Barry Windham

Barry Windham
Born	(1960-07-04) July 4, 1960 Sweetwater, Texas
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. Barry Windham Dirty Yellow Dog The Widowmaker The Stalker Blackjack Windham
Billed height	6 ft 6 in (193 cm)
Billed weight	274 lb (124 kg)
Trained by	Blackjack Mulligan Harley Race
Debut	1981

Barry Windham (born July 4 1960) is a professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling. He is now currently employed by WWE as a producer.

Early career

Barry Windham is largely considered one of the best workers of his time by many true wrestling experts (which is ironic because when asked in a shoot interview who he thought was the most overrated worker, he said he felt it was him). Much of Barry's early career was in the Florida region of the NWA where Gordon Solie was the head announcer. He was a fan favorite for most of the early and middle periods of his career, having great success in singles and tag action. He held tag team championships with Mike Rotunda (collectively known as the US Express) in both the WWF and NWA. After leaving the WWF in 1985, he was outspoken in his criticism of the WWF's "Rock and Wrestling" style, which deemphasized traditional wrestling. He joined the NWA and enjoyed success there as one of the top draws on and off for the next decade.

After departing from the WWF, Windham worked an extended stint in Florida, where most notably he wrestled in the main event of Battle of the Belts II for the NWA Title versus Ric Flair, and feuded over the Florida Heavyweight Title with Ron Bass. At this time, Windham also formed an alliance with Lex Luger, who would turn his back on Windham when they were both in the Crockett branch NWA shortly afterward when Luger had aspirations of joining the Four Horsemen.

NWA career

In the mid-1980s, he had memorable matches with "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, which were arguably some of the best matches of all time. These included matches going to 60 minute time limit draws and even some extending beyond an hour of action. In 1987, Barry Windham shifted back to tag team action and won the NWA's United States Tag Team Championship with Ronnie Garvin. Their biggest feud as a team was with The Midnight Express, managed by Jim Cornette. The Midnight Express were never able to beat Windham and Garvin for the titles. Windham and Garvin eventually lost these titles to Ivan Koloff and Dick Murdoch in the spring of 1987, shortly before the annual Jim Crockett Memorial Tag Team Tournament (also known as the Crockett Cup). Rather than enter the tournament as a team, the NWA split up Windham and Garvin. Ronnie Garvin instead teamed up with his stepson Jimmy Garvin (in the storyline of the NWA, they were called the Garvin brothers, but Ronnie was actually Jimmy's stepfather). Windham instead of partnering up with someone in the tournament, was booked to face Ric Flair for the NWA World Championship in what would be another classic match between the two. Flair defeated Windham with a controversial pinfall after a little over 25 minutes of action. From there, Windham continued the rest of 1987 as primarily a singles competitor. Eventually, Barry won the short-lived Western States Heritage Championship that year when a tournament was held for it. He defended this title during the rest of 1987, but it was considered the weakest championship out of the NWA's different titles. At Starrcade '87 in November, Windham challenged Universal Wrestling Federation champion Steve"Dr. Death" Williams but was pinned in defeat.

In 1988, Windham began rising up in the NWA ranks again and was a year of big twists for him. He started off in January 1988 losing the Western States Heritage Championship to Larry Zybysko. In March, he teamed up with Lex Luger to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship from Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson. A few weeks later, a shocking swerve took place where Windham turned on Luger causing the team to lose the titles back to Blanchard and Anderson [1]. Windham than joined the Four Horsemen (made up of other members Flair, Blanchard, and Anderson) and the turn as a bad guy was considered shocking at the time. In addition, he began using a black glove as well as the Iron Claw as his finisher, which was a signature move of his father Blackjack Mulligan. He went back to singles competition and quickly won the NWA United States Championship defeating Nikita Koloff in a tournament for the title when the NWA suspended then champion Dusty Rhodes. Windham became a dominant NWA United States Champion and met Dusty Rhodes in a big match for the title at the Great American Bash in Baltimore on July 10. Old friend Ronnie Garvin interfered in the match on Windham's behalf causing Windham to get the victory and retain the title. Windham continued to be challenged by top opponents for the US title and held the belt until February 1989, losing it in Chicago to Lex Luger.

WWF Short Stint

Windham then returned to the WWF in 1989 as the Widowmaker, but due to outside legal problems involving Barry's father and brother under indictment for counterfeiting, the character did not last long. He left the company to return to WCW a few months later.

WCW career

In 1990, Barry Windham rejoined the Four Horsemen which at that point consisted of Flair, Arn Anderson, Sid Vicious, and Ole Anderson. He spent most of the time that year in tag team matches with the other Horsemen as partners. At Halloweeen Havoc '90, Windham dressed up as Sting and was involved in a controversial match between Sid Vicious and then NWA World Champion Sting. Sid appeared to pin Sting and win the championship, but it was actually Windham who was dressed like Sting. Once the hoax was noticed, the match was restarted and Sting defeated Sid Vicious. Windham spent the rest of the year teaming with Arn Anderson in the continuation of a feud between the Four Horsemen and then NWA World Tag Team Champions, Doom. At Starrcade '90, Windham and Anderson wrestled Doom to a no contest when a member of each team was pinned.

In 1991, Windham continued teaming with Arn Anderson and also wrestling singles matches. As the middle of the year approached, controversy erupted in the WCW (which the NWA became fully known as from then on) when WCW World Champion Ric Flair was fired by the company causing the title to be vacant. Windham was then elevated to the number 2 contender spot and faced Lex Luger in a cage match to declare the new champion. Windham lost the match to Luger with he and Luger reversing roles as Luger became the top bad guy of WCW and Windham becoming one of the most popular. This got Windham over in terms of popularity with the fans again despite still not winning the world championship.

