Black Bart (wrestler)
| Black Bart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Rick Harris |
| Born | June 1, 1948 Fayetteville, North Carolina |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Big Train Bart Black Bart Hangman Harris Rick Harris Ricky Harris Man Mountain Harris |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Billed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) |
| Billed from | Pampa, Texas |
| Debut | 1975 |
Rick Harris (born June 1, 1948) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Black Bart. He is the son of professional wrestler George Harris.
Professional wrestling career
Early career
Rick Harris started wrestling in 1975. He went through several names, such as "Hangman Harris", "Ricky Harris" and "Man Mountain Harris", before settling on the name of "Black Bart" which was given to him by Dusty Rhodes in 1984.[1]
He formed a tag team called "The Long Riders" with Ron Bass in Florida Championship Wrestling in 1984 and they went to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions later that year and were managed by J.J. Dillon.
After splitting with Bass in 1985, he feuded with Ron Garvin, Terry Taylor and Sam Houston over the NWA Mid-Atlantic championship which he won and defended. During this time Black Bart developed his 2nd rope leg drop to a prone opponent finishing move known as "The Texas Trash Compactor".[2]
World Class Championship Wrestling
In late 1986, Bart went to World Class Championship Wrestling where he feuded with Chris Adams and Kevin Von Erich over the World Class title. When Adams, who held the World Class title, left the promotion in September 1986, Bart was awarded the championship...but not before the promotion explained that Bart won the belt from Adams in a fictitious match held in Los Angeles. Bart lost the championship to Von Erich a month later in Dallas, then, like other major World Class stars, left WCCW to join the UWF.
Universal Wrestling Federation
While in the Universal Wrestling Federation they would co-promote shows with the NWA. While wrestling in the NWA for Jim Crockett Promotions, he received a sizable push in the midcard, winning the NWA National Heavyweight Championship and the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. He also wrestled in the tournament for the NWA Western States Heritage Championship. Harris lost in the final match to Barry Windham.[3]
New Japan Pro Wrestling; Championship Wrestling from Florida; Continental Wrestling Association
In 1987 Black Bart wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling and had some matches with Antonio Inoki.
He then went back to Championship Wrestling from Florida and teamed with Bobby Jaggers and Tony Anthony while feuding with Dustin Rhodes and Mike Graham and The Nasty Boys.
He then went to the Continental Wrestling Association where he feuded with Dutch Mantel.
World Wrestling Federation
In 1990/1 he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation where he mostly worked as enhancement talent. Bart, however, scored victories over enhancement talent such as Jim Powers, and Pez Whatley, and even managed to get a shot at the WWF World Tag Team Titles and wrestle the then-champions, Demolition alongside Bart's partner for the match, Mark Ming in a losing effort for Bart and Ming.
USWA Memphis Tn
In May 1989 Bart went to Memphis and feuded with Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett
Return to WCCW
After leaving WWF he wrestled for the USWA owned World Class Championship Wrestling promotion in Texas where he struck up another feud with Sam Houston.
World Championship Wrestling
In 1991 World Championship Wrestling (WCW) created a stable known as "the Desperados" consisting of Dutch Mantell, Black Bart, and Deadeye Dick. The Desperados were packaged with the gimmick of being three bumbling cowboys looking to meet up with Stan Hansen to go to WCW and become a team. Over the course of a few months, they were promoted through a series of vignettes by which they would be beaten up in saloons, searching ghost towns, and riding horses. Hansen reportedly wanted no part of the storyline and left for Japan, never to return to wrestle in North America. Without Hansen, the group were pushed into service as jobbers and were dissolved as a stable before the end of the year.
Harris later had a short run in WCW as "Big Train Bart"
Global Wrestling Federation
In 1991, he went to the Global Wrestling Federation where he won the Tag Team Titles 3 times, including once with John Hawk.
Independent circuit
Harris wrestled in the independents for the rest of his career before retiring in 2002. Harris resurfaced in 2006 wrestling on some independent shows in Texas. Harris has also appeared at many NWA reunion events.
As a trainer, his most famous pupil to date has been Necro Butcher who was featured in the 2008 hit movie The Wrestler. Harris once ran a professional wrestling school at the Dallas Sportatorium.[4]
Personal life
A diabetic, Harris had heart bypass surgery in 2015.
In July 2016, Harris was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit is litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[5]
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Texas Trash Compactor (Diving leg drop)
- Managers
- Skandor Akbar
- J.J. Dillon
- Percy Pringle
- Ronnie P. Gossett IV in USWA
Championships and accomplishments
- ACTS Wrestling Alliance
- ACTS Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[6]
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- Continental Wrestling Association
- Global Wrestling Federation
- GWF Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
- GWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Bill Irwin (1), Johnny Mantel (1) and John Hawk (1)
- Jim Crockett Promotions
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #348 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
- Southeastern Championship Wrestling
- Texas Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2013
References
- ^ Wrestler Profiles - Online World of Wrestling
- ^ The True Mid-Atlantic Title Story
- ^ http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/barry-windham.html
- ^ Whupass U. - Dallas Chronicle (1997)
- ^ "WWE sued in wrestler class action lawsuit featuring Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka, Paul 'Mr Wonderful' Orndorff". FoxSports.com. Fox Entertainment Group (21st Century Fox). July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "Independent Wrestling Results - May 2006". onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
External links
- Rick Harris at IMDb