RIP Jackie Fargo

Photo Credit: Memphis Wrestling History

Jackie Fargo, born Henry Faggart, has passed away. He was 82. If Jerry Lawler is Memphis' most famous contribution to the wrestling world, then Fargo has to be at least considered 1a, and he may have been its most important wrestler. He was a mainstay in the territory to the point where he appeared at the first TNA pay-per-view event, back when it was NWA: TNA and running weekly PPV events in Tennessee. If those who grew up watching Memphis and Mid-South don't remember him well, then their parents and grandparents probably do.

I cop to not knowing a whole lot about Fargo at all outside of his immortal "strut," which was famously co-opted by Ric Flair (and I guess Jeff Jarrett too). This won't be a very in-depth obituary. I'd keep my eyes peeled for Dave Meltzer's for a sure thing, or maybe, if we're lucky, from Scott Bowden. However, I'd be foolish if I didn't at least know that he was one of the two most important figures in perhaps the most important wrestling territory in America. The man touched a lot of people, including many of my peers. In my short, Wikipedia-fueled research of the man though, I found out that he was the guy who popularized the wild brawling style associated with the territory, as well as innovating the use of tables and chairs as weapons. So if you're a fan of ECW (like I am), you owe a whole lot of debt to Fargo and his ingenuity in pro wrestling.

Regardless of your exposure to the man, it's incontrovertible that he was a legitimate titan of the industry. Farewell, Jackie Fargo, may your reception in the great hereafter be as fabulous as it was in your life.