Jack Brisco

Professional wrestling career

Early years (1965–1969) Brisco grew up idolizing Danny Hodge and had wanting to also be a professional wrestler. Hodge had ties to Leroy McGuirk, a local promoter who contacted Brisco in his senior year. McGuirk helped Brisco get started in his professional wrestling career, leading to Brisco wrestling Ronnie Garvin for his first match. At the start of his career, he wrestled around Oklahoma for around a year then he went to the Tennessee territory to work for Nick Gulas for four weeks. Brisco returned to Oklahoma then went on to have stints in Texas and Australia.

Brisco's first documented professional wrestling championship reign began on October 16, 1965, when he defeated Don Kent to win the NWA Missouri Junior Heavyweight Championship. Brisco won the title from Race after a brief reign, in Houston, Texas, on July 20, 1973.

Post retirement and death Brisco was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005. Brisco is considered one of the great legendary wrestlers of the 1970s and has often been cited as such by Ric Flair during his emotional promos. Brisco and his brother Gerald were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2008.

Over the final few years of his life Jack suffered from bouts of pneumonia and back problems. He had been a heavy smoker. On February 1, 2010, Brisco died at the age of 68 from complications of open heart surgery. He was survived by his wife of over 30 years. At the time of his death, he was being treated under the caring of his friend, fellow retired wrestler-turned-nurse Bugsy McGraw.

Championships and accomplishments Amateur wrestling Collegiate/High School Oklahoma State Wrestling Heavyweight Champion (3 times) National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Division I All-American (1964–1965) NCAA Division I Champion 191 lb (1965) Big Eight Conference Championships (2 times)

Professional wrestling Brisco during his reign as NWA World Heavyweight Champion, wearing the belt over his shoulder.

Cauliflower Alley Club Lou Thesz Award (2005) Other honoree (1996) Championship Wrestling from Florida NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (8 times) NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (1 time) NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (10 times) – with Gerry Brisco (8), Ciclon Negro (1), and Jimmy Garvin (1) NWA Florida Television Championship (3 times) NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (4 times) NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (5 times) – with Gerry Brisco Eastern Sports Association ESA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Gerry Brisco George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2001 Georgia Championship Wrestling NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Gerry Brisco NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling NWA Gulf Coast Louisiana Championship (1 time) International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship (2 times) NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (4 times) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (3 times) – with Gerry Brisco National Wrestling Alliance NWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) Champion Carnival Technique Prize (1981) NWA Hall of Fame (class of 2010) NWA Mid-America NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) (1 time) NWA Tri-State NWA Arkansas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Oklahoma Heavyweight Championship x1 NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (2 times) – with Haystacks Calhoun (1) and Gorgeous George, Jr. (1) Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI Match of the Year (1974) vs. Dory Funk, Jr. on January 27 PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1972) tied with Fred Curry PWI Wrestler of the Year (1973) PWI Stanley Wetson Award (2017) PWI ranked him # 54 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" with Gerry Brisco in 2003. PWI ranked him #67 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Class of 2005 St. Louis Wrestling Club NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (2 times) NWA Missouri Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times) St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2008 World Wrestling Council WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (1 time) WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Gerry Brisco World Wrestling Entertainment WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2008) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (2023) - with Gerald Brisco