10 Wrestlers Who Died In 2016
3. Blackjack Mulligan
Billed at 6’9” and 345lbs, Blackjack Mulligan was a huge, bruising brawler and a kindred spirit of wrestlers like Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody. He shared Hansen’s rawboned cowboy gimmick, and both men’s independent spirit. A freelancer at heart, Mulligan never really tied himself down to a major promotion for any length of time, and constantly traveled around the world in search of a major payday.
Thus, Mulligan never received the major championship push his talents perhaps warranted. He was in his 40s and several years removed from his prime by the time wrestling went national, but despite all this, Blackjack still produced a WWE Hall Of Fame-worthy career, and he’s widely regarded as one of his era’s greatest tag wrestlers.
His in-ring contributions aside, Mulligan was the figurehead of the Windham wrestling dynasty. His sons, Barry and Kendall, forged careers of their own across America, and Blackjack was the father-in-law of Mike “IRS” Rotunda, and Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt’s grandfather.
Blackjack’s career lasted 21 years, and ended in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1988. He stayed in the business as a booker and promoter in his retirement, and was ordained as a minister in 2012. 2015 saw Blackjack sue WWE for concussion-based injuries sustained throughout his spell with the company, and in April 2016, he passed away having suffered a heart attack months prior.