Blackjack Mulligan is Back--With a Vengance (Part 2)

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 

This is a continuation of the post Blackjack is Back--With a Vengance (Part 1) 

PART TWO  (Catch up with Part 1)

After giving the fans on the October 15, 1975 Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television show a dominating victory over young Kevin Sullivan, a clearly energized returning Blackjack Mulligan spelled out to announcer Bob Caudle his vendetta against Wahoo McDaniel and his plans going forward.

Ed Capral with Blackjack Mulligan and Ric Flair

When the television tapings continued later that night at the WRAL studios in Raleigh, Mulligan continued to be in rare form! On the Wide World Wrestling TV show, Blackjack thoroughly demolished the up-and-comer Ron Starr, and then turned his attention to the fans and announcer Ed Capral. Before Capral could barely utter a word, Mulligan interrupted and exclaimed, “Let me ask you one question Mr. Announcer. What do you do, what can you say when you give a man your best punch? You hit ‘em with everything you’ve got? You have your best day, you give your heart and soul…you hit ‘em and he goes down and he gets back up. What do you do?” Of course, the hyped-up Mulligan didn’t give Capral a chance to answer!

Blackjack continued unabated, “I’ve been hit with everything the Indian can throw; I have been hit with everything that Paul Jones can throw. I have been hit with everything Rufus can throw…the headbutt does not work on Blackjack Mulligan; Kenneth Patera’s muscles are synthetic!” After bashing the territory’s “good guys,” the big Texan wanted to let the fans know exactly who they were going to see in the months to come.

Mulligan ranted, “Let me tell you a natural fact…they have no idea where I came from; I do not know how to submit. They think my granddaddy was a wildcat and my momma was a rattlesnake…they’re not sure. They found me floating down the Rio Grande in a Cadillac hubcap! I’m comin’ in as class brother, and I’m going out as class. And I will not stop. Let ‘em look, let ‘em stop and look just for one second at a world class wrestler.”

It then appeared the big man was going to engage Capral, saying, “How many wrestlers have you seen in your day? How many wrestlers have you seen come down the pike? When Capral tried to reply, Mulligan shut him down shouting, “Stop trying to butt in, I’ll answer that!” Blackjack then elaborated, “None with so much; too much power…six foot eight and 300 pounds. I weighed 97 pounds and was five foot two the day I was born! Believe me, just too much power; too much everything! Blackjack Mulligan’s got it all!”

Blackjack Mulligan battles
Wahoo McDaniel in a strap match.

The modest Texan then turned his attention to his most hated rival at the time, bellowing, “Wahoo McDaniel, I want to stop right here for a second. I want to show everybody these deep cuts in my back! He put ‘em in there…he strapped me. He strapped me in front of my kin folks! He strapped me in front of my Uncle Red; he strapped me in front of my granddaddy. I took a beatin’ that day, but I got up like a man; I’m not a quitter!”

Mulligan ended the interview on Wide World Wrestling with a self-assessment, concluding, “I have maintained my national ranking…get it straight. Get it right! I am ranked number one in the nation, number one in the world. I am the greatest wrestler in the world, the greatest wrestler of all time!”

An obviously taken aback Capral quipped, “Blackjack Mulligan…if you don’t believe he’s great, just ask him!” But the announcer then added, “And obviously this man can back up what he says.” The last point was the significant one, as Mulligan would light up the reeling territory, and set it on a course of greatness for many years to come. The Mid-Atlantic area desperately needed a shot in the arm in the middle of October of 1975, and Blackjack Mulligan provided that and then some. The rocket-ship called Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling was now ready for lift-off!