Barry Windham

Barry Windham (born July 4 1960, Sweetwater, Texas) is a professional wrestler and the son of the infamous heel wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling.

Career

Barry Windham is largely considered one of the best workers of his time by many true wrestling experts. 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 Rotundo 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.

In the mid-1980's, 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 then 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 about 35 minutes of action. From there, Windham continued the rest of 1987 as primarily a singles competitor. Eventually, Barry won the shortly-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 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 of 1988 losing the Western States Heritage Championship to lightly regarded 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. 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. 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.

Windham then returned to the WWF in 1989 as the Widowmaker, which some consider a precursor to the Undertaker persona, but due to outside legal problems involving Barry's father and brother, the character did not last long. He left the company to return to WCW a few months later.

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.

During one of Barry's WCW runs the following year, he feuded with "Stunning" Steve Austin over the Television title, which resulted in Windham winning the title. He also feuded with Austin's fellow Dangerous Alliance members Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko who "broke" his hand by slamming it in a car door. He formed a very successful tag team with Dustin Rhodes around this time, as well. When Ric Flair returned to WCW in 1993, Flair and Arn Anderson tried to recruit Barry for another Horsemen run, but Barry became "The Lone Wolf" and won the NWA World Title, feuding with Flair and Arn. In mid-1993, Barry lost the NWA title to Flair and disappeared from professional wrestling altogether. He did return almost a year later, at Slamboree 1994 to have a rematch with Flair, who by then was not NWA champion but WCW World Heavyweight Champion, but lost again and left pro wrestling again.

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 (he had turned on him in 1992 in WCW), now known as 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.

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 (known more commonly as "Mr. Perfect"), another second generation wrestler.

After being cast aside by WWE and Vince McMahon, Windham, along with his friend Hennig, would capture the WCW World Tag Team Titles from Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko in early 1999. Yet again, this performer/athlete would defy the odds and make another run in the spotlight during the "Monday Night Wars" between McMahon's WWE & Ted Turner's WCW.

Barry re-injured his knee during this period but would return as part of 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 Vincent (Mike Jones) shortly before the group was disbanded and the Rednecks storyline was dropped.

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.

Finishing and Signature Moves

Titles and accomplishments

1-time WWC Tag Team Champion (with Kendall Windham)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him # 35 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He was also ranked in three of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years". He was ranked # 48 with Mike Rotunda, # 87 with Dustin Rhodes and # 90 with Lex Luger.
Barry won the PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year Award in 1982.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

1980 Rookie of the Year
1986 Match of the Year (vs Ric Flair)

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Barry Windham

Career

Finishing and Signature Moves

Titles and accomplishments

National Wrestling Alliance

World Championship Wrestling

World Wrestling Federation

Florida Championship Wrestling

Other Titles

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Wrestling Observer Newsletter