Tully Blanchard

Tully Blanchard is an American second generation professional wrestler, best known as one of the Four Horsemen.

Profile

• Height: 5'11" (180.3 cm)
• Weight: 222lbs (100.7 kg)
• Birthday: January 22, 1954
• Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
• Trained By: Joe Blanchard and Jose Lothario
• Professional Debut: 1975
• Previous Identities: The Midnight Stallion
• Previous Manager(s): Paul Jones, Baby Doll, J.J. Dillon, Bobby Heenan
• Finishing/Signature Move(s): Slingshot Suplex, Brainbuster, Piledriver, Figure Four Leglock

Career

As the son of wrestling promoter Joe Blanchard, a former American Wrestling Association star, Tully Blanchard was involved professional wrestling at a very young age. He began selling programmes and refreshments at the arenas at the age of ten, and worked as a referee when he was older. Blanchard attended West Texas State University, where he played American Football, first as a Starting Quarterback and then as a Defensive end, alongside fellow future wrestlers Tito Santana and Ted DiBiase. After graduating, he trained as a wrestler and eventually performing for Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW), where he also held a number of backstage production and creative positions. Blanchard was very successful in SCW, teaming regularly with Gino Hernandez as "The Dynamic Duo", and holding both the World and Tag Team titles. Eventually Hernandez left for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) and Blanchard began wrestling with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Mid-Atlantic promotion.

With his manager, Baby Doll, by his side, Blanchard engaged in epic feuds with the late Wahoo McDaniel, Magnum T.A. and Dusty Rhodes. It was the latter feud that led to his forming an alliance with Ric Flair, Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson, the soon to be Four Horsemen. The team dominated a variety of promotions, holding numerous titles and brutalising their enenemies. On one notable occasion the Horsemen forced a cameraman to record them ambushing Dusty Rhodes and breaking his arm using a baseball bat.

Along with Anderson, Blanchard left the NWA for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1988. The tag team were dubbed "The Brain Busters" and paired with heel manager Bobby Heenan. The team held the WWF Tag Team Titles, but decided to return to the NWA in 1989 to reform the Four Horsemen. However, on Blanchard's last night in the WWF, he failed a drug test, with the result being that neither the NWA or the WWF would employ him.

Having left two companies on bad terms, and troubled by his increasing alcohol and drug abuse, Blanchard became a born-again Christian on November 13, 1989, and eventually retired to become a preacher. He wrestled infrequently throughout the 1990s, with his most notable match being a time-limit draw with then Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas in 1995. On January 29, 2005 at "Wrestlereunion", Blanchard lost to Jeff Jarrett in a match in which he was said to look well-conditioned. He currently has a prison ministry where he preaches the Christian gospel to inmates.

Blanchard was an excellent technical wrestler, normally promoted as a rule-breaker with a penchant for money stipulation matches. He will be remembered as one of the founding members of the Four Horsemen and as a NWA mainstay.

Championships/Accomplishments

National Wrestling Alliance

• 1-time NWA National Heavyweight Champion
• 2-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion
• 2-time NWA World Television Champion
• 3-time NWA World Tag Team Champion (2-time with Arn Anderson, 1-time with Barry Windham)

Southwest Championship Wrestling

• 2-time SCW Heavyweight Champion
• 3-time SCW Television Champion
• 3-time SCW Tag Team Champion (with Gino Hernandez)

World Wrestling Federation

• 1-time WWF World Tag Team Champion (with Arn Anderson)

Other Titles

• 3-time New Dimension Wrestling Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time Central States Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion

Pro Wrestling Illustrated Awards

• 52nd (of 500) Best Singles Wrestler of the "PWI Years" in 2003
• 15th best tag team of the "PWI Years" (with Arn Anderson)
• 1987 Feud of the Year Award (with The Four Horsemen versus the Super Powers / Road Warriors)
• 1989 Tag Team of the Year Award (with Arn Anderson)

Books

• Christian Wrestlers: Wrestling With God, 2001, by Chad Bonham.