Even though they had legal troubles, Blackjack Mulligan & Kendall Windham were always cool with the fans. I met them a few times when I was a kid & Blackjack would say "You're getting big, I haven't saw you since we were in Winter Haven 6months ago" I always thought it was cool that this guy, who must meet a ton of fans, remembered me.
cool beans man I'm from Winter Haven and met Barry,Lex Luger,Tyree Pride, Black Bart and Cowboy Ron Bass at the old Orange Dome. They later painted it to look like a baseball when the Cleveland Indians moved there for spring training. But the painter wasn't a baseball fan I guess because he had the stitches going the same way on both sides LMAO. We were so lucky to have been able to watch the Florida territory, in my opinion was the very best territory. I don't know how old you are but I'm 50 so I remember some of the mid 70's and the 80's. Man we had the best guys come thru the territory The Funks vs the Brisco's Harley Race and we had the best promoter in Eddie Graham. And people can say whatever they want about Mike Graham not drawing a dime and show how ignorant they are because he did when he was Tag Champs with Kevin Sullivan early in his career and us Florida fans loved him. RIP to all the greatest that Wrasseled for us in the Great Sunshine State...Oohhhh I almost forgot to mention that we also had the greatest ever to call a match in the late great Gordon Solie who called it like a sport and was just as instrumental as the boys in making us believe I was real!!!!
Barry Windham was AWESOME! He would have been a great fit in Mid South. Arn Anderson said that(paraphrasing )the problem with Barry - and if this IS a problem totally depends on your point of view - that as long as he had $2k in his pocket, a badass Corvette and a hot blonde in the passenger seat, Barry was satisfied. His sights weren't set that particularly high, again, completely subjective.
Had he had that drive to be the best, I think Barry could've been top 5 all-time, the guy was a natural. Everybody is wired differently. Reminds me of Ken Griffey Jr. in many ways.
When he was the Widow Maker in 1989 he was the best in ring performer in the world, even in WWF where the “wrestling” wasn’t as precedent. Barry Whindham was the best in the world at one point.
@Edgehead10075 I thought u said WWF killed those 2 (I preferred him as Big Bubba Rogers even tho Bossman ruled). I was trying to wrap my head around how you came to that conclusion lol.
When Barry was the Widow-maker WWF in 89. He looked GREAT best shape ever. I swear he was hitting the weights little. Then he was gone again……..too bad.
He was just so well rounded. He was big and tall but not too big where he couldn’t move or sell for smaller guys. Fluid movement, good psychology, promos, and while I heard he didn’t work out, he looked better than the average guy. He was an incredible talent
There was a spot in time in his younger days where his body was perfect. Right before he looked a bit too thin like a teenager that had an unexpected growth spurt.
Technically Barry was the NWA world heavyweight champion. True he did hold that championship at the same time there was a WCW world heavyweight champion but he was the NWA champion in 1993
Brian Rose I have SIX Barry Windham dream matches: (1) Barry Windham vs. Magnum T.A., (2) Barry Windham vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart, (3) Barry Windham vs. Ted Dibiase, (4) Barry Windham vs. Kevin Von Erich, (5) Barry Windham vs. "Gentleman" Chris Adams, and (6) Barry Windham vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
But the position of NWA world champion was completely different in 1993 than it was in the mid 80s. They couldn't rely on Barry to stay motivated week in week out going around the world with the belt. He was notorious for disappearing to go on vacation. The pressure and responsibilities of being NWA champion in the mid 80s meant that Barry, probably the most naturally talented worker of all time was not cut out for such a role.
@@SugarRayTaylor I get what you’re saying the NWA title stop being the main title for WCW in 1991 however if you go back to 1992 and 1993 they did treat the NWA world heavyweight title and the NWA world tagteam titles as a big deal. When Ric Flair Came back to the company they sure made that title seem like a big deal after Flair beat Barry for it.
Barry did win the NWA world title in 1993 super brawl against The Great Muta, but at that time NWA world title wasn't as prestigious as the WCW world title.
Barry married a hot rich girl and made decent money, in his time as a wrestler. Who gives a shit whether he held a world title or not. David Arquette held the belt. Barry is still alive, in good health and not broke. Which is more than I can say for most wrestlers, even the females. The belt is for marks.
Yea, there was a time when the belt meant something. I just think people put too much emphasis on having a world title. I read terry funk's book and the world title cost his marriage to breakup, he was depressed for being on the road constantly, and his paycheck was not that much higher than before. He got back with his wife, with the condition that he wasn't going to champ, anymore. Funk didn't even want his 2nd title reign, he was forced into it. That was why flair held onto the title for so long...... he loved being on the road and his addictions never got the best of him. Imo, Barry wasn't a mid carder or underachiever ..... he held some major titles, albeit not the world belt.
I have SIX Barry Windham dream matches: (1) Barry Windham vs. Magnum T.A., (2) Barry Windham vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart, (3) Barry Windham vs. Ted Dibiase, (4) Barry Windham vs. Kevin Von Erich, (5) Barry Windham vs. "Gentleman" Chris Adams and (6) Barry Windham vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
Barry didn’t love wrestling. He just happened to be really good at it. I think he had a great career and he married really well. Loved him in the 4 Horsemen he was a perfect fit . His heel turn was really well done.
When I was a kid, Barry Windham was the guy who seemed like he could kick anybody's ass. He was so big, so athletic, and made everything look so good. That's not to say that he WAS legit, just that to a 10 year old kid who hadn't been smartened up... he seemed totally legit. Not a great talker, but what he did well he did phenomenally well.