Windham formed a tag team with Dustin Rhodes and feuded with Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko, who were the WCW World Tag Team Champions. Anderson and Zbyszko slammed a car door on Windham's hand, breaking it and putting him out of action for awhile. That led to Ricky Steamboat stepping in as the mystery partner for Rhodes. Steamboat and Rhodes won the titles. Windham, meanwhile, would come back a couple of months later to feud with Anderson, Zbyszko, and the rest of what was now the Dangerous Alliance. Windham would feud with "Stunning" Steve Austin in the spring of 1992, and they traded the World Television Title over the course of a month.

In the fall of 1992 Windham teamed with Dustin Rhodes to defeat Steve Williams and Terry Gordy for the WCW and NWA World Tag Team Titles. They held the belts for about two months before losing them to Steamboat and Shane Douglas in a memorable match at Clash of the Champions XXI. Windham turned on Rhodes after the match when Rhodes refused to pin Steamboat after an accidental low blow.

Windham became a full time singles wrestler in January 1993 and pursued the NWA World Heavyweight Championship held by The Great Muta. He beat Muta for the belt at SuperBrawl III on February 21. Ric Flair, who returned to WCW that night, tried to present Windham with the belt, but when Windham saw it was Flair trying to put the belt around his waist, he took the belt and walked away. Flair and Anderson tried to recruit Windham to join the Horsemen again, but Windham declined and became the "Lone Wolf," feuding with Flair and Anderson. Windham dropped the NWA belt to Flair at Beach Blast '93, then disappeared from wrestling for almost a year, where he took on Flair again at Slamboree '94 for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Flair won again and Windham dropped out of sight for over two years.

Return to WWF

Windham would again return to the WWF in 1996, this time as The Stalker, wearing camouflage face paint. For a short time, he renewed his feud with Dustin Rhodes (Goldust), only this time, Windham was the face and Rhodes was the heel.

He later formed The New Blackjacks with Justin Hawk Bradshaw in 1997. That team didn't last long, as Barry turned on Bradshaw to join Jim Cornette's "NWA faction" in 1998 (at the time, the NWA had become just a group of smaller independent promotions, and they cooperated with the WWF for this storyline). The angle was scrapped months later, and Windham left for WCW again.

Return to WCW

In his last WCW run, Barry Windham was originally brought back to WCW by Eric Bischoff who had him turn on Ric Flair. Barry was then loosely associated with Bischoff's nWo Hollywood for awhile before forming a tag team with Curt Hennig. Windham, along with Hennig, would capture the WCW World Tag Team Titles from Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko in early 1999.

Barry re-injured his knee during this period but would return as part of The West Texas Rednecks in mid 1999. They were supposed to be a heel group to feud with rapper Master P's "No Limit Soldiers" but the southern fans of WCW cheered the Rednecks, going against what WCW management and booking had hoped for, and the angle was eventually dropped. The group consisted of his brother Kendall Windham, Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum, Jr.; Duncum was replaced by Curly Bill shortly before the group was disbanded and the Rednecks storyline was dropped.

TCW and Semi-Retirement

By 2001, photos of a rejuvenated Windham began to surface on the internet of the now defunct Dusty Rhodes' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling Website. A group of fanatical internet wrestling fans known as "The Barry Windham Revolution" rallied behind Windham and his seemingly miraculous physical comeback. While other competitors might have simply retired, Barry had worked very hard and gotten back down to 236 lb (107 kg) as he had been for much of his early career.

During this time, on the American independent scene in Dusty Rhodes' now defunct Florida-based TCW, Barry won their heavyweight championship and held it for the better part of a year. He also became part of the Xtreme Horsemen in stable with Steve Corino and C.W. Anderson. They feuded with Dusty & Dustin Rhodes.

Barry's last appearances were at MLW's War Games and a one time U.S. Express Reunion with Mike Rotundo at WrestleReunion I.

Barry now resides in Florida and competes infrequently.

In December 2006, it was announced that Windham had signed on as a producer for the WWE. Windham has since appeared on the WWE production "Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen" DVD in 2007. Barry was also seen during the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame broadcast, sitting next to former partner, John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Wrestling facts

Finishing and signature moves

• Iron claw
• Lariat
• Superplex
• Suplex
• Figure four leglock
• Implant DDT
• Elbow drop

Championships and accomplishments

• National Wrestling Alliance

World

• NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Dustin Rhodes and Tully Blanchard.

National

• NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) – with Mike Graham
• NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ron Garvin

Regional

• NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ron Bass
• NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
• NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Mike Graham (1) and Scott McGhee (1)
• NWA Florida Television Championship (3 times)
• NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Mike Rotundo
• NWA New England Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Tennessee version) (2 times)
• NWA Western States Heritage Championship (1 time)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1 time) - with Lex Luger

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year award in 1982
• PWI ranked him # 35 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
• PWI ranked him #48 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Mike Rotunda.
• PWI ranked him # 87 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Dustin Rhodes.
• PWI ranked him # 90 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Lex Luger.

• Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling

• TCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

• World Championship Wrestling

• WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Dustin Rhodes (1), Curt Hennig (1), and Kendall Windham (1)
• WCW World Television Championship (1 time)

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kendall Windham

• World Wrestling Federation

• WWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Mike Rotundo

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• Rookie of the Year in 1980
• Match of the Year in 1986 – vs. Ric Flair