By; Bill Watts
My friend Jack Brisco has passed...a few comments...
(September 21, 1941 - February 1, 2010)RIP
Jack Brisco vs. Bill Watts
This may be his last Interview, it was done just in the fall of 2009. ( 30mins )
Well that 'dastardly ring bell signifying another transition tolls again'...this time for Jack Brisco...
My dear friend...and another true 'stud' ... a true 'star' of our pro-wrestling business passed away last night...
DAMN! DAMN! He is missed by many!
Apparently complications from his recent 'open-heart surgery'...
Jim Ross had informed me of how tough things had been going...when we visited at OU last week (Jan. 22nd) at their honoring of the 'golden years of wrestling at OU')...but out of respect for the family... I had NOT sent anything out...hoping things would turn out better...
I've known Jack since highschool...(1956 or 57) ... he was two years younger... and lived in Blackwell, OK... he was a 3-time HS State Wrestling Champion... and also played football... Bud Wilkinson, the famous OU football coach even tried recruiting him to play with us at Oklahoma...
But Myron Roderick...the OSU wrestling coach won that recruiting battle and got Jack to go there... and one of the things he used to 'seal the deal' ...was he would get Jack into 'pro-wrestling' after his college career...
And of course...Leroy McGuirk... who owned the wresting office in this area... (and later in 1970 I became his partner in that office as I started my own career in the 'wrestling promotion' side of this business too)...was also a former NCAA Wrestling Champion and All-American at OSU... so that 'connection was obvious'...
But Jack always wanted to be in pro-wrestling... and in fact...he was 'always after me to get into pro-wrestling too'... way before I had any desire to do so...
Jack became a 2-time All-American at OSU...winning the NCAA Championship his senior year...
I have known his brother, Gerry...or Gerald as I call him...since he too was in HS and later at OSU... and I know Gerald is just devastated now...they were so damn close... a true 'brotherhood' in the true sense of the word...
I also knew Bill...their older brother...
Jack had a great passion for life...and for this business...
in fact...when Eddie Graham spotted him before anyone had truly given him an opportunity to be a star... and 'took Jack under his wing'...
it was such a huge move... and that too affected my life... as Jack was also later responsible for Eddie recruiting me to be involved with him 'promotionally'...
first in Georgia when the Lester Welch/Buddy Fuller association with the long-time NWA promoter Paul Jones caused a split in his company as Ray Gunkel...his long-time partner's animosity for the 'Fuller family'... precipitated a split... and what was then termed a 'wrestling war' for 'control of the Georgia region'...
And in 1973 Eddie Graham brought me into that conflagration... as a new part-owner of the NWA company of Paul Jones, Lester Welch...et al... in addition Eddie added Jack Brisco... Buddy Colt... and Tim Woods as shareholders too... and later added Jim Barnett...and eventually that is the company that survived...and when Ted Turner created his 'superstation' the first wrestling on satellite TV...
Then... in 1974 I went to Florida to 'book that office and work directly with Eddie'... as was the original plan...
In that period of time Jack became the NWA World's Heavyweight Champion too... but without a doubt...he was the top box office attraction in Florida... and young Mike Graham was becoming a man...and a star... as was young Dick Slater...so much tradition there...so much talent... with the 'dean of TV commentators, Gordon Solie' too...
Then as I took over booking the talent there... and took Dusty Rhodes...that 'young bully...the son of a plumber'...and pitted him against Gary Hart...and Pak Song Nam...and Hart's Army... it made him 'The American Dream'... and we had another 'true superstar in Florida' that became a star industry-wide...
In fact in Florida...especially Tampa... the 'feud' with Jack...Dusty...and the Funks...even starting with Jack back with Dory Sr... then to Dory Jr. and Terry...and was legendary...
and I went to one of the last football games in Tampa for Tampa Univ...when they played West Texas State (Ted Dibiase, Tully Blanchard, and Merced Solis who became Tito Santana were on the West Texas Team)... and we had 'pro'moed' that 'at the half'... Dusty and Terry would meet at the 50 yard line and 'go one-on-one' to see who was the toughest... and when I entered that stadium...with Dory Jr... the police were waiting for us... to 'be sure nothing happened'...
My gosh...Bobby Duncam... Stan Hansen...Dusty... Dory and Terry... Ted Dibiase...Merced Solis... and in the NFL Mercury Morris...all went to Texas State... in that era...
Things were so hot in Florida wrestling...that there was always a bet brewing between Dusty...Jack or Eddie Graham...whichever one was headlining the card in Miami...as to who sold out earlier or the fastest... because it was always a sellout...and this was a 'weekly card then'... (I still keep in touch with Bruce Owens who always met the charter flights to give us a ride to the area)...
Then...the excitement of the Georgia promotion... and when the Omni was built...and we transitioned there...
I could tell you stories that would totally captivate you...one of Jack... Dusty... Gerald... Gordon Solie... and me... one particular night after a big show at the Omni...where we started driving... and went completely around the Atlanta beltline... drove all night long... and it was hilarious... so many things happen... most of which...we just will NOT go into here...but are in my heart...
Ahhhh...those were great days in our sport... with great athletes and performers...
I remember Jack used to come back to Oklahoma for some 'chicken fried steak'... an Oklahoma tradition...
Don't we all have some food we grew up with...that we 'just cannot get elsewhere'...
Now...here is one for you... in this era... Danny Hodge, Wahoo McDaniels, Dale Lewis, and 'yours truly, Cowboy Bill Watts came into the wrestling business from OU... and Jack Brisco and Gerald Brisco from OSU... all of which made their mark on this industry... 6 stars from two Oklahoma schools...
And now still standing are: Danny Hodge, Gerald Brisco, and me...
Danny is the oldest... and I'll share with you...that everyone of us from either school...held Danny as our idol in amateur wrestling...he was truly the greatest we ever saw...
And he held the NWA World's Jr. Heavyweight Championship longer than anyone...
Yes...between all of us...there have been times of disagreement... but NEVER a loss of respect... or a deep friendship...
I got to see Jack fairly recently at one of the 'fan reunions'... and when I came up...his smile was still just like always...
And friend Jack... right now I am shedding tears for you... and I know Gerald is just devastated... as is Jim Ross...who also knew all of these involved...and is so close to Gerald too...
And all this following our loss of Steve Dr. Death Williams so recently... it just seems like 'too much'...
Certainly... more and more of those of 'our era' are passing...but the memories will NEVER fade...not in my heart...
We Miss you Dr Death Steve Williams
