Highlights
- Terry Funk, a legendary professional wrestler, passed away at 79, leaving behind a legacy as one of the best in the business.
- Funk wrestled in various promotions, gaining success in Japan, the United States, and even in WWE, where he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for over a year.
- He became known as a hardcore legend during his tenure in ECW, showcasing a gritty and over-the-top style of wrestling that influenced the 1990s generation of fans. Funk's career spanned over 50 years, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
On August 23, 2023, the professional wrestling world was in shock over the loss of WWE Hall of Famer, and one of the most legendary performers in the business, Terry Funk, who passed away at 79. Terry Funk is known for his many contributions to the professional wrestling business, as he performed in the ring for over fifty years and is one of the most influential hardcore wrestlers in history. With that said, let's look at the legendary career of Terry Funk and why he's among the all-time best in the professional wrestling business.
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Terry Funk Wrestled In Many Promotions
Terry Funk came from a professional wrestling family as the son of legendary performer and promoter Dory Funk. In fact, when Funk wrestled his first match in 1965, he came up through Dory Funk's Texas-based Western States Sports promotion along with his brother and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. However, after making his professional wrestling debut in the late 1960s, it didn't take long for him to expand his career internationally, making his debut in the Japanese scene for All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972.
The Japanese scene was where Terry Funk really started to make a name for himself in the business, along with Dory Funk, as the two became a decorated tag team throughout their tenure in that organization. While Terry Funk succeeded as a tag team specialist, he also developed a reputation for his over-the-top brawling style that would follow him in his in-ring career, especially as a hardcore specialist.
Before Terry Funk transitioned into a hardcore style during his time with ECW, he didn't just make a name for himself in Japan, as he also achieved overwhelming success in the United States as a Southern-style talent. He wrestled for many United States-based promotions, including a brief stint in WWE from 1985 to 1986.
Whether it was wrestling for Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling, the WWE, or any promotion in the United States, Terry Funk went on to become a multiple-time world champion, including winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1975 and holding it for over a year. Funk also had overwhelming praise from critics, including The Wrestling Observer, as he won multiple Wrestling Observer awards in 1989.
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Terry Funk Becomes The Hardcore Legend In ECW & WWE
Terry Funk was influential in 1990s professional wrestling, being a prominent figure during the Monday Night Wars, as he was one of the talents that helped showcase a hardcore in-ring style to that generation of fans. For instance, Funk was first becoming a hardcore legend when he joined Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1993 when it was known as Eastern Championship Wrestling.
Even though he came from the traditional Southern wrestling territory, that didn't stop him from fitting in with ECW's gritty and over-the-top style of entertainment, as ECW was among the most noted tenures of his in-ring career. Because of this, Terry Funk is one of the most recognized ECW Originals from that promotion. He gained championship success during his time with ECW, including winning the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on two occasions.
In late 1997, Funk returned to WWE during the early stages of the Attitude Era by debuting the "Chainsaw Charlie" character on a December 1997 Raw is War episode, arguably one of the most surreal characters during that wacky generation of WWE. After leaving the company in 1998, Terry Funk returned to ECW in 1998 and WCW in 2000, where he won the WCW Hardcore Championship three times.
Terry Funk's Later Years As An In-Ring Performer
During the new millennium, Terry Funk continued his in-ring career even though he was in his 50s, going as far as wrestling future stars of the business like CM Punk. Funk also returned to WWE for his third run in mid-2006 during the relaunch of ECW, as his final WWE match was wrestling a classic Six-man Tag Team Hardcore match at the ECW One Night Stand 2006 PPV.
Because of everything he accomplished in professional wrestling, Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. were inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame. However, Funk would continue his in-ring career until wrestling his final match in September 2017, teaming with Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton of the Rock 'n' Roll Express to take on Jerry "The King" Lawler, his son Brian Christopher, and Doug Gilbert.
On August 23, 2023, Terry Funk died at 79 years old. WWE gave a tribute to Terry Funk and the late Bray Wyatt, who passed away one day later, on that Friday's episode of SmackDown, saying goodbye to one of the most recognized and beloved figures in professional wrestling.
