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Wrestler let his moves do the talking

Posted: Feb 2nd 2010 By: mikeiles

TAMPA - In a world full of trash talkers and giant egos, Jack Brisco was different.

He was modest, soft-spoken and reserved. He was an excellent athlete who combined his skills and amateur wrestling training to rise in professional wrestling to become world heavyweight champion from 1973 to 1975.

Before there were flamboyant characters such as The Rock and Hulk Hogan, his personable, low-key style made him a fan favorite in and out of the ring.

"Jack really identified with the people," said his younger brother, Jerry Brisco of Odessa. "He never lost his temper, never lost his cool. People could identify with that. He was a real modest guy.

"He identified with the fans because they knew he was one of theirs," Jerry Brisco said.

Jack Brisco, of Odessa, died Monday morning of complications from heart bypass surgery he had Jan. 2. He was 68.

Jack Brisco was born in Oklahoma to a modest family. He was a football standout, earning all-state honors at Blackwell High as a fullback and linebacker. His sophomore year he also joined the school's amateur wrestling team.

He won the state wrestling title three times at 191 pounds. He then went to Oklahoma State University, where he won the national title once in his weight class.

He turned professional in 1965 to help support his young family, Jerry Brisco said.

Back then, wrestling wasn't the glamorous profession it is today. Wrestlers had to grind it out.

Jack Brisco wrestled in Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, earning $25 to $50 a night on the mat. In three years, he built a following.

By 1968 he had moved to Florida, where he joined the National Wrestling Alliance's Florida Championship Wrestling. He fought many matches at the Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory in Tampa when the sport's famed announcer and broadcaster, Gordon Solie, was at the helm.

He became Florida heavyweight champion in 1969, Southern heavyweight champion in 1970 and World heavyweight champion from 1973 to 75.

He competed throughout the United States, in Tokyo and Australia, creating a rivalry with Dory Funk, Jr.

Although he was 6-foot-1 and weighed about 215 pounds, he wasn't considered large in the wrestling circuit, Jerry Brisco said. He had athleticism and amateur wrestling experience. He combined those abilities with professional moves he learned and pioneered a style, Jerry Brisco said.

His match-defining moves included the figure-four leg lock and the suplex.

"He learned so many amateur moves and he was able to adapt those moves into pro wrestling that no one had seen before," Jerry Brisco said. "He was the most athletic wrestler of all time."

Jack and Jerry Brisco formed a tag team duo, the Brisco Brothers, in 1976.

Jack Brisco retired from wrestling in 1984. Two years ago, he was inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Besides Jerry Brisco, Jack Brisco is survived by his wife, Jan; a son and two daughters, all of Oklahoma; brothers Gene Brisco of Lutz and Bill Brisco of Tampa; and sisters Sharon Spencer of Orlando and Shirley Murch of Huntington Beach, Calif.

Funeral services had not been finalized.

Tags: Jack Brisco, Jerry Brisco, NWA, Dory Funk, Jr., Brisco Brothers, WWE