Few wrestlers had as wild and storied a career as Barry Windham. Debuting in 1979 and wrestling all the way until roughly 2005, Windham has been through a lot. He’s often regarded as one of the most skilled big men in wrestling thanks to his fantastic technical prowess, something that many bigger men lack.
With his size and his skill, Windham had a career filled with prestigious championships and even an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. He went through many unique phases of his career, but his talent always managed to shine through, even when he was saddled with some less than desirable decisions from those around him. With a career that lasted more than two decades, there is a lot to learn about Barry Windham.
10 He Was Trained By Harley Race & Blackjack Mulligan
A lot of people are shocked when they watch a Barry Windham match because he’s so big, but wrestles with such incredible skill. What makes his skill make a lot more sense is the fact that he was trained by the great Harley Race.
He was also trained by his father, Blackjack Mulligan, though it is likely that more modern wrestling fans will know of Harley Race. The incredible teaching from both men is likely what led many to consider Windham as a wrestler who was ahead of his time.
9 He Competed At The First WrestleMania
These days, the first WrestleMania can feel like it was a hundred years ago. It wasn’t exactly the mega spectacle it is these days, but it was impressive nonetheless. While the card is often forgotten aside from the main event, Windham found himself competing at the event.
He was a part of the popular tag team, The U.S. Express, but despite their popularity, they lost their belts to the menacing Iron Shiek and Nikolai Volkoff. In a card full of short matches, their match lasted just shy of seven minutes thanks to the dominant heels.
8 He Had An Incredible Feud With Ric Flair
While just about anyone who had a lengthy feud with Flair managed to put out at least one great match, Windham and Flair seemed to create magic each time they went toe-to-toe. Aside from that, Windham's chase for Flair’s gold only made their feud better.
Many will know that the pair of men were famously in the Four Horsemen together, but there was always a bit of tension behind the group's heaps of confidence. Whether before or after their time in the group, both men put on instant classics when they clashed.
7 His Heel Turn Was One Of The Most Shocking Of The Era
People can often take for granted just how wild it was to see a face or heel turn only a few short decades ago. When kayfabe was protected, these were real people fighting for the fans, so to see Windham turn his back on the fans was shocking.
Not only was it a major turn during an era that didn’t see many major turns, the turn also resulted in a title change. Windham betrayed Lex Luger, costing them their titles, but that wouldn’t matter to Windham as he was now a member of the Four Horsemen.
6 He Paid Homage To His Father With His Finisher
While Windham had the ability to pull off just about any of the famous maneuvers of the era, he actually ended up using a rather simple finisher for some time. That finisher, a simple claw hold, was something that he used to pay his respects to his father.
Most people are aware of what the Mandible Claw is these days, but claw holds are fairly rare to see be used. The move saw the large hand of Windham clamping down on his opponent's skull in order to squeeze them into submission.
5 His Dominant Return To The WWE Was Derailed
When Windham returned to the WWE, he was one of the most dominant forces in the company. He actually managed to go on a bit of an undefeated streak for a chunk of time, but it was unfortunately derailed in a hurry.
He made his way back to the WWE as a heel under the name of The Widowmaker. He was becoming a serious force in the company and was even unbeaten, but personal family issues led to him taking time away, something that resulted in his departure yet again.
4 There May Have Been WCW World Champion Plans For Him
There are a lot of classic wrestling fans who believe Windham should have beaten Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. What those fans may be happy to hear is that there seems to have at least been an attempt to get the title on Windham.
It’s hard to confirm, but it is widely believed that Flair had planned to drop the championship to his long-time friend back in 1991. Unfortunately, Flair found himself fired by WCW at that time, meaning any potential plans were immediately changed.
3 He’s Had Some Serious Knee Issues
When you look back through Windham’s career, a lot of his time off comes from a nagging knee injury that plagued him. The injury was such an issue that he made a return, only to reinjure his knee a short while later.
He suffered a major knee injury in a match with Flair at 1993’s Beach Blast. That injury put him out of action for quite a while before he would finally return in 1994. During his return match, Windham injured his knee again, something that sadly took him off television for another two years.
2 His Return Was Mistaken For Hulk Hogan By Fans
Companies will always try to cash in on the mystery surrounding potential new hires. Everyone loves to see a surprise competitor, but maybe describing them as Hulk Hogan isn’t the best idea.
During the lead-up to Slamboree 1994, WCW, whether intentionally or unintentionally, led their fans to believe that Hulk Hogan would be making a surprise appearance at the event. They specifically described Windham in such a way that made him sound like Hogan, something that probably took a few fans by surprise when Windham finally showed up.
1 He Was Once In A Tag Team With JBL
Most people view Windham as a member of the classic era of wrestling. Because of that, many may not see him standing alongside some of the more recent stars of wrestling, but at one point, he was in a tag team with JBL.
The team isn’t all that well known because it was relatively short-lived, and it really didn’t go anywhere fruitful. The team, The New Blackjacks, had chances to pick up tag team gold, but never managed to capitalize on any of their momentum.