Terry Funk is the original ‘Hardcore Legend’, over the course of his 50 year career there isn’t a promotion Funk hasn’t set foot in or a match he hasn’t participated in. From the NWA, WWF, IWA, WCW, ECW, WWE and countless other promotions around the world Funk has been there and done it in the wrestling industry. He inspired many and left a legacy that will always be remembered.
Terry started his career in 1965 working for his Father’s NWA promotion in Amarillo, Texas. He quickly rose up the ranks as a singles wrestler but also frequently teamed with his brother Dory. By 1975 after a decade of learning his craft and earning a name for himself he captured his first NWA World title by defeating Jack Brisco, this sparked the start of a 14 month title reign. He finally dropped the belt to WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race. Funk took some time off after his defeat but eventually returned to team with brother Dory once more, as a tag team they also made a name for themselves in Japan where they became famous for their brawling skills and over the top mannerisms.
In 1985 Terry made his debut in Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation where he feuded with Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana. He also teamed once more with his brother and had a series of matches with then WWF champion Hulk Hogan. Then in 1989 Funk returned to his roots and joined back up with the NWA. Upon his return he began feuding with Ric Flair who was then the NWA world champion who had just defeated Ricky Steamboat to capture the title in a match where Funk was a judge. On the night of the match itself Terry challenged then attacked Flair, Piledriving him through a ringside table. Due to this vicious assault the two men faced off at The Great American Bash and a highly rated ‘I Quit’ match at Clash of Champions, Flair won both contests with the latter getting a five star rating from the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.
Funk left the company soon after the programme with Flair and looked elsewhere.In the early to mid 1990’s he worked with the USWA where he won their version of the World Title and to WCW to feud Dusty and Dustin Rhodes. The hostility between them culminated in a War Games match at Fall Brawl in 1994. In 1995 Funk then participated in the now infamous IWA King of the Deathmatch tournament in Kawasaki, Japan. Alongside US wrestlers Mick Foley and Terry Gordy, Funk took part in 3 very extreme matches. He actually made it to thee final where he faced off with close friend and admirer Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) in a Barbed Wire Rope, Exploding Barbed Wire Boards and Exploding Ring Time Bomb match……PG this wasn’t. He was defeated by Jack after nearly 14 minutes of extreme action.
Funk’s next career move would then completely change the view people had of Terry Funk as a professional wrestler, Terry decided that ECW was the place he needed to be. ECW was once known as Eastern Championship Wrestling but in 1994 Paul Heyman took creative control along with Tod Gordon and rebranded ECW – Extreme Championship Wrestling. Heyman wanted to get away from the old school feel of the NWA, Funk also saw this as a way to help a promotion and further extend his wrestling career. Funk had dealings with ECW in 1994 & 1995 and would routinely make appearances with his brother Dory.
Terry felt that he could lend his talent, notoriety and wrestling knowledge to the new reborn promotion. During his time in ECW he had memorable feuds with Cactus Jack, Sabu, Shane Douglas, Public Enemy, Sandman and countless others. His feud with Cactus Jack alone became stuff of legends and it helped massively with Mick Foley being highlighted a real talent in the business and in securing him a future position with the WWF(E). Terry became a figurehead for ECW with Paul Heyman being personally grateful for his hard work and dedication to the business he loved and ECW in general. 1997 would become a pivotal year for ECW, on all fronts as they were pushing the company further and further trying to get it noticed by the masses as an alternative to both WCW and the WWF.
In April of 1997 ECW broadcasted their first live Pay-Per-View ‘Barely Legal’ and Terry Funk was the centre piece of the whole show. On the evening itself Funk competed twice, his first was a triple threat No1 Contenders match that also featured The Sandman and Stevie Richards. He would then go on to defeat ECW champion Raven in the main event and capture the title….Funk was 53 years of age when he was crowned champion. Terry becoming ECW champion at Barely Legal was also a thank you from Paul Heyman for all he had done for the company during his time there. Funk after years of service to the industry and for putting over talent in ECW was given their highest honour.
