Jack Brisco

American professional wrestler and amateur wrestler (1941–2010)

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. On December 28, 1984, the Briscos challenged the North South Connection (Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch) for the WWF Tag Team Championship in Madison Square Garden. The match ended in a double count out, and was Jack Brisco's last high profile bout. Jack left the business entirely in February 1985, at the age of 43, after becoming disillusioned with the direction of the sport, citing a lack of amateur wrestlers in the professional ranks and the growing reliance on soap opera storylines.

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.