In 1996, Barry Windham made yet another failed attempt to achieve singles success in WWE when he signed in the summer and debuted shortly thereafter with the gimmick of "The Stalker." What made him a stalker, no one really knows. The pre-taped vignettes that announced his impending debut saw him taking in nice bonfire from some undisclosed location, his face painted with camouflage-inspired paint, rambling on and on about his prey. The Stalker was a character way behind the times and it was not difficult to understand why it failed as miserably as it did in the grand scheme of things. When commentator Vince McMahon openly referred to him as Barry Windham, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin went a step further by claiming that the audience's intelligence was being insulted, that everyone knew who it was behind the paint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYB9wOYpP8U Windham was only forced to sport the paint for a few weeks before finally doing away with it and wandering aimlessly around the midcard. Eventually, he would be rescued and partnered with Bradshaw in the New Blackjacks tag team but it was the former Horseman that introduced the idea of a stalker to McMahon's wrestling empire.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
