1. Early Life and Family
Barry Windham was born Barry Clinton Windham on July 4, 1960, in Sweetwater, Texas. He hails from a distinguished professional wrestling family. His father was the renowned wrestler Blackjack Mulligan (Robert Lee Windham). Barry's younger brother, Kendall Windham, also became a professional wrestler. Their family ties extend further into the wrestling world; Mike Rotunda is his brother-in-law, and his nephews are the current WWE wrestlers Bray Wyatt (Windham Lawrence Rotunda) and Bo Dallas (Taylor Michael Rotunda). His paternal uncle was Dick Murdoch.
2. Professional Wrestling Career
Barry Windham's professional wrestling career began in the late 1970s and saw him compete in various major promotions, accumulating multiple championships and participating in significant storylines.
2.1. Early Years (1979-1984)
Windham was trained by his father, Blackjack Mulligan, and the legendary world champion Harley Race. He made his professional wrestling debut on November 11, 1979, in Deming, New Mexico, a territory of NWA Western States Sports, against Gypsy Joe. Just a few months later, in February 1980, he joined Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF), a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) promoted by Eddie Graham. With his blonde hair, tall stature, and "sweet face," he quickly became a popular babyface. He wrestled against notable opponents like Butcher Brannigan, Gordon Nelson, Bugsy McGraw, Super Destroyer, and Dick Slater. On July 26, he defeated Masa Saito to win the NWA Florida Television Championship.
Windham continued to be a prominent figure in CWF, often tagging with Dusty Rhodes and his father, Mulligan. In singles competition, he captured the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship from Dory Funk Jr. on January 12, 1981, and the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship from Greg Valentine on December 18, 1982. During the early 1980s, he was considered a strong candidate for the next NWA World Heavyweight Champion, alongside other rising stars such as Ricky Steamboat, Paul Orndorff, Kerry Von Erich, and Butch Reed.
In November 1983, Windham made his first tour of Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling, participating in the World's Strongest Tag Determination League with Ron Fuller as "The 2-Meter Combination." Although they did not achieve many victories, the audience showed strong support for him, reminiscent of the reception for Ricky Steamboat's debut in Japan. In 1984, he formed a tag team with his brother-in-law, Mike Rotunda, in Florida. This duo captured the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship three times between March and May 1984.
2.2. World Wrestling Federation (1984-1985)
In October 1984, Windham and Rotunda signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). They debuted as babyfaces on the November 17, 1984, episode of Maple Leaf Wrestling, defeating Mohammed Saad and Bobby Bass. Their tag team was named "The U.S. Express". They quickly impacted the WWF's tag team division, defeating the North South Connection (Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis) for their first WWF Tag Team Championship on January 21, 1985, at a house show in Hartford, Connecticut.
At the first-ever WrestleMania, The U.S. Express lost their titles to The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. However, on the July 13 edition of Championship Wrestling, they regained the titles from Sheik and Volkoff for their second and final WWF Tag Team Championship reign. They lost the titles to Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) in Philadelphia on August 24, 1985, after which Windham departed from the WWF in October of that year.
2.3. Return to NWA Territories (1986-1988)
After his departure from the WWF, Windham returned to the NWA's Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) territory as a babyface in January 1986, again teaming with Rotunda for a brief period in All Japan Pro Wrestling. In CWF, he notably main-evented Battle of the Belts II against Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and feuded with Ron Bass over the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship. Windham and Rotunda also wrestled at the American Wrestling Association's (AWA) WrestleRock 86 show, where they defeated The Fabulous Ones.
In the fall of 1986, Windham moved to NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) territory as a babyface. Here, he engaged in many memorable matches with Ric Flair, with several bouts lasting up to 60 minutes or even longer. Flair recognized Windham as one of the few wrestlers who could match his technical skill and stated that wrestling Windham for a full 60 minutes was never difficult. Windham then transitioned back to the tag team division, forming a successful partnership with Ron Garvin. On December 9, 1986, Windham and Garvin defeated Ivan Koloff and Khrusher Khruschev for the NWA United States Tag Team Championship. Their most significant feud as a team was against The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane), managed by Jim Cornette. The Midnight Express were never able to defeat Windham and Garvin for the titles directly. Windham and Garvin eventually lost these titles to Ivan Koloff and Dick Murdoch in the spring of 1987.
