Blackjack Mulligan
Blackjack Mulligan | |
---|---|
Texas Western College | |
Spouse(s) | Julia Windham[1] |
Children | 3, including Barry Windham and Kendall Windham |
Family | Mike Rotunda (son-in-law) Bo Dallas (grandson) Bray Wyatt (grandson) |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Big Bob Windham Big Machine Blackjack Mulligan The Texan |
Billed height | 6 ft 9 in (206 cm)[2] |
Billed weight | 300 lb (136 kg)[2] |
Billed from | Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. El Paso, Texas U.S. (1982) |
Trained by | Verne Gagne |
Debut | 1967 |
Retired | May 23, 1993 |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Robert Deroy Windham (November 25, 1942 – April 7, 2016), better known by his
American football career
As a young man, Windham played
Professional wrestling career
After football, at the urging of
In November and December 1970, Windham (as "Bob Windham") wrestled in Japan for the
In 1971, Mulligan joined the
When he arrived in the WWWF, he was managed by The Grand Wizard. Early stills of the two actually identify him as "Big Bob Windham". Mulligan went on to great success in the Northeast and was an early challenger to newly crowned champion Pedro Morales. His push was interrupted when he was slashed in the thigh by a fan at the Boston Garden and required hundreds of stitches to close the wound. The culprit was actually captured by Gorilla Monsoon, who threw him at the ringside police – who promptly let him go because they thought "it was part of the show".
Before he left to recover from his wound, Mulligan participated in a Madison Square Garden match against Bruno Sammartino, who was making his first appearance at the arena since the end of his nearly eight-year championship reign. Mulligan attacked Sammartino before the bell. Sammartino quickly recovered, slammed Mulligan twice and pinned him in 64 seconds. In wrestling terms, everybody "got over" – the building was sold out to the delight of promoter Vincent J. McMahon, Sammartino made a strong return to New York and Mulligan, who was in no condition to work an actual match, received a large pay-off to aid his recovery.
Once he healed, Mulligan returned to the Midwest and tagged with
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Blackjack_Mulligan_vs._Baron_Von_Raschke.jpg/220px-Blackjack_Mulligan_vs._Baron_Von_Raschke.jpg)
Blackjack returned to singles wrestling in the Jim Crockett Promotions where he would go on to hold the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship and the Mid-Atlantic's version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship with Ric Flair.
Mulligan often battled
In 1986, Mulligan wrestled under a mask as "Big Machine", part of a team with "The Giant Machine" (André the Giant) and "Super Machine" (
Mulligan returned for his last match on May 23, 1993, at WCW's Slamboree '93: A Legends' Reunion in a six-man tag teaming with Wahoo McDaniel and Jim Brunzell against Don Muraco, Dick Murdoch and Jimmy Snuka in a no contest.
Mulligan worked as a match booker and promoter all around the South, eventually co-owning the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion with Dick Murdoch after purchasing it from Dory and Terry Funk. Mulligan and his Blackjacks partner, Jack Lanza were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame[5] on April 1, 2006, by their manager, Bobby Heenan.
Personal life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Blackjack_Mulligan_and_Barry_Windham%2C_1988.png/200px-Blackjack_Mulligan_and_Barry_Windham%2C_1988.png)
In 1990, Blackjack Mulligan and his son Kendall Windham were arrested by the US Secret Service in a joint investigation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for counterfeiting. The authorities found close to $500,000 in phony $20 bills. As a result of a plea agreement, both father and son spent 24 months in a federal prison and were released in 1992.[6]
In 2007, Windham published his book titled True Lies and Alibis, which tells about his personal life and his professional wrestling career.
In 2012, Windham, a born again Christian, was ordained a minister by Divine Hearts Ministry located in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri. He was very devoted to spending the time he had remaining to spreading the word of God. He felt his ordination could help him in this endeavor.
In July 2015, Windham was named as a defendant in a 2015 lawsuit filed by WWE after they received a letter from him indicating that he intended to sue them for concussion-based injuries sustained during his tenure with them. He was represented by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who is involved in several other lawsuits involving former WWE wrestlers.[7] Over two years after his death, US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed the lawsuit in September 2018.[8]
Death
After dealing with health problems in recent years and being hospitalized with a heart attack several months earlier, Windham was hospitalized in Florida in October 2015. He died on April 7, 2016. He was buried at the Florida National Cemetery.[9]
Legacy
Mulligan's son Barry Windham wrestled as Blackjack Mulligan Jr early in his career.[10][11] Upon turning heel and joining the 4 Horsemen, Barry adopted the signature black glove. Decades later, upon joining The Miz as his henchman, Mulligan's grandson, Bo Dallas, also incorporated the black glove into his look.[citation needed]
Mulligan used the "hulk up" style comeback long before Hulk Hogan emerged in the business.[citation needed]
His grandson Windham Rotunda was signed to WWE until his death in 2023, performing under the name Bray Wyatt.
British wrestler Laurence (Laurie) Coulson (Coulton) was billed as "Black Jack Mulligan" (and related variants) while wrestling for
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- European Wrestling Union
- EWU World Super Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Enterprise
- IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Larry Hennig
- International Wrestling Federation
- IWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Western States Sports
- NWA International Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) (2 times)[24]
- NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dick Murdoch
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2016[25] - Inducted as a member of The Blackjacks
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1978)[26]
- PWI ranked him #159 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- World Wrestling Association
- 1 time)
- WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Blackjack Lanza[27]
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Blackjack Lanza
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006) as a member of The Blackjacks
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1984) Fake heart attack angle
- ^ WWE does not recognize his 2nd reign.
References
- ^ "Robert Deroy "Black Jack Mulligan" WINDHAM's Obituary on Tampa Bay Times". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- ^ Oliver, Greg (June 20, 2000). "Blackjack Mulligan takes a dive". SlamWrestling.net. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Blackjack Mulligan - matches - International Wrestling Enterprise". Cagematch.net. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Robert 'Blackjack Mulligan' Windham, WWE Hall of Famer, Dies at Age 73". Bleacher Report.
- ^ Mooneyham, Mike (March 23, 2008). "Blackjack, The Nature Boy, and More Memories". The Post and Courier. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
- ^ "WWE seeking to block concussion-related lawsuits". FoxSports.com. Fox Entertainment Group (21st Century Fox). July 1, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- ^ Gorman, Jeff D. (September 18, 2018). "WWE Knocks Out Consolidated Concussion Case". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Blackjack Mulligan passes away". WWE.com. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^ "Barry Windham Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ "Barry Windham Bio". Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ "Wrestling Heritage". August 5, 2023.
- ^ "WWE United States Championship". Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1967-1968/05) - American Heavyweight Title (1968/05-1986/02)". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-9698161-5-7.
- ^ "N.W.A. American Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA Texas Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Texas Brass Knucks Title [East Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
- ^ F4W Staff (May 7, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 7): Jeff Jarrett ends David Arquette's WCW title reign, Nick Bockwinkel Vs. Ray Stevens". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME MOVING FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO TEXAS". PWInsider. November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Inspirational Wrestler of the Year". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved July 27, 2008.
- ^ "W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
External links
- Blackjack Mulligan on WWE.com
- Blackjack Mulligan's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database