Blackjack Mulligan: From Marine Corps recruit to professional wrestling legend and federal prisoner
In short: Before he became a titan of the ring, Robert Windham served as a Marine in Guam and played professional football. As Blackjack Mulligan, he defined a generation of wrestling, yet his life outside the squared circle was equally dramatic, involving a federal counterfeiting conviction and a late-life spiritual transformation.
Born in 1942, Robert Windham’s path to wrestling fame was unconventional. After a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps and a brief professional football career with the New York Jets, he transitioned to the ring under the guidance of Wahoo McDaniel and Joe Blanchard. Standing 6 foot 9 inches and weighing over 300 pounds, he adopted the persona of Blackjack Mulligan in 1971. With his signature black hat, fingerless glove, and iron claw submission hold, he became a dominant force in the World Wide Wrestling Federation and various NWA territories.
Mulligan’s career was marked by intense rivalries and physical volatility. In a notorious 1971 incident at the Boston Garden, a fan slashed his thigh with a weapon, requiring hundreds of stitches. Even when injured, he remained a draw; he famously faced Bruno Sammartino in a sold-out Madison Square Garden match while in no condition to work, receiving a large payoff for his participation. Later, he formed the iconic tag team 'The Blackjacks' with Blackjack Lanza and feuded with legends like André the Giant, eventually being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
The wrestler’s life took a dark turn in 1990 when he and his son, Kendall Windham, were arrested by the U.S. Secret Service for counterfeiting. Authorities discovered nearly $500,000 in fake $20 bills, leading to a two-year federal prison sentence. Following his release in 1992, Mulligan eventually found a new path, becoming an ordained minister in 2012. He passed away in 2016, leaving behind a complex legacy that spanned professional athletics, criminal notoriety, and a deep, late-life religious commitment.
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