferior knockoff of one of the greatest stables in professional wrestling history – why does that sound familiar? Why it works: The L.W.O. was Eddie Guerrero and not much else. Why it doesn’t:
See, because they were the entourage of a wrestler named “Awesome Kong.” I don’t care that you didn’t need the explanation. Why it works: A dominant female champion, plus three random ladies who hung out with her. Sounds about right. Why it doesn’t: Because what, are they supposed to call themselves the Rondarage? Egads, that’s unforgivable.
Consider this your daily reminder that The Attitude Era wasn’t nearly as awesome as you remember it being. Why it works: Pretty Mean Sisters is regarded as one of the dumbest, most unnecessary stables in the history of professional wrestling. Plus it has the whole “all members were women” thing going for it. Why it doesn’t: Because there really aren’t enough Al Bundy GIFs on the Internet to properly capture how ridiculous it would be for Ronda Rousey to describe her friends as “The Pretty Mean Sisters of MMA.”
So, what should it be? The Rousey World Order? Rousey’s Flock? Rousey and The J.O.B. Squad? Let us know in the comments section, or tweet your suggestions to @cagepotatomma.
At least wrestling allows us to tune in and out, without the pressure of having to watch every single event. The reason we love pro wrestling so much is because, like David Wooderson says about high school girls in Dazed & Confused, we get older and they stay the same age.
If anything, pro wrestling has become more mature than its fanbase, despite the WWE’s PG-rating. One thing we have to deal with less are the bad costumes — painted-on gimmicks that were never going to work, no matter how hard they were forced down our throats.
Here are 15 of the most senseless and detestable costumes inflicted upon some good wrestlers, and some really bad ones.
15. The Goon
Guys like Tie Domi and Bob Probert were NHL sluggers in the mid-1990s, so maybe that explains The Goon’s odd inclusion into the world of pro wrestling. It would have been cool if this guy came to the ring in actual skates, instead of those platform boots that are mostly favored by goth teenagers and drag queens these days.
14. Rocky Maivia
(Nothing says “tough guy” like fake muscles and a landing strip.)
At least wrestling allows us to tune in and out, without the pressure of having to watch every single event. The reason we love pro wrestling so much is because, like David Wooderson says about high school girls in Dazed & Confused, we get older and they stay the same age.
If anything, pro wrestling has become more mature than its fanbase, despite the WWE’s PG-rating. One thing we have to deal with less are the bad costumes — painted-on gimmicks that were never going to work, no matter how hard they were forced down our throats.
Here are 15 of the most senseless and detestable costumes inflicted upon some good wrestlers, and some really bad ones.
15. The Goon
Guys like Tie Domi and Bob Probert were NHL sluggers in the mid-1990s, so maybe that explains The Goon’s odd inclusion into the world of pro wrestling. It would have been cool if this guy came to the ring in actual skates, instead of those platform boots that are mostly favored by goth teenagers and drag queens these days.
14. Rocky Maivia
He’s one of the most popular wrestlers to ever live and he could be the greatest of all-time, but unfortunately, Dwayne Johnson’s pre-Rock costume screams “lead role in a porn spoof of Braveheart.” Seriously, what in the name of Christ were the wardrobe specialists trying to do here? No wonder fans wanted him to die. Although when it’s all said and done, the joke’s on us for not making $44 million a year to star in a profusion of C-list movies.
The most frustrating thing about Phantasio was that his build could have led to something further down the road. I’m not sure he was a good wrestler, because I can’t really remember and the last thing I want to do is give him three minutes more of my time on YouTube, but had they ditched the Phantom of The Opera shtick, this guy could have, well, been someone else. He’s just so creepy, like someone who strangely appears at the end of your wet dream for absolutely no reason.
11. Shark Boy
When TNA wasn’t worse than a Friends spinoff, they were pretty fun to watch. One of their wrestlers, Shark Boy, had commenced his gimmick in the later stages of WCW (what better place to start) and thrived under the Tennessee-based company. He was more or less a really skinny dude who wore a shark mask and spandex that looked as if he was trying to be a shark. Never has a wrestler gone so far with a child’s dollar-store Halloween costume.
