Abe Jacobs may not be known to too many modern fans, but in the 1950s and 60s, the "Jewish Heavyweight Champion" was a star around the United States. At the age of 20, the New Zealand native made his way to New York and began competing for Vincent James McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corporation. Jacobs feuded with "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and Karl Von Hess, with the latter, a Nazi sympathizer, once causing a brouhaha with comments directed at the Jewish Heavyweight Champion. Jacobs also competed for Jim Crockett Promotions, winning the National Wrestling Alliance North American Title and challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship. Jacobs retired in 1983, but his legacy lives on - in 1999, he was featured on a special commemorative edition of New Zealand's $10 bill, and in 2008 he was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame. Today, the 78-year-old Jacobs lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