Vince made him the WidowMaker... and the Stalker. He never would have seen a natural looking guy that could simply work in the ring as a main event draw.
Barry had that sixth sense and knew it. Big guy, second generation talent, and outworked everyone. Seems like every generation has one of these mercurial talents that never truly get over. For the current generation: Randy Orton. Think about it. Sixth sense, third generation star, bigger guy, and incredibly athletic and mobile.
joenicedj Orton has been over since the beginning and a motivated Orton is a beast and the legend killer gimmick is still one of the best gimmicks of all time
@@shanepleasants6280 Orton's talent should have him way over. I'm talking 2000 Rock and Stone Cold over. I'm talking 1988 Rock and Roll Express over. I'm talking 1985 Dusty Rhodes over.
Barry and Rotunda came together in Mid-Atlantic in '84 for maybe 3 weeks, a month at most, and jumped to WWF. Saw them on TV a couple times. Big hype for the 2 of them and suddenly vanished. Magnum came in shortly afterwards in the fall.
The reason BW came back to Charlotte after the Magnum accident was because Magnum asked Dusty to take him back. In shoot interviews with both BW & Maggie they both said Dusty was reluctant but he did it for Magnum.
I get sooooo tired of fans today referring to anything other than the World Title as “midcard titles” aka hapless, BS titles that didn’t mean anything. In the 70s and 80s, being US Heavyweight Champion (which Barry was) or World TV Champion (which Barry was in ‘92), actually meant something. The titles had prestige and value, so you weren’t deemed as “not having succeeded” if you didn’t win the World Title. That whole “it’s World Title or bust” mentality is what Vince and the WWF/E circus cultivated during the Attitude Era....and every era since the Attitude Era
Dusty had big plans for Barry in 1984. He wanted to put the US title on him from wahoo McDaniels. I agree with Jim. Dusty never forgave Barry for leaving.
Yeah, it would have been interesting to see where that gimmick would go. If he could have stayed away from Hogan until his sabbatical in 1990 he would have made a great heel challenger to Warrior.
Worldwide had just been syndicated in my town when the Flair/Wyndham match happened. Me and my friends literally stopped being WWF fans and became NWA fans over a weekend.
I found it amusing that they never denied the Stalker was Windam, I remember even Austin on commentary wondered why he wore that camouflage makeup when everyone knew it was him.
Dude won a bunch of Championships and had hundreds of great matches. Nobody was getting the belts of Hogan and Flair back then anyway. He had a terrific run.
Mike Bowermaster he was a tag team champion granted. But tried to come back as the widow maker but didn’t spend much time there. His talent was too good but wwe didn’t seem to think so.
He wasn't in his prime anymore, and by then nobody wanted to do anything with him. In the early eighties, he was supposed to win the NWA title, but Flair decided against it. Other people than Hulk Hogan have done that?! Yes, lots of times it has happened.
Barry Windham was a former 1 time World Champion though. He defeated The Great Muta for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at SuperBrawl 3 in 1993.
One of my favorite matches was with Windham, and they did something I was always surprised they never did again. He had a match with Luger, and he was the heel. He would rake the back, or the yes, and pound on Luger, and whenever Lex would start to hulk up, Barry would back off, cool him off. I was impressed that Lex would act confused by it. So clever, great psychology.
I remember a feud in the early 90s Barry had with Steamboat. Barry cut a promo and looked drunk to me. He then proceeded to call him, in a confused tone of voice, "Ricky the Steamboat Dragon... (odd pause, confused face)..... uh, Dragon"
Barry had a 10 year run where he was as good in the ring as anyone. He had a great career overall and seems pretty comfortable in his own skin with no regrets. One of my favorites.
I think one of my all time favorite matches was a very young Windham vs Harley Race. That was like a hardcore match. They were fighting in the crowd, I think Harley got slammed through a real table. Very bloody lol
Cornie said it..."Ballet" ! Barry did not deliver many "bumps" that I thought were convincing. Some of that "issue" belongs with the "mark" overselling :)
I've seen a lot of podcasts; including one with Windham where he talked about being a huge partier. He liked the ladies and a good time and wrestling was a way to get it. I think he was a natural but he just wasn't as obsessed about it like other wrestlers were and he had a good time. he could have been greater, but he got a good living, and lots of fun and that was his goal
It is fascinating how many big money spots that Windham missed out on. He was supposed to headline in the NWA & WWF (Hogan vs Widowmaker) and he walks out both times.
Loved him as the lead babyface in Florida. The match with Flair at the Battle of the Belts, to me, was the last great remembrance of BW. When he went to Crockett and ended any major hopes for greatness by joining the Horsepukes, I knew he'd never reach the heights he truly could and should have.
Can't disagree with any of the reasons stated in the interview. Windham was also one of those guys whose body broke down as he should've (theoretically) been entering his prime. By 91-93, he was only in his early 30s, but it felt (and often looked) like he was 6 or 7 years older.
Barry was scheduled to take on Wahoo McDaniel for the US belt at Starrcade 84 and he was going to get that belt and he was going to get a program with Flair. Also, Corny kinda confirmed what I said about what would have happened had he not gone to the WWF. Magnum probably would have not come into Crockett in late 84/early 85 and Barry would have been the guy to take on the likes of Nikita and Tully as US champion.
Interesting Jim says Vince would never put him in the Hogan OR Bret role. He is right, Barry wasnt chiseled like Hogan, but he could work like Bret and was a bigger physical speciman than Bret.
