Blackjack Mulligan

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

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 Gange 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 clawhold submittion, seemed to be an immitation of AWA wrestling star Blackjack Lanza, but at 6'7, 320 lbs and managed by the 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 WWA, NWATexas, and WWF tag team titles. Blackjack returned to singles wrestling in the Jim Crockett promotions where he would go onto hold the United States Heavyweight championship and the regional tag team belt with a young Ric Flair. The large Mulligan, was a good opponent, for Andre 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 get a lot of heel heat by inducing hemorages on WWF tv jobbers with his clawhold. The big x on the screen wasn't enough to censor the profuse bleeding. 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. Mulligan's style was a classic example of old school rasslin.

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.

Championships/Accomplishments

National Wrestling Alliance

• 3-Time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Ric Flair)

World Class Championship Wrestling

• 1-Time WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion (with Jack Lanza)
• 1-Time WCCW American Tag Team Champion (with Jack Lanza)

Florida Championship Wrestling

• 1-Time Florida Brass Knuckles Champion
• 1-Time Florida United States Tag Team Champion (with Dusty Rhodes)
• 1-Time Florida Global Tag Team Champion (with Barry Windham)

Other Titles

• 1-Time AJPW 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 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.

External links

• Blackjack's Bar-b-que