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Reports are that Windham either suffered a stroke or a heart attack sometime over the last 24 hours. One story making the rounds is that he was found after having fallen and was awake but something was obviously wrong.
Windham, who lives in Florida caring for his father Blackjack Mulligan, just made an appearance several weeks back for the Legends of the Ring convention in Monroe, NJ.
During his prime, Windham was one of the all time best in-ring performers in the NWA, having great feuds with Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Dusty Rhodes, Ron Bass and many others, including some 90 minute bouts with Flair.
While Windham had a short run during the WWF 80s expansion as one half of the U.S. Express with his brother-in-law, Mike Rotunda and the pair were Tag Team champions, Windham has always been more closely considered an NWA talent by history for his runs with Championship Wrestling from Florida, Jim Crockett Promotion and the early days of WCW.
Windam's run from 1988-1989 as a member of the Four Horsemen led to what was undeniably the strongest Horsemen combination of all time - Flair, Windham, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson, with Windham, having turned heel on Luger in an incredible angle, donning a black glove and using the claw as his finisher, just like his father while reigning as the United States champion.
After departing WCW, he made his way back to the WWF for what was expected to be a main event run as The Widowmaker but injuries and family matters caused the run to end before it really began.
Windham was soon back in WCW, where he was a top heel for the company before going babyface again while teaming with Dustin Rhodes for a run with the WCW Tag Team belts. After he turned heel on Rhodes, he and Steve Austin were put together as a team but Windham was then moved back into a singles role. In the storylines, Windham put the Hollywood Blondes combination of Austin and Brian Pillman together, creating an almost instant legend.
Windham would go on to defeat The Great Muta for the NWA World title, although the significance of the belt paled in comparison to what it meant just a few years earlier. He would lose the belt to Ric Flair and would feud off an on with Flair into the early 1990s as a member of Col. Rob Parker's Stud Stable.
As Windham got older and he began to have issues with his knees, he moved into more of a veteran's role, including a WWF tag team with the future JBL as the New Blackjacks and being a member of Curt Hennig's West Texas Rednecks in WCW. He worked for WWE as a Producer several years ago as well.
When he was on in the ring, Windham was one of the smoothest performers ever, who excelled as both a babyface and a heel and could easily pull the crowd into whatever direction - resentment or sympathy - that he needed out of them.
Mulligan has taken to his Facebook page, asking fans to keep Windham in their prayers. Our best to the entire Mulligan family at this time.
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