It was weird how the WWF rarely, if ever, acknowledged a wrestlers past. When he debuted in 89 as the Widowmaker I thought he was a new guy because they didn't acknowledge his prior stint. I didn't find out until renting old Coliseum video tapes.
davidmreyes77 Very Weird. I HATE Vince and his stupid shit. Like making Steve Keirn into that stupid ass Skinner shit and countless other stars switched to new retarded characters. Fuck Vince.
McMahon marketed to kids.... who wouldn't care even if McMahon acknowledged a wrestler's past. Kids are notorious for having 3 second memories. Plus, Vince makes more money by recreating a wrestler, for marketing purposes. Very easy to brainwash kids, and Vince knows it.
oldschoolfan420 yep. That's why Steamboat came back in 91 as a fire breathing dragon whose previous history was acknowledged on a b-show just once by Lord Alfred Hayes or Monsoon.
wwe has ALWAYS done this. In fact when Cornette worked with WWE Vince McMahon admitted he didnt' even watch other wrestling companies. Many times WWE would completely change a guys gimmick to something bizarre and stupid. Vince McMahon didnt' think much of John Cena OR Steve Austin. Jake Roberts tells the story of talking to McMahon and telling him to just let him be who he is and McMahon listened and Austin did the rest. WWE does not produce great wrestlers. They steal them from other territories when they realize they are popular.
Can anyone reading this reply with a link to where I can purchase that version of the U.S. title? I've searched on Amazon and they don't have it. They only have the WWE version, which makes me want to vomit.
I recall an shoot interview with Barry Windham years after the fact where he seemed to feel he got kind of screwed in the whole deal when Ric Flair walked out of WCW and took the belt with him to WWF. He felt as if thar didn't happen he would have been world champion there.
on a wcw show one time Ric Flair said that Barry Windham was the best wrestler in the world. I remembered thinking to myself, "well i am not alone" cos I held that view during that same time period.
This Guy is the reason why I as a 50 year Pro Wrestling (and Sports Entertainment) fan call myself B.W. If I haven't said that on here already!😂😏 Barry Windham in his Professional prime was part Gazelle, part Rhinoceros, and part Lamborghini. The Pro Wrestling version of another Football Texan named Earl Campbell in that you almost couldn't believe the footage you were watching and how simultaneously smooth and powerful this guy really was. Won The World Championship of his preferred Company way too late in his career to make a real and ginormously deserved splash. And again I sign off on this humbly as: B.W.
Barry got a sugar Momma that ended his work as a wrestler! I don't have to so why would I want to? I know how my Pop looked, RIP Black Jack! Do I want that, if I don't have to? Why would anyone?
I hate to bring him up but Mike Graham said it best when he said Barry just didn't want it. Great talent but flakey. & I as a business man it's about the ability of availability. I would like to get behind someone who has Barry Windham's talent but as unreliable as he could be you can't get behind him.
The CLB: Incredible in and of itself considering that Barry Windham was a Wide Receiver in The Seventies at the fabled West Texas State! And yes my initials are B.W.☺
His successful heel run was with the Horsemen where the group had the charisma. Besides they're talking of him getting the Magnum spot as the top face of Crockett, he would of got over but not red hot like T.A did. Windham is a top 10 for me easily, he was a better worker than Magnum by a good distance,the 90 minute draws with Flair were epic, I just don't think he had the "it factor".
I don't disagree that if he had the passion or drive it might be a different story but as history shows he didn't, Magnum did. I agree the Horsemen with Windham was arguably the best though I did have a soft spot for the original incarnation with Ole. Was never a fan of Luger. But when you are around 4 other guys who ooze charisma(Flair,Anderson,Blanchard,Dillion)there was obvious spillover. We both agree he was a top worker 85-88. His talent and looks got him over just a little oomph on his part and he goes into the stratosphere with Flair,Rhodes,Hogan.
Barry was my idol, a true pro and a gifted performer. If i became a wrestler today, I'd take the most from him,bobby eaton,flair,muta,steamboat,terry funk,harley,dibiase (georgia,mid south) arn anderson, jake (gerogia,mid-south,wccw,florida) roberts.
Sarah, I kinda feel like that Barry was one of the best NWA stars, but never had the passion or desire to be at the top. I have a couple of theories why, but they are theories. One, I feel he was almost burned out before he got started, being a second generation wrestler, and constantly being compared to Blackjack Mulligan. Plus having suck a different style that Blackjack was great for him, but at that time brawlers with limited talent were the craze. Another reason is I think Barry ssaw what money and lifestyle comes along with being a wrestler, and knowing he had the God given talent and genes, he more or less just enjoyed the party life and wrestling was a side project. I remember Barry being pretty wild back in the day.
Oh wow, I remember that NWA invasion angel the WWF did back in 97 I believe. It lasted about a month and every match had heel turn. You could tell it was Vince Russo booking it because he would always have a baby face tag team wrestle a heel tag team, and then one of the baby faces would turn on his partner and join the heel tag team. They would play it like that was their plan from the beginning, but why would the guy turning heel fight his new heel friends in the tag match? It was so stupid. I never understood the psychology in that, because if you're secretly working with the heel tag team you're wrestling, then why would you get in the ring with them and wrestle them like it was a normal tag match? Wouldn't it be better to have the guy who was going to stay a baby face start the match, and then when he goes to make the hot tag for the comeback, his partner doesn't tag him. That way the guy turning isn't fighting with the guys he just supposedly made a deal with in the back to fuck his partner. They broke up The New Age Outlaws the same way when Billy Gunn needed time off for a shoulder injury. They had a normal match, they even did the hot tag and the comeback, then after all that they had Billy turn on The Road Dogg. Ok, fine, but then they'd do a promo where Billy acted like turning on The Road Dogg was the plan from the beginning. It didn’t make any sense! I can see why Vince Russo annoyed Jim. None of his shit made any sense, and when confronted about none of shit making any sense he bkew it off like it didn’t matter.
