By Susan Shinn
sshinn@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó Jackie Fargo steps off the porch on a tree-lined China Grove street to greet visitors.
His long, silver hair carefully combed back, he’s wearing a shiny red shirt, jeans that seem a little big for him and black, thick-soled shoes favored by men his age.
And he’s also wearing a sequined belt buckle, made for him years ago. A couple of the spangles have fallen off.
Professional wrestlers never retire, it seems. The glory days are always just beneath the surface.
Fargo, 79, along with his brother, the late Jack Faggart, who wrestled as Sonny Fargo, and Don Kalt, who wrestled as Don Fargo, will be inducted Friday, Aug. 7, into the National Wrestling Alliance’s hall of fame. It’s part of the NWA Wrestling Legends FanFest weekend.
Other members of the 2009 Hall of Heroes class include Playboy Gary Hart, Chief Wahoo McDaniel, Blackjack Mulligan, Nelson Royal and Lance Russell.
Ceremonies will be held at the Hilton University Place in Charlotte. The third-annual event is already sold out.
“People want to know the inside stuff,” says Howard Platt, a local radio personality and wrestling fan. “People are fascinated with that. It’s a nostalgia thing.”
Stepping into his house, Fargo leads visitors into a darkened hall, lit by a single naked bulb.
There’s a poster-sized picture of him shaking hands with Muhammed Ali. There are certificates of all types, but the one he’s proudest of is dated July 25, 1966.
Way before the days of Make-a-Wish, Fargo met a young boy sick with cancer, whose life’s dream was to meet the wrestler Jackie Fargo.
“I have never seen such a smile on a young man,” Jackie says, his memory undimmed.
Doctors said the boy had only a couple of months to live, but after meeting Fargo, he lived a year.
“That just broke my heart,” he says. “He was such a lovely little fellow.”
It’s fair to say that Fargo has mellowed over the years.
He started his professional wrestling career in 1949 ó 60 years ago.
He had wrestled at the Cannon YMCA before that, and went to Goldsboro for the state championship.
A promoter asked him, “Ever thought about being a professional wrestler?”
“Gee whiz,” Fargo says. “I was making $7 a week. I dressed in the back of my car.”
Fargo spent his most of his life in Tennessee. He wrestled all over the world ó Japan, Korea, Honolulu, included.
But he was always proud to be from China Grove, and retired here in 1986.
His older brother Jack joined him in the profession.
Their given name was Faggart, but promoters told them it wasn’t a wrestling name.
Fargo was known as “Honey Boy Fargo” for his blond locks and later the Fabulous Jackie Fargo when he cut a few 45 records with friends in Nashville.
Jack became Sonny Fargo. He wrestled and later refereed matches.
He and Sonny were the first professional wrestlers to sell out Madison Square Garden in the 1960s.
In later years, Fargo legally changed his name to his wrestling moniker.
He asked his daddy if it was all right before doing so.
In his profession, he was a “good guy” and a “bad guy.”
“I was tough,” Fargo says. “I could back up what I said.”
In the ’50s, he had the chance to wrestle in Havana, making $250 a week ó all expenses paid.
“It was so nice over there,” he says. “It was just absolutely fabulous. The Cubans liked wrestling and gambling and sports. You can’t name a place I haven’t been. But give me good ol’ China Grove!”
In the ’60s, Elvis Presley came to see Fargo wrestle in Las Vegas. One of Fargo’s three daughters has that picture somewhere.
He recently returned from an appearance in Tullahoma, Tenn.
So he can’t really stay retired.
“They won’t let me,” Fargo says.
He’ll go as long as they call ó and offer money.
Before long, Fargo’s nephew, Obie Faggart, stops by with details of the upcoming FanFest appearance.
Faggart grew up in the wrestling world, driving his daddy to matches, doing his homework when he got there.
“I got to do things other kids didn’t get to do,” Faggart says.
He and his sister, Debbie Parson, will accept Jack Faggart’s award.
“It will be an honor,” he says.
Jack Faggart died Aug. 21, 2008.
Fargo misses his brother but is close to his nephew.
“I love you, bud,” he says, as Faggart leaves.
Fargo is down almost 100 pounds from his wrestling weight of 270.
“You had to eat the right things,” he says. “I used to run 10 to 12 miles a day, 6 days a week.”
He ate potatoes and bananas to keep his weight up, and lifted weights.
“I used to be a mean guy,” he says, showing off pictures of him and his long, blond hair.
He didn’t liked to be teased about it.
“I expected it,” he says, “but don’t make a fool out of me in front of somebody.”
Fargo’s signature move was called “The Atomic Drop.”
He demonstrates it on Jon Lakey, Post photographer. (Lakey is a bit tentative, but goes along with it.)
You come up from behind your opponent on the left side, so they can’t hit you with their left hand. You lift them up and drop them onto your knee. The impact on the spine momentarily stuns them ó long enough for you to pin them and win the match.Fargo acknowledges he was hurt over the years. All former professional wrestlers have bad knees, he says.
He’s got a knot in his right shoulder ó it was broken four times.
“That’s part of the game,” he says.
Although Fargo still loves wrestling he says, “I’m ashamed of it today. I watch it for one reason, and that is to criticize.”
And when he watches a tag team in action, he’s thinking the same thing every time. “I could beat both of them in 30 seconds.”
“They don’t have what it takes today,” Fargo says. “Back in my day, they wouldn’t have been around one match.”
He throws up his hand as a public works truck rumbles by.
“Hey fellas!” he says.
Fargo’s the type who never meets a stranger.
“No siree,” he says. “I’m very proud of that, too.”
He and Judy, his wife of 34 years, live in a small house that belonged to his family. He says he wouldn’t take a million dollars for Sassy, their 5-year-old Yorkie.
She grunts like a pig when she gets excited.
Fargo golfs and travels and visits casinos.
“I’m not going to sit around and let myself go,” he says.
Is he still fabulous?
He holds Sassy close.
“More than ever!” Fargo says with a smile.