Terry Funk with Les Thatcher

In 1976, Les Thatcher conducted a number of promotional interviews with NWA World Heavyweight champion Terry Funk which would appear later during the "halftime" interview slot in the Mid-Atlantic and Wide World Wrestling TV shows. The promos would only be seen in markets where Funk was set to defend the NWA title. At that time his number one challengers in the Mid-Atlantic territory were Paul Jones and Wahoo McDaniel.

Jerry Brisco a Top Contender for the Harley Race's NWA TItle (1973)

Jerry Brisco and "Big" Bill Ward at WBTV studio in Charlotte, NC

The following is an excerpt from Les Thatcher's "Wrestler's Eye View" in Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine from July 1973. The subject was Jerry Brisco, one of the top singles stars at the time for Jim Crockett Promotions.

JERRY BRISCO has set out to recapture the Eastern Heavyweight Championship Belt taken from him earlier in the vear by OLE ANDERSON. There have been some classic battles between Jerry and Ole. Jerry may detour briefly to get a shot at New N.W.A. Worlds Champ
HARLEY RACE.

Most wrestling experts felt that Jerry's brother Jack would be the man to dethrone kingpin of 4 years DORY FUNK JR. But Race pulled it off in Kansas City. Jerry would like to be the one to bring the World's Belt into the Brisco family.

Les wrote that column in late June of 1973, just a matter of weeks before Jerry Brisco's brother Jack defeated Harley Race for the NWA title in Houston.