I don't think Windham would have been a good world title holder as a babyface. However, as a heel, he would have been gold due to how over he got as a babyface; the guy broke hearts when he turned on Luger. If they had turned him babyface while in the Horsemen like Luger, it is the only way he could be a babyface champ...but only against Flair. He would have had a good rivalry with Flair with more juice because he was no longer the hard luck kid overzealously challenging for a title he could not win. Nonetheless, world title run as a babyface would have been extremely limited for him in my opinion.
My guess is that Bill Watts had a lot to do with Windham not being THE champion. Wasn't he the guy who told Ric Flair to dress like a Roman gladiator? Even the World Champion, Ron Simmons, left, and WWF gave him that exact gimmick, ironically. 2 companies trying to out-stupid each other. No wonder business was down. The 70s and into the 80s were a weird time, where people were dealing with total burnout from the hippie movement and they'd moved on from the less harmful drugs like cannabis and psychedelics and on to the really dangerous, hard drugs, steroids and human growth hormones. So you got a lot of what I would call "high people ideas." The problem is, you're supposed to document all those ideas, sober up, discard a lot of it and improve on the okay ideas. Apparently they missed the last part with highly questionable gimmicks like "the stalker," "Farouk," and "Akeem."
The time he shoulda been champ was the Ronnie Garvin title run. Crockett wouldnt have tanked in business during that time. Barry was so low midcard during that 87 run (Western States Champ) & have no doubt he couldve been a great champ
Damn,he was a horseman,USchamp 4time,s I think,WWE tag champ,WCW tag Champion with Henning,And had the big Nwa belt at least once,he beat muta I believe, Blackjack,s were ok,Stalker sucked,he did go back in forth alot but seemed to know the right people in both place,s
Windham and Dustin Rhodes had the best looking boots in the business
punchy logan your damn right they did!!! Magnum T.A sported some to!!! Truly iconic!! Lol
True dat
Better than Rick Steiner? 🙂 great shout punchy logan
Barry’s match against Luger for U.S. title in 89’ was absolutely fire (Chi-town Rumble?)
Being from west palm beach fl we got to see them every mon night from 78 to 83 ..Berry held the belt for fl champion...
Even though they had legal troubles, Blackjack Mulligan & Kendall Windham were always cool with the fans. I met them a few times when I was a kid & Blackjack would say "You're getting big, I haven't saw you since we were in Winter Haven 6months ago" I always thought it was cool that this guy, who must meet a ton of fans, remembered me.
cool beans man I'm from Winter Haven and met Barry,Lex Luger,Tyree Pride, Black Bart and Cowboy Ron Bass at the old Orange Dome. They later painted it to look like a baseball when the Cleveland Indians moved there for spring training. But the painter wasn't a baseball fan I guess because he had the stitches going the same way on both sides LMAO. We were so lucky to have been able to watch the Florida territory, in my opinion was the very best territory. I don't know how old you are but I'm 50 so I remember some of the mid 70's and the 80's. Man we had the best guys come thru the territory The Funks vs the Brisco's Harley Race and we had the best promoter in Eddie Graham. And people can say whatever they want about Mike Graham not drawing a dime and show how ignorant they are because he did when he was Tag Champs with Kevin Sullivan early in his career and us Florida fans loved him. RIP to all the greatest that Wrasseled for us in the Great Sunshine State...Oohhhh I almost forgot to mention that we also had the greatest ever to call a match in the late great Gordon Solie who called it like a sport and was just as instrumental as the boys in making us believe I was real!!!!
Barry Windham was AWESOME! He would have been a great fit in Mid South.
Arn Anderson said that(paraphrasing )the problem with Barry - and if this IS a problem totally depends on your point of view - that as long as he had $2k in his pocket, a badass Corvette and a hot blonde in the passenger seat, Barry was satisfied. His sights weren't set that particularly high, again, completely subjective.
Starcade 85 talk radio
And a full tank of gas.
Whatever makes you happy & your satisfied. It's how I live my life.
If I had 1 of any of those things I'd be happy
I'd b happy w/ those 3 things too. Life is all about being happy.
Had he had that drive to be the best, I think Barry could've been top 5 all-time, the guy was a natural. Everybody is wired differently. Reminds me of Ken Griffey Jr. in many ways.
Barry's Horseman run in '88 was great & could've been longer
My favorite #4 Horseman.
When he was the Widow Maker in 1989 he was the best in ring performer in the world, even in WWF where the “wrestling” wasn’t as precedent. Barry Whindham was the best in the world at one point.
"Returned in 95 with a gimmick that you now have... the stalker." I lost it on that one 😂
Wwf always killed the wcw guys.i know he was in wwf in the 80's but nwa made him
I hate 99% of Vince's gimmicks. I swear that he cares more about selling toys to kids than he cares about actual wrestling.
@Edgehead10075 WTF
@Edgehead10075 I thought u said WWF killed those 2 (I preferred him as Big Bubba Rogers even tho Bossman ruled). I was trying to wrap my head around how you came to that conclusion lol.
@Edgehead10075 how did wcw kill anyone
When Barry was the Widow-maker WWF in 89. He looked GREAT best shape ever.
