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Abe Jacobs

Nickname: Honest

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 252 lbs.

From: New Zealand

Birthday: Jun 18th

Pro Debut: July 3, 1958

Aliases: Red Pimpernel

Feds Worked For: NWA, NWA-West, TSW, WWWF, Florida Championship Wrestling (FL), New Zealand Wrestling Union (NZ), NWA Hollywood (CA), Pacific Northwest Wrestling (WA/OR)

Finisher: Kiwi Leg Roll

Career Highlights: -NWA Florida Tag Team Champion (w/ Don Curtis)
-NWA International Television Tag Team Champion (w/ Haystacks Calhoun)
-NWA Western States Tag Team Champion (2x, w/ Pez Whatley)

Affiliates: Don Curtis, Haystacks Calhoun, Luther Lindsay, George Becker, Johnny Weaver, Sandy Scott, Nelson Royal.Haystacks Muldoon, Art Thomas, Klondike Bill.

Other Facts: -Full name was Abner Robert Jacobs
-Standout in wrestling and rugby in high school.
-Rode horseback to high school because there were no roads suitable for cars where he lived.
-Tried out for the New Zealand Olympic wrestling team, but lost out to another wrestler by 1 point.
-Well known to eat entire raw onions.
-worked at Ricky Steamboat's gym in North Carolina for 11 years after retiring from wrestling
-Upon arriving in America,he was billed as "The Jewish Heavyweight Champion", though he never held a belt to signify this.
-Before competing in South Africa, he was required to compete in front of the South African Athletic Commission. Despite travel fatigue and the high altitude (6000 miles above sea level), Jacobs defeated 3 opponents in Johannesburg to get his wrestling license. He also put rocks in his boots and pockets to meet the weight requirements to compete against a Super Heavyweight after losing almost 30 pounds due to a case of food poisoning from a Chinese restaurant in India.
-He was so hated in South Africa at one point that he tried to attend a rugby game, but was pelted with oranges and 10 000 fans began to chant "Hey Yankee--Go Home!" He and the other wrestlers he was with were forced to leave the stadium, but he changed clothes, put on a ball cap and returned to watch the rest of the game incognito.
-Was eventually able to immigrate to the United States because he was competing at a "World Championship" level of wrestling. He showed advertising for a match against NWA World Champion Lou Thesz to document this.
-Was Ric Flair's first opponent in the Mid-Atlantic territory. Flair won that match, which is said to have helped launch his career in that region..
-Competed in over 25 countries and had over 8000 matches by the end of his career.
-Inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame in 2008
-Passed away August 21, 2023 at age of 95. At the time of his death, he was believed to be the oldest living former pro wrestler.