NWA wrestler Bryan Idol, left, a Long Island native, launches a drop kick on "Thrillbilly" Silas Mason at NWA Hard Times 5 in Dothan, Ala., on March 22. Credit: National Wrestling Alliance/Jason ...

Brisco quickly won several NWA Florida regional championships, and after a brief stint in Japan, he returned in the early 1970s with younger brother Gerald -- whom he had himself trained -- in tow.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Race was the NWA's most dominant champion, winning the sport's oldest title from competitors such as Dory Funk Jr, Giant Baba, Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes and Flair.