I swear he was hitting the weights little. Then he was gone again……..too bad.
He was just so well rounded. He was big and tall but not too big where he couldn’t move or sell for smaller guys. Fluid movement, good psychology, promos, and while I heard he didn’t work out, he looked better than the average guy. He was an incredible talent
There was a spot in time in his younger days where his body was perfect. Right before he looked a bit too thin like a teenager that had an unexpected growth spurt.
Technically Barry was the NWA world heavyweight champion. True he did hold that championship at the same time there was a WCW world heavyweight champion but he was the NWA champion in 1993
Brian Rose I have SIX Barry Windham dream matches: (1) Barry Windham vs. Magnum T.A., (2) Barry Windham vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart, (3) Barry Windham vs. Ted Dibiase, (4) Barry Windham vs. Kevin Von Erich, (5) Barry Windham vs. "Gentleman" Chris Adams, and (6) Barry Windham vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
@@Mr.Majestic77 no barry windham vs. "mr perfect" curt hennig?
But the position of NWA world champion was completely different in 1993 than it was in the mid 80s. They couldn't rely on Barry to stay motivated week in week out going around the world with the belt. He was notorious for disappearing to go on vacation. The pressure and responsibilities of being NWA champion in the mid 80s meant that Barry, probably the most naturally talented worker of all time was not cut out for such a role.
@@SugarRayTaylor I get what you’re saying the NWA title stop being the main title for WCW in 1991 however if you go back to 1992 and 1993 they did treat the NWA world heavyweight title and the NWA world tagteam titles as a big deal. When Ric Flair Came back to the company they sure made that title seem like a big deal after Flair beat Barry for it.
Except there wasn't the nwa championship in 93. Just the big gold belt but that's it
Barry did win the NWA world title in 1993 super brawl against The Great Muta, but at that time NWA world title wasn't as prestigious as the WCW world title.
Hands down, the most fluid Superplex you will ever see.
Barry married a hot rich girl and made decent money, in his time as a wrestler. Who gives a shit whether he held a world title or not. David Arquette held the belt. Barry is still alive, in good health and not broke. Which is more than I can say for most wrestlers, even the females. The belt is for marks.
I agree with everything but your last line. Belts are for marks NOW. Back when they were booked to mean something, well, they MEANT SOMETHING.
Yea, there was a time when the belt meant something. I just think people put too much emphasis on having a world title. I read terry funk's book and the world title cost his marriage to breakup, he was depressed for being on the road constantly, and his paycheck was not that much higher than before. He got back with his wife, with the condition that he wasn't going to champ, anymore. Funk didn't even want his 2nd title reign, he was forced into it. That was why flair held onto the title for so long...... he loved being on the road and his addictions never got the best of him. Imo, Barry wasn't a mid carder or underachiever ..... he held some major titles, albeit not the world belt.
oldschoolfan420
Not broke but had a bad stroke.
oldschoolfan He is not in good health
If your great in the ring you dont need a title js
I have SIX Barry Windham dream matches:
(1) Barry Windham vs. Magnum T.A.,
(2) Barry Windham vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart,
(3) Barry Windham vs. Ted Dibiase,
(4) Barry Windham vs. Kevin Von Erich,
(5) Barry Windham vs. "Gentleman" Chris Adams
and (6) Barry Windham vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
Barry didn’t love wrestling. He just happened to be really good at it. I think he had a great career and he married really well. Loved him in the 4 Horsemen he was a perfect fit . His heel turn was really well done.
One of the best wrestlers in the business. I love his matches with Flair and Dusty.
Most graceful wrestler, ever. Ever.
Together with Savage and Muta.
Maaan, Muta/Mutoh... You're right - never seen anything like him. Motherfucker is smooth.
thanks for answering my question.
When I was a kid, Barry Windham was the guy who seemed like he could kick anybody's ass. He was so big, so athletic, and made everything look so good.
That's not to say that he WAS legit, just that to a 10 year old kid who hadn't been smartened up... he seemed totally legit.
Not a great talker, but what he did well he did phenomenally well.
uh, I was there when Barry beat Muta for the NWA World Title ... and so was Corny... SuperBrawl III
Vince made him the WidowMaker... and the Stalker. He never would have seen a natural looking guy that could simply work in the ring as a main event draw.
The US Express could have been to the WWF what the Rock and Roll Express was to the NWA.
He still had a pretty good career even without winning a world title.
He won nwa world title from muta
Barry had that sixth sense and knew it. Big guy, second generation talent, and outworked everyone.
Seems like every generation has one of these mercurial talents that never truly get over. For the current generation: Randy Orton. Think about it. Sixth sense, third generation star, bigger guy, and incredibly athletic and mobile.
joenicedj Orton has been over since the beginning and a motivated Orton is a beast and the legend killer gimmick is still one of the best gimmicks of all time
@@shanepleasants6280 Orton's talent should have him way over. I'm talking 2000 Rock and Stone Cold over. I'm talking 1988 Rock and Roll Express over. I'm talking 1985 Dusty Rhodes over.
Barry and Rotunda came together in Mid-Atlantic in '84 for maybe 3 weeks, a month at most, and jumped to WWF. Saw them on TV a couple times. Big hype for the 2 of them and suddenly vanished. Magnum came in shortly afterwards in the fall.
Barry Windams best Gimmick is The Widowmaker
Totally forgot about Season's Beatings
The reason BW came back to Charlotte after the Magnum accident was because Magnum asked Dusty to take him back. In shoot interviews with both BW & Maggie they both said Dusty was reluctant but he did it for Magnum.
