Barry Windham Suffers Heart Attack, Wrestling Legend In ICU

WWE Hall of Famer and uncle of Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas hospitalised after heart attack.

Barry Windham United States Champion.jpg
WWE.com

Professional wrestling legend Barry Windham is currently hospitalised in the ICU after suffering a heart attack on Friday.

Windham's niece, Mika Rotunda, has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the WWE Hall of Famer's medical expenses. The page states that Barry, 62, suffered a cardiac arrest when travelling through Atlanta airport. Windham underwent a procedure to save his life, though his family is currently "waiting to hear that he will be okay."

Mika wrote:-

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With deep sadness I regret to inform that my uncle, WWE Hall of Famer, Barry Windham suffered a massive heart attack Friday evening. While traveling through the Atlanta airport, his darkest fear became a horrific reality as he went into cardiac arrest. He is currently in the ICU and has undergone an emergency procedure to save his life. As a family, we are impatiently waiting to hear that he will be okay. But as of now, the future is uncertain.
As is the future for many in his position. And for those who have formerly devoted their lives to their craft. Barry Windham, has an iconically, decorated resume as an American professional wrestler. He traveled all over the world for decades, entertaining people of all ages with his athleticism and undeniable charisma.
After those countless years of wrestling matches, traveling and entertaining world wide, he experienced a number of taxing injuries and ended up undergoing multiple surgeries. That led to other health complications. Barry hung his boots for the last time in the early 2000’s. Since then he has been limited with work due to his medical history as well as left without health insurance.
To face these times is one of great stress and hardship. As well as one that comes with extensive medical expenses he is taking on. That is overwhelming to say the least.
We are politely asking for any increment of financial assistance to help cover his medical expenses and bills and see him through this time.

WWE honored Windham as a Hall of Fame inductee in 2012, with Barry entering via that year's Class as a member of The Four Horsemen. A legendary figure in the wrestling industry, Windham was at his most popular in the 1980s, when, as well as becoming one of Ric Flair's greatest opponents, he starred opposite the likes of Terry Funk and Sting.

The bulk of Windham's success came in WCW and the NWA. He was NWA World Heavyweight Champion for a period in 1993, defeating The Great Muta, and had three separate WWE runs throughout his lengthy career. The last of these came as a member of The New Blackjacks alongside Justin 'Hawk' Bradshaw, the future JBL.

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Barry is an important part of a decorated wrestling lineage. The son of Blackjack Mulligan and brother of Kendall Windham, his brother-in-law, Mike Rotunda, wrestled for WWE as IRS. More familiar to modern audiences would be his nephews Windham and Taylor Rotunda, who competed for WWE as Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas.

Best wishes to Barry Windham and his family at this difficult time.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.