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Terry Funk
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Terry Funk
Terrance Dee Funk (June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023) was an American professional wrestler and actor. Funk was known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – and the influential hardcore wrestling style he pioneered in the latter part of his career.
Over the course of his career, Funk wrestled for professional wrestling promotions including All Japan Pro Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, the International Wrestling Association of Japan, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and multiple National Wrestling Alliance territories including Big Time Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and Stampede Wrestling. He was the promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion.
Championships held by Funk included the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, NWA World Heavyweight Championship, USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, and WWF World Tag Team Championship. He headlined ECW's premier annual pay-per-view event, November to Remember, three times. Funk was inducted into multiple halls of fame, among them the WWE Hall of Fame, WCW Hall of Fame, and NWA Hall of Fame.
Outside of wrestling, Funk had a second career as an actor, including numerous film collaborations with Sylvester Stallone.
Funk was born on June 30, 1944, in Hammond, Indiana. He was the son of Dorothy Funk (née Culver) and Dory Funk, a professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. Following the end of World War II, the family relocated to Amarillo, Texas, where Terry and his brother, known professionally as Dory Funk Jr., grew up in the professional wrestling business. After graduating from Canyon High School, Funk attended West Texas State University, where he competed in amateur wrestling and American football.
Funk started his career in 1965, working in his father Dory Funk's Western States Sports promotion in Amarillo, Texas. His debut match was against Sputnik Monroe on December 9. He and his brother, Dory Funk Jr., quickly rose up the ranks as a team and in single matches against top names like Ernie Ladd and Hank James. They became big money wrestlers by the end of the decade.
By 1980, Western States Sports's ticket sales were beginning to decline. The Funk brothers sold the territory to wrestlers Blackjack Mulligan and Dick Murdoch for $20,000 (equivalent to $76,000 in 2024).
In 1975, Terry defeated Jack Brisco for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Miami, when Dory failed to appear for a title shot. He began a 14-month title reign defending the title against Jack Brisco, Dusty Rhodes, Carlos Rocha, Giant Baba, and Pat O'Connor. In addition to North America, he defended the belt in Australia, Japan and Singapore. The historic reign ended in Toronto when he was defeated by "Handsome" Harley Race, who had earlier beaten Dory Jr. for NWA World Heavyweight Championship before losing it to Jack Brisco. Race lifted Funk for a shinbreaker and then trapped him in an Indian death leglock. When Funk failed to respond to referee Fred Atkins the match was stopped.
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Terry Funk
Terrance Dee Funk (June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023) was an American professional wrestler and actor. Funk was known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – and the influential hardcore wrestling style he pioneered in the latter part of his career.
Over the course of his career, Funk wrestled for professional wrestling promotions including All Japan Pro Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, the International Wrestling Association of Japan, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and multiple National Wrestling Alliance territories including Big Time Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and Stampede Wrestling. He was the promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion.
Championships held by Funk included the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, NWA World Heavyweight Championship, USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, and WWF World Tag Team Championship. He headlined ECW's premier annual pay-per-view event, November to Remember, three times. Funk was inducted into multiple halls of fame, among them the WWE Hall of Fame, WCW Hall of Fame, and NWA Hall of Fame.
Outside of wrestling, Funk had a second career as an actor, including numerous film collaborations with Sylvester Stallone.
Funk was born on June 30, 1944, in Hammond, Indiana. He was the son of Dorothy Funk (née Culver) and Dory Funk, a professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. Following the end of World War II, the family relocated to Amarillo, Texas, where Terry and his brother, known professionally as Dory Funk Jr., grew up in the professional wrestling business. After graduating from Canyon High School, Funk attended West Texas State University, where he competed in amateur wrestling and American football.
Funk started his career in 1965, working in his father Dory Funk's Western States Sports promotion in Amarillo, Texas. His debut match was against Sputnik Monroe on December 9. He and his brother, Dory Funk Jr., quickly rose up the ranks as a team and in single matches against top names like Ernie Ladd and Hank James. They became big money wrestlers by the end of the decade.
By 1980, Western States Sports's ticket sales were beginning to decline. The Funk brothers sold the territory to wrestlers Blackjack Mulligan and Dick Murdoch for $20,000 (equivalent to $76,000 in 2024).
In 1975, Terry defeated Jack Brisco for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Miami, when Dory failed to appear for a title shot. He began a 14-month title reign defending the title against Jack Brisco, Dusty Rhodes, Carlos Rocha, Giant Baba, and Pat O'Connor. In addition to North America, he defended the belt in Australia, Japan and Singapore. The historic reign ended in Toronto when he was defeated by "Handsome" Harley Race, who had earlier beaten Dory Jr. for NWA World Heavyweight Championship before losing it to Jack Brisco. Race lifted Funk for a shinbreaker and then trapped him in an Indian death leglock. When Funk failed to respond to referee Fred Atkins the match was stopped.
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