I get sooooo tired of fans today referring to anything other than the World Title as “midcard titles” aka hapless, BS titles that didn’t mean anything. In the 70s and 80s, being US Heavyweight Champion (which Barry was) or World TV Champion (which Barry was in ‘92), actually meant something. The titles had prestige and value, so you weren’t deemed as “not having succeeded” if you didn’t win the World Title. That whole “it’s World Title or bust” mentality is what Vince and the WWF/E circus cultivated during the Attitude Era....and every era since the Attitude Era
Barry and Dustin Rhodes are probably the two most naturally talented workers of all time. Everything came so easy.
Dustin did not have it easy the first 4-5 years of his career. But once he bloomed, there was no one better.
Dusty had big plans for Barry in 1984. He wanted to put the US title on him from wahoo McDaniels. I agree with Jim. Dusty never forgave Barry for leaving.
Windham was awesome when he debuted as the Widowmaker! He looked huge, in good shape, and fkn looked he was pulverizing people.
I agree he was the best at that point.
Yeah, it would have been interesting to see where that gimmick would go. If he could have stayed away from Hogan until his sabbatical in 1990 he would have made a great heel challenger to Warrior.
Worldwide had just been syndicated in my town when the Flair/Wyndham match happened. Me and my friends literally stopped being WWF fans and became NWA fans over a weekend.
I found it amusing that they never denied the Stalker was Windam, I remember even Austin on commentary wondered why he wore that camouflage makeup when everyone knew it was him.
They even pointed out that he wore a pair of his fathers boots (Blackjack Mulligan).
Dude won a bunch of Championships and had hundreds of great matches. Nobody was getting the belts of Hogan and Flair back then anyway. He had a terrific run.
He was so underrated. He was so smooth agile coordinated strong quick for so his size at 6ft7 235
Barry was a very talented second generation wrestler. Should of just stayed in the NWA.
Why? He became a huge star in the WWF.
Mike Bowermaster he was a tag team champion granted. But tried to come back as the widow maker but didn’t spend much time there. His talent was too good but wwe didn’t seem to think so.
He wasn't in his prime anymore, and by then nobody wanted to do anything with him. In the early eighties, he was supposed to win the NWA title, but Flair decided against it. Other people than Hulk Hogan have done that?! Yes, lots of times it has happened.
@@mikebowermaster4250 he became tag team champ.....YAWN
@@mikebowermaster4250 uhh no
Barry Windham was a former 1 time World Champion though. He defeated The Great Muta for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at SuperBrawl 3 in 1993.
Barry Windham was a technical beast in the ring! And was the size of a monster!
enzyme 2000 if he'd got on the juice he would have been an absolute monster
He was also pretty agile for a big guy.
He did get on the juice in '89 as "The Widow Maker"" in the WWF.
@@robertmoore8821 I KNEW IT!.........wish he stayed on it.
Barry Windham in my opinion is the best Texas wrestler ever
That worldwide match rivals Steamboat/Savage and Bockwinkel/Hennig IMO.
One of my favorite matches was with Windham, and they did something I was always surprised they never did again. He had a match with Luger, and he was the heel. He would rake the back, or the yes, and pound on Luger, and whenever Lex would start to hulk up, Barry would back off, cool him off. I was impressed that Lex would act confused by it. So clever, great psychology.
I remember a feud in the early 90s Barry had with Steamboat. Barry cut a promo and looked drunk to me. He then proceeded to call him, in a confused tone of voice, "Ricky the Steamboat Dragon... (odd pause, confused face)..... uh, Dragon"
Barry had a 10 year run where he was as good in the ring as anyone. He had a great career overall and seems pretty comfortable in his own skin with no regrets. One of my favorites.
I think one of my all time favorite matches was a very young Windham vs Harley Race. That was like a hardcore match. They were fighting in the crowd, I think Harley got slammed through a real table. Very bloody lol
I always enjoyed his run with Dustin Rhodes, either teamed up or feuding.
Andrew Dawson here...thanks for answering my question :)
My Idol, one of the main guys that made me want to be a wrestler...
Did you do it?
It's never too late Jerry
@@dannybloom I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. He made me want to become a wrestler and then I did become one for 20 years. :-)
@@josephmatthews7698 Yes. :-)
@@jerryreiner1650 fair play sir, hope you enjoyed yourself. Any videos online?
Barry ,Von Erich brothers , TA, n Rude all in Crockett together would have been nice .
Throw Ted DiBiase in that mix with all the guys chasing Ric Flair and Harley Race for The NWA gold. Amazing work by all involved!🤔B.W.
Cornie said it..."Ballet" ! Barry did not deliver many "bumps" that I thought were convincing. Some of that "issue" belongs with the "mark" overselling :)
I liked his "implant" ddt/suplex, later copied by gangrel. One of the sickest finishers ever.
I've seen a lot of podcasts; including one with Windham where he talked about being a huge partier. He liked the ladies and a good time and wrestling was a way to get it. I think he was a natural but he just wasn't as obsessed about it like other wrestlers were and he had a good time. he could have been greater, but he got a good living, and lots of fun and that was his goal
Nice stuff!
Yes, you are....
Amanda McQuain the women loved him
Watched him in Florida Championship wrestling in 80s. Great wrestler.
It is fascinating how many big money spots that Windham missed out on. He was supposed to headline in the NWA & WWF (Hogan vs Widowmaker) and he walks out both times.
