Rick Harris - Career

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.

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.

After splitting with Bass in 1985, he feuded with Ron Garvin, Terry Taylor and Sam Houston.

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.

While in the UWF during the time when 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.

In 1987 Black Bart wrestled in Japan for NJPW and had some matches with Antonio Inoki.

He then went back to Florida Championship Wrestling and teamed with Bobby Jaggers and Tony Anthony while feuding with Dustin Rhodes & Mike Graham and The Nasty Boys.

He then went to the CWA where he feuded with Dutch Mantel.

In 1989, he went to the WWF where he mostly worked as enhancement talent wrestling against Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Tito Santana and Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

After leaving WWF he wrestled for the USWA owned WCCW promotion in Texas where he struck up another feud with Sam Houston.

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.

In 1991, he went to the Global Wrestling Federation where he won the Tag Team Titles 3 times, including once with John Hawk.

Harris wrestled in the independents for the rest of his career and had a short run in WCW as Big Train Bart 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.