Jackie Fargo - Professional Wrestling Career

Professional Wrestling Career

Although teaming with numerous wrestlers during his career, Fargo was most successful with Don Fargo who together won the Chicago and Georgia versions of the NWA World Tag Team titles in 1958 and dominated the National Wrestling Alliance during late 1950s; their match against Argentina Rocca and Miguel Pérez was witnessed by a record breaking 20,125 people at Madison Square Garden on March 30, 1957. Jim Cornette credits Fargo with popularising wild brawls and the use of tables and chairs in wrestling in the Tennessee area, which he sees as one of the origins of the later 'hardcore' wrestling style.

During the 1960s, Fargo won the NWA Georgia Tag Team title with Joe Fargo and Mario Milano as well as enjoying numerous title reigns capturing the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship with Don Fargo, Lester Welch, Tex Riley, Mario Milano, Sonny Fargo, Len Rossi, Dennis Hall, Jerry Jarrett, Mr. Wrestling and Lou Thesz.

He is also the originator of the "Fargo Strut". This charismatic walk in the ring has been copied by wreslters all over the industry including Ric Flair, Jeff Jarrett, and The Fabulous Ones.

A longtime mentor to many younger wrestlers in the Memphis area, he later became involved in a feud with former protégé Jerry Lawler who defeated Fargo in a handicap match with Jim White for the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship on March 28, 1973. Fargo later teamed with George Gulas and Tojo Yamamoto to capture the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship title several times during the early 1970s, becoming the first NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champions along with Gulas and Dennis Hall in November 1973.

Although retiring in 1980, he joined Jerry Jarrett's Continental Wrestling Association to help The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn) in their feud against The Moondogs before their departure in 1984 and retired shortly thereafter.