Windham also formed an alliance with Lex Luger, who later turned on Windham due to aspirations of joining The Four Horsemen. Instead of entering the Jim Crockett Memorial Tag Team Tournament (Crockett Cup) as a team, Windham and Garvin were split up. Windham was then booked to face Ric Flair for the NWA World Championship, in another classic match where Flair defeated Windham with a controversial pinfall after more than 25 minutes.
Windham spent the rest of 1987 in mid-card status. On June 20, 1987, he defeated Black Bart in a tournament final to win the short-lived NWA Western States Heritage Championship, becoming its first champion. He defended the title against opponents like Rick Steiner and Big Bubba Rogers. The title was also recognized by Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), where Windham began climbing the ranks. At JCP's first pay-per-view (PPV), Starrcade 1987: Chi-Town Heat, he lost to UWF Heavyweight Champion "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. In 1988, Windham began to rise in the JCP ranks again, though he dropped the Western States Heritage Title to Larry Zbyszko at Bunkhouse Stampede.
2.4. The Four Horsemen (1988-1989)
In early 1988, Windham reunited with Lex Luger, forming a tag team called "The Twin Towers." On March 27, 1988, at Clash of the Champions I, they won the NWA World Tag Team Championship from the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard). A few weeks later, on April 20, in Jacksonville, Florida, a shocking swerve occurred: Windham betrayed Luger, causing them to lose the titles back to Blanchard and Anderson. This turn saw Windham become a heel and join Ric Flair's infamous stable, The Four Horsemen, which included Anderson and Blanchard. His heel turn was considered one of the most shocking in professional wrestling at the time.
As a member of The Four Horsemen, Windham began using a black glove and adopted the clawhold as his finisher, a signature move of his father, Blackjack Mulligan. He returned to singles competition and defeated Nikita Koloff in a tournament final to win the vacant NWA United States Heavyweight Championship after then-champion Dusty Rhodes was suspended. Windham was a dominant NWA US Champion, holding the title for nine months. He successfully defended the title against competitors such as Brad Armstrong, Dusty Rhodes, Sting, and Bam Bam Bigelow before losing it to Lex Luger at Chi-Town Rumble in February 1989. His contract with JCP (which had transitioned into WCW) expired in March 1989.
2.5. Second World Wrestling Federation Run (1989)
Windham briefly returned to the WWF in June 1989, adopting the nickname "The Widowmaker." Despite the menacing name, his appearance remained largely unchanged, as he continued to portray a heel cowboy character. He maintained an undefeated streak for four months and was initially scheduled to be part of Randy Savage's team at Survivor Series. However, he was replaced by Earthquake when Windham left the company in October 1989 due to his family's involvement in a counterfeiting scandal. During this short stint, he secured victories over opponents such as Paul Roma, Sam Houston, Red Rooster, and Koko B. Ware, and also competed against Tito Santana, though he did not get involved in the main event picture.
2.6. World Championship Wrestling (1990-1994)
Windham returned to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1990 for a second major run, where he experienced various championship reigns and feuds, including a return to The Four Horsemen and a run as NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
2.6.1. Rejoining The Four Horsemen
On May 5, 1990, Windham made a surprise return to WCW, interfering in a match between then-US Champion Lex Luger and World Champion Ric Flair. Following this appearance, he rejoined The Four Horsemen, which at that point consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Sid Vicious, and Ole Anderson. Ole Anderson, semi-active at the time, permanently transitioned into a managerial role once Windham became a full member. Windham's first match back came fifteen days later when he teamed with Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to defeat Rick Steiner and The Road Warriors at a house show in Atlanta, Georgia.
He defeated Doug Furnas on June 13, 1990, at Clash of the Champions XI: Coastal Crush. He spent most of that year participating in tag team matches alongside his fellow Horsemen. At Halloween Havoc 1990, Windham was involved in a controversial angle during the NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Sid Vicious and Sting. Vicious appeared to pin Sting and win the championship, but it was revealed that Windham had been dressed as Sting, having replaced him in the ring. Once the hoax was discovered, the match was restarted, and the real Sting defeated Sid Vicious. For the remainder of the year, Windham teamed with Arn Anderson, continuing their feud with then-NWA World Tag Team Champions, Doom. At Starrcade 1990: Collision Course, Windham and Anderson wrestled Doom to a no contest in a Street Fight.
