Mulligan Tells Story In True Lies And Alibis

Blackjack Mulligan was one of the best storytellers in the wrestling business.

And while it has been years since he's been around to regale fans with his entertaining tales, his new book, "True Lies and Alibis," brings back some of that down-home storytelling Mulligan was famous for.

The book, written by Mulligan with co-author Steve Buchanan, is mostly Blackjack's life story told by the man himself. The book is far from fancy and there's little editing, but in Mulligan's case, that might be for the best since it doesn't camouflage his unique, politically incorrect style.

"I love Jesus, whiskey and beautiful women. I hope I have that in the right order. Without a doubt, I'm a living contradiction," Mulligan proudly proclaims in the autobiography.

Ask any longtime Mid-Atlantic wrestling fan to name four or five of his most memorable performers, and chances are Blackjack Mulligan will be at the top of the list. Mulligan's success wasn't just limited to the Carolinas-Virginia territory. He was a main-eventer everywhere he went, and he left lasting impressions throughout the country.

Mulligan traveled the roads with some of the greatest characters in the wrestling business. The pride of Sweetwater, Texas, was, indeed, one of pro wrestling's true originals.

Not only was Mulligan, also known as Bobby Jack Windham, a larger-than-life character in the wrestling business, he also was one of the largest men in the business in stature as well. At six-foot-seven and well over 300 pounds, Mulligan cast an imposing shadow and went head-to-head with other giants of the day, such as Andre The Giant, Big John Studd and The Super Destroyer (Don Jardine).

Quite naturally there are many humorous stories throughout the 264-page book, and some of them involve "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Mulligan's running buddy during the late '70s.

"We were neighbors, good friends and running mates," Mulligan writes. The two first crossed paths 35 years ago at the Headlock Ranch (then owned by Mulligan and Dusty Rhodes) in Austin, Texas, where a green Flair accompanied a crew that included Dick Murdoch, Bobby Duncum and Ray "The Crippler" Stevens.

Mulligan recalls that Flair, who sported a brown crewcut at the time, resembled Curly of The Three Stooges.

"Ray Stevens ribbed Ric, the new boy, into taking down a full-grown cow, about 1,200 pounds, and the fight was on. It's a wonder Ric is alive today," Mulligan jokes. "Ric weighed about 300 pounds then and was big as a house. He loved wrestling and so did I. He was very enthusiastic and was a hard worker, even back then. I can say in all honesty he's the biggest star of all time."

Mulligan, a WWE Hall of Famer, makes the case that Flair was the greatest despite not having the advantage of exposure in the larger Northeastern wrestling market.

"The New York boys are the ones who never went anywhere else and proved themselves. So, by my standings, they are not in the top 10 of all time," claims Mulligan. "If you can't draw with Vince's massive push and all that TV exposure, you are lost. Why even a chimpanzee could get over if Vince pushed it the right way. Well, not every chimp, as some didn't make it."

Flair, he argues, was the exception to the rule that many stars couldn't draw outside of the big-market territory.

"He could draw anywhere."

Mulligan, privately or publicly, is at his best telling stories of his days on the road with the Nature Boy. Some of those stories he gladly shares in his book. And others?

"Well, I'll be leaving God's green earth with them stories," writes Mulligan. "I'm a married man, and I want to stay that way."

Blackjack travels through the book in a meandering style, thoughts flowing like the copious amounts of adult beverages he consumed during his working days, and might have benefited from a steadying and more organizational hand. But the stories are there, in his own words, so you just have to pretend you're sitting around a campfire with Mully spinning the yarns.

Co-author Buchanan deserves credit for putting the book together for one of his childhood heroes.

"I never thought I'd ever meet, but much get to know and become a friend of, Blackjack Mulligan," Buchanan writes in the book. "Working on his life story entailed many, many late nights of writing and sending each other e-mails, not to mention all the phone calls to get the story just right. I idolized Blackjack Mulligan, but I admire and respect Jack Windham a great deal more."

It's clear that Buchanan had as much fun putting Mulligan's words to paper as Mulligan had traveling down memory lane, remembering when pro wrestling was from the heart, and when cutting promos reflected your character, not words scripted by a Hollywood-style creative team member.

Blackjack Mulligan remains one of the very few stars of yesteryear that have failed to get on the wrestling nostalgia circuit bandwagon. He's also one of the most sought after, especially in the Mid-Atlantic area, which is host to the yearly Fanfest convention that draws thousands of fans from across the country and as far away as Japan and Australia.

Blackjack has suffered his share of health issues over the years, but here's hoping that this book adds yet another chapter to the life of one of the sport's most beloved characters.

The book is available at www.blackjackmulligan.net.

- Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse "The Body" Ventura is working on a new conspiracy-theory series for truTV.

Production of a pilot featuring Ventura begins this month. Ventura will travel across the country, investigating cases and getting input from believers and skeptics before passing judgment on a theory's validity.

"Ventura will hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces," truTV said in a statement.

"I've been a mayor; I've been a governor. Now, I get to be a detective, and seek the truth," Ventura said recently.

Ventura has worn many hats during his career: a U.S. Navy SEAL; a professional wrestler and commentator; mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minn.; and governor of Minnesota.

The entertainer-turned-politician had to convince skeptics who laughed at the prospect of having a pro wrestler occupy the governor's mansion. Former CBS news anchor Dan Rather summed up Ventura's 1998 gubernatorial election victory by saying, "People could not be more surprised if Fidel Castro came loping across the Midwestern prairie on the back of a hippopotamus."

"You have to let them know that you don't always live in that fantasy world," said Ventura.

- Randy Orton is expected to return by next month's Survivor Series pay-per-view in Boston. Orton is prominently featured on the poster for the show. It's also expected that Massachusetts native John Cena will return for the event as well.

- Ric Flair has narrowed down his list of potential reality show suitors to two networks. A decision is expected soon.

- Maria (Maria Kanellis) told the UK Sun last week that she believes Kelly Kelly (Barbie Blank) will be the next WWE diva to do Playboy's annual Wrestlemania spread.

I'd like to see her or Mickie James do it," said Maria. "If I had the opportunity to do Playboy again, I definitely would - especially if it was together with one of those two. I think that it would be a great shoot and a great thing to go back to."

- Halligans Restaurant and Bar, 3025 Ashley Towne Center, Suite 201, will air the No Mercy pay-per-view at 8 p.m. today. Admission is free.

- Old School Championship Wrestling will present Caged Carnage 3 today at Weekend's Pub, 428 Redbank Road, Goose Creek. Top bouts are Lodi vs. Sixx for the Universal title, and Malachi and Rufio Rush vs. The Armed Forces for the tag title. Bell time is 6 p.m. Adult admission is $8; kids 12 and under $5. Visit www.oscwonline.com or call 743-4800.

Reach Mike Mooneyham at (843) 937-5517 or mooneyham@postandcourier.com. For wrestling updates during the week, call The Post and Courier Info Line at (843) 937-6000, ext. 3090.