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The Blackjacks

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For other uses, see Black Jack (disambiguation).
The Blackjacks
Tag team
MembersBlackjack Mulligan
Blackjack Lanza
Billed heightsMulligan:
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Lanza:
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Combined
billed weight		585 lb (265 kg; 41.8 st)[1]
Billed fromTexas
Debut1971
Disbanded1984

The Blackjacks were a professional wrestling tag team. The team consisted of Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza. After forming in the 1970s, they wrestled in a variety of professional wrestling promotions, including the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). They were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.

History

The original Blackjacks

The duo first joined forces in 1971. They were managed by Bobby Heenan.[1]

The Blackjacks won multiple tag team titles, including the WWA Tag Team Championship and two tag-team championships in WCCW. They, however, are most known for winning the WWWF Tag Team Championship (with Lou Albano as their manager) on August 26, 1975 by defeating Dominic DeNucci and Pat Barrett.[2]

After their tenure in the WWWF they disbanded and went their separate ways. They would reunite in 1983 working in St. Louis and AWA until disbanding in 1984. Lanza retired from wrestling in 1985 and became a road agent for WWF (WWWF). Mulligan returned to the WWF, Florida and Texas until his retirement in 1989.

On April 1, 2006, The Blackjacks were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Heenan.[1]

Mulligan died on April 4, 2016 from heart failure and other health issues at 74 years old.

Lanza had died on December 8, 2021. He was 86 years old, and had reportedly been in poor health.

The New Blackjacks

In early 1997, Mulligan's son, Barry Windham, and Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw formed The New Blackjacks/Texas Blackjacks in the WWF. They were known as Blackjack Windham and Blackjack Bradshaw, who originally competed as heels, but later as babyfaces it was rumored in early 1997 that they would be bodyguards for The Undertaker (for his WWF World Heavyweight Championship run in 1997).[3] They competed in a four-way tag team match at WrestleMania 13, which was won by The Headbangers. They would then feud with The Godwinns. The team never reached the success of their predecessors and disbanded in January 1998, as Windham turned on Bradshaw.

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Blackjacks Bio". WWE.com. Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  2. ^ "World Tag Team Title History". WWE.com. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  3. ^ "John Layfield's SLAM! Profile". slam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  4. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Dallas) Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [Fritz Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 978-0-9698161-5-7.
  5. ^ "N.W.A. American Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  6. ^ "PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME MOVING FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO TEXAS". PWInsider. November 20, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  7. ^ "W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.

Further reading

  • Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson (2005). "Territorial Era (1960s–1980s): The Blackjacks". The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55022-683-6.
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