In 1991, Windham continued to team with Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious. He began a significant feud with Brian Pillman in the spring of 1991, which culminated in a taped fist match at SuperBrawl I: Return of the Rising Sun, a match Windham won.
2.6.2. Championship Reigns and Feuds
As the middle of 1991 approached, controversy arose when WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair was fired by the company, vacating the title. Windham was then elevated to the number two contender spot and faced Lex Luger in a steel cage match to determine the new champion. At The Great American Bash 1991, Windham lost the match to Luger in a double turn: Luger became WCW's top villain due to his cheating tactics and association with heel manager Harley Race, while Windham, despite the loss, became one of the most popular wrestlers. His tenacious effort to win the belt after years as an upper-mid carder resonated with fans, boosting his popularity despite not winning the world championship. It was rumored that Flair had originally intended to drop the title to Windham at a TV taping in Columbus, Georgia, but was fired before the event could take place.
In October 1991, Windham formed a tag team with Dustin Rhodes, known as "The Southern Boys," and feuded with WCW World Tag Team Champions The Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko). At Halloween Havoc 1991: Chamber of Horrors, Anderson and Zbyszko slammed a car door on Windham's hand, breaking it and sidelining him for a period, which forced Ricky Steamboat to step in as Dustin Rhodes' mystery partner at Clash of the Champions XVII that November. Steamboat and Rhodes won the titles. Windham returned a few months later to feud with Anderson, Zbyszko, and the rest of the Dangerous Alliance.
In the spring of 1992, Windham feuded with TV Champion "Stunning" Steve Austin. On the May 9, 1992, edition of Saturday Night, he defeated Austin in a two out of three falls match to win the WCW World Television Championship. He later dropped the title back to Austin on the June 13 edition of WorldWide.
On a taped edition of Saturday Night on September 2, Windham teamed with Dustin Rhodes to defeat Steve Williams and Terry Gordy for the unified WCW World Tag Team Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championship (though their NWA title reign is not recognized by the NWA). This match aired on October 3. They held the belts for approximately two months before losing them to Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas in a memorable match on November 18 at Clash of the Champions XXI. Windham turned heel on Rhodes after the match when Rhodes refused to pin Steamboat after an accidental low blow. At the end of the year, Windham teamed with Brian Pillman, who had also turned heel, to pursue the tag titles, but they lost to Steamboat and Douglas at Starrcade 1992: Battlebowl/The Lethal Lottery II.
2.6.3. NWA World Heavyweight Champion
Windham transitioned to being a full-time singles wrestler in January 1993, focusing on the NWA World Championship held by The Great Muta. He defeated Muta for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship at SuperBrawl III. Ric Flair, who returned to WCW that night, attempted to present Windham with the belt, but Windham, upon seeing it was Flair, took the belt and walked away, establishing himself as the "Lone Wolf." Flair and Anderson attempted to recruit Windham back into The Four Horsemen, but Windham declined and continued his feud with Flair and Anderson. He successfully defended the title against Arn Anderson at Slamboree 1993: A Legend's Reunion.
After another successful title defense against 2 Cold Scorpio at Clash of the Champions XXIII, Windham lost the NWA belt to Flair at Beach Blast. During this period, he sustained a knee injury, leading to his disappearance from wrestling for almost a year. He resurfaced at Slamboree 1994: A Legend's Reunion to challenge Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Leading up to the match, WCW hinted at Hulk Hogan being the masked challenger brought in by Col. Robert Parker's Stud Stable, describing him as a 6 in, 300 lb (300 lb) blonde-haired former World Champion. However, it was revealed to be Barry Windham. Flair won the match again, and Windham reinjured one of his previously surgically repaired knees, causing him to step away from wrestling for over two years. The WWF had originally intended for Windham to return and reform "Money Inc." with his brother-in-law Mike Rotunda (then Irwin R. Schyster), managed by Ted DiBiase as part of his Million Dollar Corporation. This plan, which would have seen them feud with Lex Luger and Tatanka, was ultimately scrapped due to Windham's knee injury, with Tatanka replacing him in the Luger feud.
