Wrestling Legend Abe Jacobs Passes Away At 95

Abe Jacobs, the oldest known living pro wrestler in the world, has passed away. The Post & Courier reports that the New Zealand-born wrestling legend passed away on August 21st. He was 95 at the time of his passing, making him the oldest professional wrestler in the world at that point.

Jacobs worked for both Capitol Wrestling, the company that would become WWE, and several NWA territories including Mid-Atlantic, NWA Florida, and more during his 23-year career that began in 1958. Jacobs, who competed in amateur wrestling as a teen, got into pro wrestling after he just barely missed out on making it to the 1956 Olympics. He made his pro debut in Hastings, New Zealand against his trainer, the Zebra Kid, in 1958.

Jacobs worked a handful of matches in New Zealand before coming to the US and working in Hawaii for Al Karasick. After working there for a few months, he came to work for Vince McMahon Sr.’s Capitol Wrestling where he worked as a babyface and was billed as the “Jewish Heavyweight Champion.” After his 1959 debut for the company in Madison Square Garden against Karl Von Hess, who had a Nazi sympathizer gimmick, he rose his way up and faced off with the likes of Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Johnny Valentine, and The Sheik.

Jacobs would eventually move on to tour other perts of the company and won the NWA North American Championship. He came to Jim Crockett Promotions in 1961 and was paired with several big men, feuding with the likes of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew and The Infernos. He won Florida’s NWA World Tag Team Championship with Don Curtis, the NWA Los Angeles International Television Tag Team Championship with Haystacks Calhoun, and had two reigns with the NWA Western States Tag Team Championship alongside Pez Whatley.

Jacobs also has the distinction of being Ric Flair’s first opponent when Flair debuted for JCP in 1974, a win for Flair that put him on his first steps toward his legendary rise to the top of the wrestling world.

Jacobs retired from the ring in 1983 and managed several gyms afterward, including Ricky Steamboat’s gym in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.

On behalf of 411, our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Mr. Jacobs.