Mike Cline's MID-ATLANTIC GRAPPLIN' GREATS: A BATTLE FOR THE AGES

Sunday, August 18, 2019

A BATTLE FOR THE AGES

One of the prestigious titles in JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS was the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

One of the biggest feuds over the Eastern title was between RIP 'The Profile' HAWK and JERRY BRISCO. On February 14, 1972, RIP defeated JERRY's older brother Jack Brisco, in Charlotte, N.C. to become Eastern Champion. RIP and Jack traded the belt back and forth before JERRY entered the title picture.

Champion RIP HAWK

Challenger JERRY BRISCO

June 13, 1972 was the date on which JERRY BRISCO became the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION for the first time. The match took place in Columbia, S.C. HAWK would win it back in Greenville, S.C. some two months later. This title reign for RIP would be a short one as the very next week, again in Greenville, JERRY would capture the championship again.

HAWK finished the year of 1972 on an upswing, beating BRISCO in Greensboro, N.C., on December 28th. The final title switch between the two occurred in early March, 1973 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

It should be noted that RIP HAWK is on record as saying BRISCO never won the title 'fair and square." RIP claims that JERRY would purposely get disqualified to keep from losing the belt. Even the two participant's partners offered opinions. Jack Brisco said "I've wrestled Hawk. He's cagey. He'll do anything to win a match. Jerry had better watch himself." And on the flip side, Rip's partner Swede Hanson had this to add,"Rip is an honorable man. Every fan of wrestling knows that. That's why the fans love Rip Hawk. He never breaks the rules."

HAWK would never get the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP back from BRISCO after the Winston-Salem match in March.

In September, 1973, the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP was retired and became the MID-ATLANTIC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

Research for the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP by Dick Bourne for the MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY.