Terry Funk

Professional wrestling career

Western States Sports (1965–1979)

Funk started his career in 1965, working in his father Dory Funk's Western States Sports promotion in Amarillo, Texas. 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 .

Championship Wrestling from Florida (1970–1982) Professional wrestlers Pedro Morales (left), Terry Funk (center) and Dory Funk Sr. (right) in 1973.

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.

During 1981, Terry spent some time in the Continental Wrestling Association feuding with Jerry Lawler. The most memorable match in this feud happened in April 1981 at the Mid South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee. The match took place in the empty arena, with only Lance Russell, a cameraman, and a photographer present. Funk had challenged Lawler to this match at this time because he felt he was getting unfairly treated in Memphis. The confrontation only lasted a few minutes, and ended with Funk trying to put Lawler's eye out with a broken 2x4. But Lawler kicked Funk's elbow, causing him to hit himself in the eye. The tape aired on April 25, 1981.

Japan Wrestling Association (1970–1971) In July 1970, Funk debuted in the Japan Wrestling Association (JWA) as part of its NWA World Champion Series. He primarily wrestled in the tag team division, teaming with his brother Dory. In August 1970, the Funks unsuccessfully challenged Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba for the NWA International Tag Team Championship. In November 1971, the Funks made a second tour with JWA as part of its World Champion Series. In December 1971, they defeated Inoki and Baba to win the NWA International Tag Team Championship. Later that month, Funk unsuccessfully challenged Baba for the NWA International Heavyweight Championship.

In February 1986, Funk was joined by his brother Dory (dubbed "Hoss Funk"), and the duo began teaming together as the Funk Brothers. Funk reignited his feud with Junkyard Dog, which led to a match pitting the Funk Brothers against Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena segment of WrestleMania 2, which the Funk Brothers won by using Hart's megaphone as a weapon. Later that month, Terry and Hoss were joined by the masked Jimmy Jack Funk, billed as their younger, more unstable brother. At Saturday Night's Main Event VI in the Providence Civic Center in May 1986, Terry and Hoss lost to Hulk Hogan and Junkyard Dog. Funk left the WWF later that month due to finding the WWF's gruelling schedule challenging, with Hoss and Jimmy Jack forming a tag team.

World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990)

In May 1989, Funk debuted in World Championship Wrestling, defeating Eddie Guerrero on an episode of World Championship Wrestling. Later that month, at WrestleWar '89: Music City Showdown, Funk was one of three judges for the main event between NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat. After Flair won the match, Funk challenged him to a title match. Flair refused, saying that Funk was "spending time in Hollywood" instead of focusing on wrestling. Funk then attacked Flair, piledriving him on a ringside table and putting him out of action. Funk went on to join Gary Hart's J-Tex Corporation. At Clash of the Champions VII: Guts and Glory, Funk lost to number one contender Ricky Steamboat by disqualification after hitting him with a microphone, solidifying his villainous persona.

Flair returned to action at the Great American Bash in July 1989 where he accepted Funk's challenge. Flair won the match by reversing a small package into one of his own, but shortly after was attacked by Gary Hart and The Great Muta. Sting came to aid Flair and the two brawled with Funk and Muta to close the show. At Clash of the Champions VIII: Fall Brawl '89 in September 1989, Flair and Sting defeated Muta and Dick Slater. After the match, Funk used a plastic shopping bag to suffocate Flair. At Halloween Havoc in October 1989, Funk (who entered the ring to Ennio Morricone's "Man With a Harmonica") and The Great Muta lost to Flair and Sting in a Thunderdome match. The feud then culminated in an "I Quit" match between Funk and Flair at Clash of the Champions IX: New York Knockout in November 1989, which Funk lost after yelling "Yes, I quit!" after Flair put on the figure four leglock. After losing, Funk shook Flair's hand, and was attacked by Gary Hart's stable. This match received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. This led to a title match at Holiday Hell in December 1993, where Funk defeated Sabu in a no disqualification match to win the ECW Heavyweight Championship after Shane Douglas attacked Sabu. At The Night the Line Was Crossed in February 1994, Funk defended his title against Sabu and Douglas in a three way dance; the match ended in a time limit draw after 60 minutes.

Chainsaw Charlie formed a tag team with his former ally and rival Cactus Jack. The duo began feuding with the New Age Outlaws, who defeated them by disqualification on the January 26, 1998 episode of Raw. The following week on Raw, Charlie and Jack had a match against each other, with the match ending in a no contest after the New Age Outlaws attacked both men, placing them both in a dumpster and then pushing it off the stage. At No Way Out of Texas: In Your House, Charlie and Jack teamed with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Owen Hart, defeating the team of Triple H, Savio Vega and the New Age Outlaws. At WrestleMania XIV, Charlie and Jack defeated the New Age Outlaws in a dumpster match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. The following night, on the March 30 episode of Raw, Charlie and Jack lost the titles back to the New Age Outlaws in a cage match.

On the April 13, 1998 episode of Raw, Funk began wrestling as himself and formed a tag team with 2 Cold Scorpio. The team was short lived but did defeat the likes of the Quebecers and the Midnight Express. On the May 4 episode of Raw, Funk was defeated by Foley in a no holds barred match. On the June 1 episode of Raw, Funk was defeated by Mark Henry in a King of the Ring qualifying match. During the King of the Ring pay-per-view, Funk interfered in the Mankind vs. The Undertaker Hell in a Cell match, receiving a chokeslam from The Undertaker. Funk left the WWF once again the following month.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1998–1999) Funk returned to ECW at November to Remember 1998, where Tommy Dreamer and a mystery partner were to face Justin Credible and Jack Victory in a Stairway to Hell match. After Funk expressed his anger at Dreamer for not choosing him as his mystery partner (as he had done at November to Remember 1995 and November to Remember 1996), Dreamer explained that Funk wanted a lighter schedule so did not want to get him involved, but Funk walked off in anger. During the opening bout between Blue World Order and Danny Doring and Amish Roadkill, Funk slapped The Blue Meanie, then attacked the Blue World Order after the match. Later in the evening, after Dreamer and his mystery partner Jake "the Snake" Roberts defeated Credible and Victory, Funk again confronted Dreamer, then attacked him. At Guilty as Charged in February 1999, Dreamer faced Credible in another Stairway to Hell match. During the match, Funk attacked Dreamer with a trashcan, enabling Credible to win the match. After the match, Funk continued to attack Dreamer, who refused to fight back due to his respect for Funk. A planned match between Funk and Dreamer at Living Dangerously in March 1999 did not materialise when Funk became ill with hepatitis, side-lining him for several months.

Return to WCW (2000–2001) Funk returned to World Championship Wrestling in January 2000 after an absence of five years, being named the WCW Commissioner by WCW President Bill Busch. Shortly after arriving, Funk formed a stable dubbed the "Old Age Outlaws" (a play on the New Age Outlaws) alongside Arn Anderson, Larry Zbyszko, and Paul Orndorff to oppose the New World Order (nWo). His first match upon returning saw him wrestle nWo member Bret Hart to a no contest in a hardcore match that aired on WCW Thunder. At Souled Out on January 16, Funk faced nWo leader Kevin Nash in a hardcore match with the stipulation that if Funk won, the nWo would disband, but if Nash won, he would replace Funk as WCW Commissioner. The match was won by Nash. Midway through the match, Foley injured Funk's left eye with barbed wire, and Funk was taken backstage. He later returned to the match (with a bloody cloth tied over his eye) to hit Foley with a flaming 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire. The match ended when Edge pinned McGillicutty. Funk was also the special guest referee during the Raven and Johnny Webb vs. Khan Kussion and Homeless Jimmy match at "Cold Day in Hell" on May 24.

Funk, along with his brother Dory, was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 by his longtime friend Dusty Rhodes.

On May 23, 2009, Funk made an unannounced appearance at a house show for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. At the show, Funk joined longtime friend, Mick Foley, as special guest enforcers for a match between Scott Steiner and Samoa Joe.

In August 2009, Funk made a surprise appearance for Insane Clown Posse's Juggalo Championship Wrestling at the 10th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos. He served as special guest referee for a match between Viscera and 2 Tuff Tony. Funk also appeared at the annual NJPW January 4 Dome Show in 2010, teaming with Manabu Nakanishi, Masahiro Chono and Riki Choshu to defeat Abdullah the Butcher, Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano.

On September 11, 2010, at Ring of Honor's Glory By Honor IX, Funk worked as the ringside enforcer for the ROH World Championship match between Tyler Black and Roderick Strong. Funk appeared at the fifth WrestleReunion event at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles, California, from January 28 to 30, 2011. On the second day of the event, he competed in a Legends Battle Royale on the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla show. He lasted until the end where he was eliminated by Roddy Piper. Funk wrestled Jerry Lawler unsuccessfully in a "No holds barred contest" for Northeast Wrestling on October 1, 2011. On October 15, 2011, Funk unsuccessfully faced his long-time friend and protégé Tommy Dreamer at the AWE "Night Of Legends" event. In a shoot interview conducted the next day featuring himself and Dreamer, Funk stated that he believed that would be his last match.

On January 12, 2013, Funk stated that he was retired from professional wrestling at age 68, On October 27, 2013, he returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling with Dory in a tag team match, wrestling Masanobu Fuchi and Osamu Nishimura to a 20-minute time limit draw; this was his final match for AJPW.

In April 2013, Funk inducted Mick Foley into the WWE Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Madison Square Garden during the weekend of WrestleMania 29.

On December 11, 2014, Funk returned to Japan for a Tokyo Gurentai independent event, which saw him, Masakatsu Funaki, and Mil Máscaras defeat Kaz Hayashi, Nosawa Rongai, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara in a six-man tag team main event.

On October 16, 2015, Funk made an appearance at AIW's Big Trouble in Little Cleveland event, where he attacked Eddie Kingston and his manager, The Duke, destroying the concession stand in the process. On October 24, 2015, Funk had another retirement match at USA Championship Wrestling in Jackson, Tennessee, at Oman Arena against Jerry Lawler, Lawler went on to win by DQ.

Funk made a cameo appearance on the March 21, 2016, episode of Raw, giving Dean Ambrose a pep-talk for his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32. At the conclusion of the segment, Funk presented Ambrose with a chainsaw, in reference to his previous gimmick as Chainsaw Charlie.

On September 17, 2016, at House of Hardcore 17, Funk once again announced his retirement. Funk made his final return to the ring on September 22, 2017, for the Big Time Wrestling promotion in Raleigh, North Carolina. He teamed with The Rock N' Roll Express in a six-man tag team match, where they defeated Doug Gilbert, Jerry Lawler and Lawler's son Brian Christopher via disqualification in what was Funk's last match.

Other media Funk's appearance in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone movie Paradise Alley would lead to numerous collaborations between Funk and Stallone.

Terry Funk appeared as a bouncer in the movie Road House (1989) with Patrick Swayze. In 1999, Funk was featured in director Barry Blaustein's wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. His legendary toughness was attested to when cameramen followed him to a medical appointment, where he was told by the doctor that he would not be able to walk without intense pain. He also appeared in other movies such as The Ringer, and 1987 Stallone film Over the Top. and WWE 2K25.

In July 2022, Terry Funk released his self-titled biographical comic book through Squared Circle Comics.

Personal life Funk married his wife Vicky Ann on August 14, 1965. They had two daughters together. For many years, Terry and Vicky owned a ranch in Canyon, Texas, which they later sold. Vicky died on March 29, 2019. Funk was close friends with NFL player John Ayers and Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone. On September 12, 2016, Funk underwent surgery for an inguinal hernia, and was supposed to be resting and in bed for a couple of weeks, but chose to attend Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore shows.

In June 2021, fellow wrestling legend Don Muraco reported Funk was diagnosed as living with dementia and was living in an assisted living facility. On December 29, 2021, Ric Flair announced on his podcast with Mark Madden that Funk had returned home and was doing well.

Death On August 23, 2023, Funk died of complications from dementia at the age of 79, at a Phoenix-area hospital. The August 25 episode of SmackDown honored him and Bray Wyatt, who died the day after Funk, by airing tributes and behind-the-scenes footage; the episode also held a namesake "hardcore" tag team match between The Brawling Brutes and the Street Profits.

Championships and accomplishments Terry (left) and his brother Dory Funk Jr. were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

All Japan Pro Wrestling World's Strongest Tag Determination League (1977, 1979, 1982) – with Dory Funk Jr. Champion Carnival Distinguished Service Award (1980) World's Strongest Tag Determination League Technical Award (1977) – with Dory Funk Jr. World's Strongest Tag Determination League Teamplay Award (1980) – with Dory Funk Jr. World's Strongest Tag Determination League Distinguished Service Medal Award (1984) – with Dory Funk Jr. World's Strongest Tag Determination League Technique Award (1986) – with Dory Funk Jr. World's Strongest Tag Determination League Technique Award (1987) – with Dory Funk Jr. World's Strongest Tag Determination League Excellent Team Award (1990) – Dory Funk Jr. Big Time Wrestling United States Heavyweight Championship ( Detroit Version ) - ( 1 time ) Cauliflower Alley Club Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2005) Championship Wrestling from Florida NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Dory Funk Jr. NWA Florida Television Championship (1 time) NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) – with Dory Funk Jr. NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (2 times) NWA Florida Television Championship Tournament (1971) NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1979) George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2010 Georgia Championship Wrestling NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dory Funk Jr. NWA Georgia Television Championship (1 time) NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship Tournament (1978) – with Dory Funk Jr. Hardcore Hall of Fame Class of 2005 International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling NWA United States Championship Tournament (1975) NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) / WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times) WCW Hardcore Championship (3 times) WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1995) Juggalo Championship Wrestling JCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) National Wrestling Alliance NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2009) NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Big Time Wrestling NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (1 time) NWA Hollywood Wrestling NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA International Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Dory Funk Jr. NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time) – with Dory Funk Jr. Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling 3PW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI Feud of the Year (1989) vs. Ric Flair PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1997) PWI Stanley Weston Award (2021) PWI Wrestler of the Year (1976) Ranked No. 22 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991 Ranked No. 9 of the top 100 tag teams of the PWI Years with Dory Funk Jr. in 2003 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Class of 2004 Southwest Championship Wrestling SCW Southwest Heavyweight Championship (1 time) SCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dory Funk Jr. Squared Circle Wrestling 2CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2010 St. Louis Wrestling Club NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995) Tokyo Sports Lifetime Achievement Award (1983) Popularity Award (1979) United States Wrestling Association USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Western States Sports NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (2 times) NWA International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Dory Funk Jr. NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship (12 times) NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Ricky Romero (2 times) and The Lawman (1 time) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version) (3 times) – with Dory Funk Jr. NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (2 times) – with Dory Funk Jr. World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Cactus Jack WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2009) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Best Brawler (1989) Best Heel (1989) Best on Interviews (1989) Hardest Worker (1989) Feud of the Year (1989) vs. Ric Flair Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1978 Paradise Alley Frankie "The Thumper" Also stunt coordinator 1987 Over the Top Ruker 1987 Timestalkers Bearded Cowboy 1989 Road House Morgan 1998 Mom, Can I Keep Her? Ed "Jungle Ed" 1999 Active Stealth Morgan 1999 Beyond the Mat Himself Documentary 2004 Friday Night Lights Fan Uncredited 2005 The Ringer Frankie

Television Year Title Role Notes 1985 Wildside Prometheus Jones Recurring: 6 episodes 1991 Swamp Thing J.J. Dax Episode: "The Prometheus Parabola" 1991 Quantum Leap Carl Shilo Episode: Heart of a Champion – July 23, 1955 1992 Tequila and Bonetti Sergeant Nuzo Recurring: 11 episodes 1993 The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Defendant Episode: "Pilot" 1994 Thunder in Paradise Amarillo Doaks Episode: "Queen of Hearts" 1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Dirk Simmons Episode: "The Wrestler" 2021 Dark Side of the Ring Himself Episode: "Blood & Wire: Onita's FMW"

Discography Texas Bronco (1983) Great Texan (1984) Tougher Than Shoe Leather (2018)