2.7. Third World Wrestling Federation Run (1996-1998)
Windham returned to the WWF in late 1996, making his first appearance in a vignette on the August 10, 1996, edition of WWF Superstars. His first match back was a dark match on August 19, where he defeated Justin Bradshaw at a Monday Night Raw taping. Windham adopted a new gimmick, "The Stalker," portraying a deranged forest dweller with camouflage face paint. This angle was initially planned for a feud with Marc Mero but was dropped at Mero's request. Although his PPV debut as The Stalker was reportedly scheduled for Mind Games, it did not occur. While In Your House 11: Buried Alive was intended to promote the Stalker gimmick, the announcers publicly acknowledged him as Barry Windham.
The Stalker was introduced as a babyface with little fanfare. For a short time, he rekindled his feud with Dustin Rhodes, who was by then known as Goldust. In Windham's sole pay-per-view appearance with this gimmick, he was eliminated from a Survivor Series match at Survivor Series 1996 by Goldust. His final appearance as "The Stalker" was planned for the pre-show of In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker against Flash Funk, but he was replaced by The Sultan for unknown reasons.
In February 1997, Windham turned heel and formed The New Blackjacks with Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw. Windham dyed his hair and mustache black for this role, as the team served as a tribute to the original Blackjacks, his father Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza. The team had opportunities for the WWF Tag Team Titles but did not succeed. In late 1997, The New Blackjacks participated in All Japan Pro Wrestling's World's Strongest Tag Determination League, marking Windham's third appearance in the tournament, 14 years after his debut. The team disbanded shortly after their return from Japan, in January 1998, when Windham turned on Bradshaw to join Jim Cornette's "NWA faction" in the WWF. He adopted a brown cowboy vest and boots for this new persona. However, this angle was soon scrapped. His last WWF television appearance was a loss to Vader on Monday Night Raw on May 11, 1998, and his final WWF match was a loss to Bradshaw at a house show on May 16, 1998, before he left for WCW again.
2.8. Final World Championship Wrestling Run (1998-1999)
Barry Windham returned to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in late 1998, brought back by Eric Bischoff. Initially, he was loosely associated with Bischoff's nWo Hollywood faction. He then formed a tag team with Curt Hennig. At SuperBrawl IX, Hennig and Windham defeated Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko in the finals of a tag team tournament to win the vacant WCW World Tag Team Championship.
Windham reinjured his knee during this period but returned in mid-1999 as part of "The West Texas Rednecks" stable. This group also included his brother Kendall Windham, Curt Hennig, and Bobby Duncum Jr.. (Duncum was later replaced by Curly Bill due to injury, shortly before the group disbanded). The West Texas Rednecks were conceived as a heel group to feud with rapper Master P's "No Limit Soldiers." However, the southern WCW fanbase unexpectedly cheered the Rednecks, going against WCW management's intentions, and the storyline was eventually dropped. Notably, Curt Hennig's father, Larry Hennig, and Windham's father, Blackjack Mulligan, had teamed together in Japan in 1970, winning the IWA World Tag Team Championship. Also, Bobby Duncum Jr.'s father, Bobby Duncum, and Mulligan feuded in the NWA Mid-Atlantic region in 1980, the year Windham debuted.
On the August 23, 1999, edition of Nitro, the Windham brothers defeated Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) to win their final WCW World Tag Team Championship. They subsequently lost the titles back to Harlem Heat at Fall Brawl 1999. Soon after, both Barry and Kendall Windham were released by WCW.
2.9. Late Career and Retirement (1999-2010)
In late 1999, after leaving WCW, Barry Windham competed for Ted DiBiase's promotion WXO and in World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico, where he won the WWC World Tag Team Championship with his brother Kendall. In 2000, The Windham Brothers also participated in All Japan Pro Wrestling's World's Strongest Tag Determination League, marking Barry's third appearance in the tournament.
By 2000, Windham began competing on the American independent scene in the Florida-based Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. There, he won the TCW Heavyweight Championship twice, holding it for the better part of a year. He also became part of the Xtreme Horsemen stable alongside Steve Corino and C. W. Anderson, feuding with Dusty and Dustin Rhodes.