Loved him as the lead babyface in Florida. The match with Flair at the Battle of the Belts, to me, was the last great remembrance of BW. When he went to Crockett and ended any major hopes for greatness by joining the Horsepukes, I knew he'd never reach the heights he truly could and should have.
Can't disagree with any of the reasons stated in the interview. Windham was also one of those guys whose body broke down as he should've (theoretically) been entering his prime. By 91-93, he was only in his early 30s, but it felt (and often looked) like he was 6 or 7 years older.
Barry was scheduled to take on Wahoo McDaniel for the US belt at Starrcade 84 and he was going to get that belt and he was going to get a program with Flair. Also, Corny kinda confirmed what I said about what would have happened had he not gone to the WWF. Magnum probably would have not come into Crockett in late 84/early 85 and Barry would have been the guy to take on the likes of Nikita and Tully as US champion.
Ron Bass grinding Wyndham’s face into the ground. Awesome Florida CCW moment.
Interesting Jim says Vince would never put him in the Hogan OR Bret role. He is right, Barry wasnt chiseled like Hogan, but he could work like Bret and was a bigger physical speciman than Bret.
But not nearly as reliable or in the physical condition at the time that Bret was.
Arn said he just didn't want it.. Just wanted cash in his pocket and a hot chick on his arm
Greedy D
And keys to be Porsche.
Leon Tan And 1,000 miles away from the Yamazaki Corp.
It was weird how the WWF rarely, if ever, acknowledged a wrestlers past. When he debuted in 89 as the Widowmaker I thought he was a new guy because they didn't acknowledge his prior stint. I didn't find out until renting old Coliseum video tapes.
davidmreyes77 Very Weird. I HATE Vince and his stupid shit. Like making Steve Keirn into that stupid ass Skinner shit and countless other stars switched to new retarded characters. Fuck Vince.
McMahon marketed to kids.... who wouldn't care even if McMahon acknowledged a wrestler's past. Kids are notorious for having 3 second memories. Plus, Vince makes more money by recreating a wrestler, for marketing purposes. Very easy to brainwash kids, and Vince knows it.
oldschoolfan420 yep. That's why Steamboat came back in 91 as a fire breathing dragon whose previous history was acknowledged on a b-show just once by Lord Alfred Hayes or Monsoon.
wwe has ALWAYS done this. In fact when Cornette worked with WWE Vince McMahon admitted he didnt' even watch other wrestling companies. Many times WWE would completely change a guys gimmick to something bizarre and stupid. Vince McMahon didnt' think much of John Cena OR Steve Austin. Jake Roberts tells the story of talking to McMahon and telling him to just let him be who he is and McMahon listened and Austin did the rest. WWE does not produce great wrestlers. They steal them from other territories when they realize they are popular.
Except Barry Windham did have the World title and even when he didn’t he was a main eventer
Crazy to think he’s Bray Wyatt’s uncle
Can anyone reading this reply with a link to where I can purchase that version of the U.S. title? I've searched on Amazon and they don't have it. They only have the WWE version, which makes me want to vomit.
What about Kendall Windham?
Never heard of him again after 1989...?
then you didnt pay attention
He’s an preacher now
See Mike von Erich without the illness....
I remember Barry returning to Florida in 1986 because he was pitted against Lex Luger
Him and bradshaw shined the shit out of a clothesline in their day
It's very hard to get ahead in this business if you're father is Black Jack Mulligan!🤔
Barry had the best arm drag take down in wrestling history, nobody could do it like he did, it was always a beautiful thing to watch.
Steamboat had a better one
I recall an shoot interview with Barry Windham years after the fact where he seemed to feel he got kind of screwed in the whole deal when Ric Flair walked out of WCW and took the belt with him to WWF. He felt as if thar didn't happen he would have been world champion there.
One of the best tag teams of the 80s was Barry and Mike Ratundo
on a wcw show one time Ric Flair said that Barry Windham was the best wrestler in the world. I remembered thinking to myself, "well i am not alone" cos I held that view during that same time period.
Barry Windham was my favorite from 87 88 89
I think they should of made Barry the inercial tile
Liked his tag team with ron garvin when they were us tag champs.liked widowmaker gimmick in wwf but went nowhere
Greatest Leap frog in the business
Barry is the only one to hold every championship in Crockett. Even tho he didn’t the nwa world title till 93.
This Guy is the reason why I as a 50 year Pro Wrestling (and Sports Entertainment) fan call myself B.W. If I haven't said that on here already!😂😏 Barry Windham in his Professional prime was part Gazelle, part Rhinoceros, and part Lamborghini. The Pro Wrestling version of another Football Texan named Earl Campbell in that you almost couldn't believe the footage you were watching and how simultaneously smooth and powerful this guy really was. Won The World Championship of his preferred Company way too late in his career to make a real and ginormously deserved splash. And again I sign off on this humbly as: B.W.
You're 50 and use emojis?
Barry got a sugar Momma that ended his work as a wrestler! I don't have to so why would I want to? I know how my Pop looked, RIP Black Jack! Do I want that, if I don't have to? Why would anyone?
I hate to bring him up but Mike Graham said it best when he said Barry just didn't want it. Great talent but flakey. & I as a business man it's about the ability of availability. I would like to get behind someone who has Barry Windham's talent but as unreliable as he could be you can't get behind him.
GRAHAM WAS JR HEAVYWEIGHT
I am convinced that, if he'd had the drive, Barry could have been a hall of fame Left Tackle...
