Is Barry Windham an all-time great?

[George_South 0]

When you look at Windham's career holistically, top-to-bottom, is he considered an all-time great? Or just great? Or just a decent wrestler?

 

I'm talking about his skill-set, his mic work, his matches, his resume, etc.

 

I've always been a huge Windham fan so I'm kinda biased, but I felt like he carried a lot of people, put a lot of people over, etc.

 

I think his best years, unfortunately, were during the NWA-WCW transition.

[Diamonddust 0]

I'm a huge Windham fan as well, but in terms of all-time greats... I think Windham is just off of that tier. If he wanted to, however, he could have been far bigger than what he was. I'd put him in the hall of "Really Good".

[muda345 0]

His late 89 WWF Widowmaker gimmick might have hurt him a little bit, but not counting that, I'd say he is right up there. Some of the matches he had with Flair in the NWA were some of the best ever.

[cabbageboy 0]

Windham never quite had that big run as a top guy so no he's not really an all time great. He was very good for a few years in the 1980s but then he had that bizarre, aborted WWF run in 1989. And truth be told once he got hurt in 1993 he never was really the same. He's a solid US title guy or a tag champ, but never quite has the charisma on the mic to be world champ.

[zhangmeijie 0]

You see my problem with Barry Windham is I first heard of him via his The Stalker days in WWF. This was when I started getting into wrestling, 1996, So that shit gimmick made me think he wasn't a particually good wrestler. Now I find it hard to accept him despite seeing some of his enjoyable older stuff. First impressions last, as the saying goes.

[chuck415 0]

Windham was one hell of a worker but not in that top tier of guys who I would consider greats.

[JN News 0]

Barry Windham was always a great wrestler. I'm still surprised that they didn't let Barry into the WWE Hall of Fame, this year, instead of The Fink. Barry would've been a perfect fit with the whole "Texas Legacy" theme that was going on with this year's Hall of Fame & Wrestlemania. They could've had Barry's father, Blackjack Mulligan induct his son into the Hall of Fame, especially because he's in the Hall of Fame, as well.

[Jericholic82 0]

Maybe they wanted to induct him, but he refused since they recently fired him. Real reason probably is he was a NWA/WCW guy so Vince doesn't see him as anything special. As far as I'm concerned, he could be considered an all time great, but he never lived up to his full potential due to either booking choices, injuries, or personal decisions. I was a big Windham fan when I first watched WCW back in 91/92, for whatever reason, so I have a personal bias here. Too bad we never found out if he could run with the world title (and no his 93 reign as NWA champ doesn't count to me for obvious reasons).

And The Stalker could have worked, if he was a heel instead of face.

[theone 0]

Im my eyes, Barry was the most under-utilized talent of his time besides Terry Taylor.

[JerryvonKramer 0]

Windham is often touted as one of the most naturally gifted wrestlers ever to step into the ring but he never had that main event run to put him up there -- he wouldn't have even needed a World Title run, just to have realistically been in the picture. If he'd had, say, the career of Ted DiBiase, I'd count him as an all-time great.

 

The problem with Windham is that he always seemed to be an after-thought for the bookers. Look at his biggest shot at the title: at Great American Bash '91. He was basically put in the spot NO ONE wanted to be in on that show, subbing for Flair ("WE WANT FLAIR").

 

So I'd say he had the talent to be an all-time great, but NWA/ WCW never realised his potential (we don't even need to mention his two horrible WWF stints).