Windham's later wrestling appearances included Major League Wrestling's War Games, a U.S. Express reunion with Mike Rotunda in a loss to Larry Zbyszko and "The Outlaw" Ron Bass at WrestleReunion I on January 29, 2005. On the "WrestleMania Rewind" episode of WWE Monday Night Raw on March 10, 2008, he appeared with Rotunda to reform the U.S. Express one final time against The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff in a rematch from WrestleMania I, though the match never officially commenced.
From 2006, Windham worked as a producer for WWE, but he was released in 2008. In 2007, he appeared on the Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen DVD and was seen during the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame broadcast. He also provided the introduction for SuperBrawl III on WWE 24/7. Windham wrestled his final match in February 2010 for American Combat Wrestling.
3. Wrestling Style and Signature Moves
Barry Windham was known for his unique wrestling style, which, in contrast to his father Blackjack Mulligan's brawling approach, emphasized technical proficiency and psychological depth. Despite his tall stature and handsome appearance, he was a highly skilled in-ring technician.
His signature moves included:
- Flying Neckbreaker Drop
- Flying Lariat (Jumping Lariat)
- Superplex
- Bulldogging Headlock
- Dropkick
- Diving Knee Drop
- Diving Elbow Drop
- Sleeper Hold
- Brain Claw (Iron Claw)
4. Personal Life and Health
Barry Windham is the maternal uncle of WWE wrestlers Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas.
On October 26, 2011, it was reported that Windham was hospitalized for a serious health event, initially described as a stroke or massive heart attack, and was in an intensive care unit. He was discovered at his ranch by his brother-in-law, Mike Rotunda. His family later confirmed that Windham had suffered a heart attack. His father, Blackjack Mulligan, posted on Facebook, stating he had a "son near death." Windham successfully recovered from this incident.
5. Championships and Accomplishments
Barry Windham held numerous championships and received significant accolades throughout his illustrious professional wrestling career:
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Exciting Award (1983) - with Ron Fuller
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ron Bass
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Mike Graham (1) and Scott McGhee (1)
- NWA Florida Television Championship (3 times)
- NWA North American Tag Team Championship ''(Florida version)'' (1 time) - with Mike Graham
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship ''(Florida version)'' (2 times)
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Florida version)'' (4 times) - with Mike Rotunda
- Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WCW World Television Championship (1 time)
- NWA Western States Heritage Championship (1 time)
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ron Garvin
- NWA World (Mid-Atlantic)/WCW World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Lex Luger (1), Dustin Rhodes (1), Curt Hennig (1), and Kendall Windham (1)
- NWA All-Star Wrestling (North Carolina)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tully Blanchard (This title was won in a small North Carolina NWA affiliated promotion and is not to be confused with the more prominent NWA All-Star Wrestling promotion that operated out of Vancouver, British Columbia from the early '60s to the late '80s.)
- NWA New England
- NWA New England Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Southern Championship Wrestling
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship ''(Tennessee version)'' (2 times)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated''
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1982)
- PWI ranked him #11 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1993
- PWI ranked him #35 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him #48 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Mike Rotunda in 2003
- PWI ranked him #87 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Dustin Rhodes in 2003
- PWI ranked him #90 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Lex Luger in 2003
- Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
- TCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- World Wrestling Council
- WWC World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kendall Windham
- World Wrestling Federation/WWE
- NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Mike Rotunda
- WWE Hall of Fame (2 times)
- Class of 2012 as a member of The Four Horsemen
- Class of 2024 as a member of The U.S. Express
- ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter''
- Rookie of the Year (1980)
- Match of the Year (1986) vs. Ric Flair on February 14
6. Legacy and Hall of Fame Inductions
Barry Windham's legacy in professional wrestling is marked by his unique combination of size, athleticism, and technical skill, which set him apart from many of his contemporaries. His ability to adapt to different characters, from a clean-cut babyface to a cunning heel, and his consistent performance in both singles and tag team competition cemented his status as a versatile and respected performer. He influenced numerous wrestlers with his smooth in-ring style and psychological approach to matches.
Windham has received the prestigious honor of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice. He was first inducted in the Class of 2012 as a member of the iconic stable The Four Horsemen, alongside Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and their manager J. J. Dillon. His second induction came in the Class of 2024 as a member of The U.S. Express, alongside his brother-in-law and tag team partner, Mike Rotunda. The 2024 ceremony took place on April 5, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his nephew, Bo Dallas, served as the inductor for The U.S. Express.