Terry would eventually lose the ECW title to Sabu in an ultra violent Barbed Wire match at ‘Born to be Wired’ the match itself was so extreme that both men had to be cut from the barbed wire once the bell was rung. As 1997 ended Funk would ‘retire’ from the professional world of wrestling, however his retirement would only last a few months as he soon started taking independent bookings and in 1998 returned to the then WWF(E). In his second tenure with the federation they gave him a new gimmick based on the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Villain ‘Leatherface’. Upon his return to the company he very briefly rekindled his hostilities with Mick Foley, however during a match with Foley on Raw both men were attacked by the New Age Outlaws. Funk & Foley would then go on to challenge the Outlaws at Wrestlemania 14 for the Tag Titles in a dumpster match.
It was inevitable that Foley & Funk would win at WM but the following night on Raw they were defeated by the NAO in a Steel Cage match to regain their titles. This defeat then led to a Falls Count Anywhere match between the two hardcore legends, Foley as Cactus Jack defeated Funk. Terry then signalled that he wanted to ‘retire’ once more, he participated in one more match at the Fully Loaded PPV before leaving the company in the autumn of 1998. Like most of Terry’s retirement pledges this latest one didn’t last long at all, he resurfaced back in ECW at their November to Remember PPV. Upon his return to ECW he feuded with his protégé Tommy Dreamer and went to extreme lengths to attack him, this carried on into 1998 where Funk was meant to team with a returning Jake Roberts. Unfortunately Roberts fell ill and didn’t make the scheduled appearance, with the feud going nowhere the Funker once more ‘retired’
By his own standards you could say that Terry had a decent start to the new millennium as in 2000 he again returned to WCW. Booked strong in their ‘Hardcore’ division he managed to win the hardcore title three times over the year and also captured the US title during his time with the company. Funk quietly left the company after a brief uneventful feud with the NWO.
In late 2004 WWE decided to delve back into their vast video library and produced the massively successful ‘Rise & Fall of ECW’. This caused a ripple affect within the industry and with the fan base who missed the romantic days of extreme and attitude, they wanted it back and the response to the DVD was overwhelming. Vince McMahon saw dollar signs and in 2005 WWE along with the Paul Heyman presented the even more successful ECW One Night Stand PPV. The event was a huge success as it blended the old with the new. In 2006 WWE repeated it with even more fan fare as the event saw Rob Van Dam crowned as the WWE/ECW world champion and the evening also saw the return of Terry Funk to WWE. For me this was the first time on live PPV I had witnessed the ‘Funker’ wrestle and what a match it was.
At the ECW PPV Terry Funk alongside Tommy Dreamer and Belulah McGillicutty faced off against Foley, Edge and Lita in a intergender Hardcore match. The match itself personified the old ECW, it was as extreme and hardcore as you could imagine and watching it now you can see why WWE finally went PG. From tables and barbed wire wrapped baseball bats to fire ,the match had it all, Edge even speared poor Belulah and pinned her in a sexual manner……something you will probably never see again on a WWE produced PPV. Terry’s return to the limelight was an eye opener to the fans who had never seen him in action, for his age at the time Funk didn’t let himself or his fans down. As far as a major promotion is concerned this was his last dabble with the big boys.
That’s not to say Funk hasn’t stopped giving to the industry, from 2002 onwards he has continued working for independent promotions the world over. From ROH, MLW, TNA, FWA and NJPW most notably. In 2009 WWE invited Terry along with his brother Dory to be inducted in the Hall of Fame, Terry then also inducted his friend Mick Foley in 2013. As I’m writing this Funk has just participated in a match with Jerry Lawler for USA Championship wrestling in Tennessee. The majority of Terry Funk’s career happened before I even became a wrestling fan but his legacy and the impact he had on the industry lives on, I don’t think you can be a wrestling fan and not have heard of Terry Funk.
I was first introduced to Terry Funk from watching the critically acclaimed wrestling documentary ‘Beyond the Mat’ in 2000. The film itself was a great insight in to the industry, characters and promoters who make the business what it is. The film and it’s views grabbed my attention straight away and it kick started my interest in Terry Funk and ECW. Terry Funk has competed all over the world and has wrestled just about everyone over the last 50 years of what has been an epic career, Funk is surely the ‘Godfather’ of Hardcore as his brawling ways inspired many a competitor in the 80’s, 90’s and beyond. Arguably Funk’s influence helped the 1994 ECW revolution, the WWF’s attitude in their boom period and the countless minor promotions who still today carry on with the hardcore style of wrestling.
@Ciaran_1986
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