The CLB: Incredible in and of itself considering that Barry Windham was a Wide Receiver in The Seventies at the fabled West Texas State! And yes my initials are B.W.☺
Don't forget about their matches in florida in 83-84.
As much as I liked Windham in the 80s, he didn't have the charisma of Magnum.
His successful heel run was with the Horsemen where the group had the charisma. Besides they're talking of him getting the Magnum spot as the top face of Crockett, he would of got over but not red hot like T.A did. Windham is a top 10 for me easily, he was a better worker than Magnum by a good distance,the 90 minute draws with Flair were epic, I just don't think he had the "it factor".
I don't disagree that if he had the passion or drive it might be a different story but as history shows he didn't, Magnum did. I agree the Horsemen with Windham was arguably the best though I did have a soft spot for the original incarnation with Ole. Was never a fan of Luger. But when you are around 4 other guys who ooze charisma(Flair,Anderson,Blanchard,Dillion)there was obvious spillover.
We both agree he was a top worker 85-88. His talent and looks got him over just a little oomph on his part and he goes into the stratosphere with Flair,Rhodes,Hogan.
Sarah Smith He had more charisma as a heel than face.
Barry was my idol, a true pro and a gifted performer. If i became a wrestler today, I'd take the most from him,bobby eaton,flair,muta,steamboat,terry funk,harley,dibiase (georgia,mid south) arn anderson, jake (gerogia,mid-south,wccw,florida) roberts.
Sarah, I kinda feel like that Barry was one of the best NWA stars, but never had the passion or desire to be at the top. I have a couple of theories why, but they are theories. One, I feel he was almost burned out before he got started, being a second generation wrestler, and constantly being compared to Blackjack Mulligan. Plus having suck a different style that Blackjack was great for him, but at that time brawlers with limited talent were the craze. Another reason is I think Barry ssaw what money and lifestyle comes along with being a wrestler, and knowing he had the God given talent and genes, he more or less just enjoyed the party life and wrestling was a side project. I remember Barry being pretty wild back in the day.
Oh wow, I remember that NWA invasion angel the WWF did back in 97 I believe. It lasted about a month and every match had heel turn.
You could tell it was Vince Russo booking it because he would always have a baby face tag team wrestle a heel tag team, and then one of the baby faces would turn on his partner and join the heel tag team. They would play it like that was their plan from the beginning, but why would the guy turning heel fight his new heel friends in the tag match? It was so stupid.
I never understood the psychology in that, because if you're secretly working with the heel tag team you're wrestling, then why would you get in the ring with them and wrestle them like it was a normal tag match? Wouldn't it be better to have the guy who was going to stay a baby face start the match, and then when he goes to make the hot tag for the comeback, his partner doesn't tag him. That way the guy turning isn't fighting with the guys he just supposedly made a deal with in the back to fuck his partner.
They broke up The New Age Outlaws the same way when Billy Gunn needed time off for a shoulder injury. They had a normal match, they even did the hot tag and the comeback, then after all that they had Billy turn on The Road Dogg. Ok, fine, but then they'd do a promo where Billy acted like turning on The Road Dogg was the plan from the beginning. It didn’t make any sense!
I can see why Vince Russo annoyed Jim. None of his shit made any sense, and when confronted about none of shit making any sense he bkew it off like it didn’t matter.
I don't think Windham would have been a good world title holder as a babyface. However, as a heel, he would have been gold due to how over he got as a babyface; the guy broke hearts when he turned on Luger. If they had turned him babyface while in the Horsemen like Luger, it is the only way he could be a babyface champ...but only against Flair. He would have had a good rivalry with Flair with more juice because he was no longer the hard luck kid overzealously challenging for a title he could not win. Nonetheless, world title run as a babyface would have been extremely limited for him in my opinion.
i thought he did win the world title at one point though briefly
He did. In 1993 he beat The Great Muta at Superbrawl 3 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
windham was my fav
Would love to have seen Barry in his prime vs Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles
Size visual is hard to overcome
My guess is that Bill Watts had a lot to do with Windham not being THE champion. Wasn't he the guy who told Ric Flair to dress like a Roman gladiator? Even the World Champion, Ron Simmons, left, and WWF gave him that exact gimmick, ironically. 2 companies trying to out-stupid each other. No wonder business was down. The 70s and into the 80s were a weird time, where people were dealing with total burnout from the hippie movement and they'd moved on from the less harmful drugs like cannabis and psychedelics and on to the really dangerous, hard drugs, steroids and human growth hormones. So you got a lot of what I would call "high people ideas." The problem is, you're supposed to document all those ideas, sober up, discard a lot of it and improve on the okay ideas. Apparently they missed the last part with highly questionable gimmicks like "the stalker," "Farouk," and "Akeem."
The time he shoulda been champ was the Ronnie Garvin title run. Crockett wouldnt have tanked in business during that time. Barry was so low midcard during that 87 run (Western States Champ) & have no doubt he couldve been a great champ
He was nwa world champion for wcw won it at super brawl 3 1993
Damn,he was a horseman,USchamp 4time,s I think,WWE tag champ,WCW tag Champion with Henning,And had the big Nwa belt at least once,he beat muta I believe, Blackjack,s were ok,Stalker sucked,he did go back in forth alot but seemed to know the right people in both place,s
do they sell t-shirts with the cornette/wendy's logo???????????????
He was a perfect in the 4 Horsemen
Great transition wrestler but lacked charisma bad imo
He did once win the world title then lost it to rude...
Wrong! Flair beat Barry tgen rude beat flair at fall brawl 93.
Funfact: Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo top 10 tag team all time
agree.