Blackjack Mulligan

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This article is about the American wrestler. For the British wrestler, see Black Jack Mulligan (United Kingdom).
Blackjack Mulligan with the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship
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Blackjack Mulligan with the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship

Blackjack Mulligan (Born Robert Joseph Windham on November 26, 1942 in Sweetwater, Texas) is a former professional wrestler and a former American football player.

Contents

[edit] Career

Mulligan was a former West Texas State University football player who received tryouts with the New York Jets and Denver Broncos in the 1960s. After football, he trained with Verne Gagne and became a professional wrestler in the old AWA. He then moved to the old WWE and became the heel Blackjack Mulligan. At first Mulligan, donning black trunks, black hat, black glove and using the iron claw submission, seemed to be an imitation of AWA wrestling star Blackjack Lanza, but at 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), 340 lb (154 kg) and managed by The Grand Wizard, Mulligan went on to great success in the Northeast. He received a big push and went on to wrestle Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino.

Mulligan returned to the Midwest and tagged with Lanza and they were now known as The Blackjacks. The Blackjacks went on to capture the WCCW, NWA Texas, and WWF tag team titles.

Blackjack returned to singles wrestling in the Jim Crockett Promotions where he would go onto hold the NWA United States Heavyweight championship and the Mid-Atlantic's version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship with a young Ric Flair.

Mulligan often fought with André the Giant. The two wrestlers feuded in many different regions in the early 80's. When they brought their feud to the WWF in 1982, Mulligan would go onto wrestle in Florida as a face. He often teamed with fellow West Texas stars Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch and his son Barry Windham.

In 1986, Mulligan wrestled under a mask as "Big Machine" part of a team with "The Giant Machine" (André the Giant) and "Super Machine" (Bill Eadie). (The Machines masks and gimmick were copied from New Japan Pro Wrestling character "Super Strong Machine," played by Japanese wrestler Junji Hirata.)[1]

In 1990 Mulligan and son Kendall Windham were arrested by the U.S. Secret Service in co-operation with local Florida law enforcement agencies for counterfeiting. Around $500,000 in counterfeit $20 bills were confiscated from the two resulting in Mulligan and son spending 24 months in prison.

Windham and his Blackjacks partner Lanza were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006 by their manager, Bobby Heenan.

[edit] Trivia

  • Mulligan has two sons that wrestle, Barry and Kendall Windham.
  • Mulligan's son-in-law is Mike Rotunda.
  • Mulligan has a nephew who wrestled named Chip Stetson.
  • The brawls between Mulligan and André the Giant were not limited to the squared circle, as both men got into an infamous scuffle at the home of "The Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez, tearing up the house and leading Fernandez to call the local authorites to help break up the fight. Fernandez said that when cops arrived at the home, they asked him if the two men brawling were in fact Mulligan and André. When he answered affirmatively, the cops quickly turned around and left without getting involved in the fracas.

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

[edit] National Wrestling Alliance

[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment

[edit] World Class Championship Wrestling

[edit] Florida Championship Wrestling

[edit] Other titles

  • 1-Time AJPW/NWA International Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time WWA Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time WWA Tag Team Champion (with Jack Lanza)
  • 1-Time IWA Tag Team Champion (with Larry Hennig)
  • 1-Time NWA Western States Tag Team Champion (with Dick Murdoch)
  • 1-Time IWF Heavyweight Champion
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him #159 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

[edit] External links

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