But something went wrong and he was back in the NWA before you knew it... where he lived up to that promise to an extent, but never quite got the main event push as THE guy. That was mainly due to Dusty wanting to hold on to his spot and is to his eternal shame...
But when Barry came back to the E in 1989, he again was positioned for greatness. Those of you saying Hennig's spot are low balling him, he could still have been one of the very top guys. Perhaps at the expense of Bret or Flair... but he was THAT good still.
Again, something went wrong... and twice, you gotta start wondering if this is a guy who can handle the spot. Not everyone WANT's a company on their back or to be the man, some are quite happy being considered among the best at what they do, allowing others to take the spotlight while they take the "workhorse" honours.
It's why Bryan doesn't bitch the same way Punk does, or why Davey Boy Smith never complained in the mid/late 90's about not getting that World title. We know he coulda, shoulda, woulda... but they did fine without having it and everyone else THINKS they should have had it.
It's telling that Barry's Horsemen buds also bombed... Arn and Tully were on the outs before the latter failed his drug test. Even with the belts it just didn't sit right, you had 3 quarters of the Horsemen but not Flair... ultimately that is probably what did for Barry.
He was great with Flair because he knew how to work with Flair... once that clicked in the NWA he never really needed another "great" feud, same as with Steamboat and Dusty. So he got a little lazy, partook the party a bit too much and ultimately squandered his chances. Same as Arn did, same as Tully did and to an extent same as Flair... he never really "made it" in the E that first time either...
Windham is perhaps the guy who best sums up the difference between the E in those days and NWA/WCW...New York mentality vs Southern... Had Barry been driven, drank the koolaid in the same way Hogan, Savage and Vince did then he would have been there... but he always wanted the "bigger fish in a smaller pond" cos it was perhaps a bit easier, less effort and he was always gonna be seen as a Hogan clone.
That it all reared it's head again in 97 is sad and almost pathetic, but it did. Ultimately, it seems right now Barry's legacy is a coulda been who has perhaps begat a future legend in Bray Wyatt or another couldabeen.
He's not the only one to have squandered his chances, but he's one of the few to do it 3 times and for no discernable good reason on all 3 counts...At least Janetty was straight till Shawn screwed him in 93, the 3 months off feeling sorry for himself as he was legit screwed did the damage for the rest of his life... Barry didn't have that excuse, he just blew it...repeatedly...
ncG1vNJzZmien6fCrr%2BNsKmeq6Shsru7zZ5lnKedZMGpvsSam6xnkpa%2Fs8WMsKCnnJiWurR51rCdZrGVlr%2B0epFvbm1paWQ%3D