Hidden Gem: Jack’s Last Shot

You might have heard of these two.

NWA World Title Ric Flair vs. Jack Brisco
Date: April 7, 1984
Location: Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland

Flair is defending and this is from Georgia Championship Wrestling. Before the match we hear from some fans who love the show and want to see some matches. We also see Ole Anderson talking to promoter Gary Jester, though at first he messes up and asks “what the f*** is his name”. With that out of the way, we’re joined in progress with Flair not being able to power out of a headlock. Brisco shoulders him down and grabs the headlock again but this time Flair takes him into the corner.

That doesn’t exactly work well as Brisco snapmares him down and puts on a chinlock. More headlock grinding ensues before Briso flips him over by the wrist to start in on the arm. Some armdrags into a short armscissors have Flair n more trouble and Brisco rolls him around the ring for an impressive spot. The hold stays on a bit until Flair finally makes the rope for the break. Brisco’s sunset flip gets two and Flair bails out to the floor for a breather.

Back in and Brisco pounds away with right hands but Flair knocks him away. There’s the knee drop for two and Flair dumps him out to the floor. Back in and Flair’s atomic drop gets two more but Brisco counters the suplex into a sleeper. That’s good for two arm drops but Flair gets back to his feet and belly to back suplexes his way to freedom. Brisco gets in his own suplex and tries his own Figure Four, sending Flair to the rope before it can go on in full. Back up and Brisco blocks a headlock takeover so Flair sticks with the standing version.

A snapmare gives Flair two with his foot on the rope but Brisco is back up with right hands to the face. The Figure Four goes on but Flair is way too close to the rope. Flair is back with the shinbreaker and the Figure Four goes on, only to have Brisco turn it over. That’s escapes as well so Flair heads up top and gets slammed right back down. Brisco loads up a hiptoss but Flair reverses into a cradle (that was sweet) for the pin to retain at 21:14 shown.

Rating: B. The star power alone is enough to make this good but what matters here is how good both of them really are. Brisco may have been way past his prime here but you can believe the possibility that he could pull it off here because it’s Jack Brisco going after the title. Flair could have a classic with anyone at this point and when you put him in there with someone who was also great, the result shouldn’t be a surprise.

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