.jpg) Funk asNWA World Heavyweight Champion in 1976 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Terrance Dee Funk (1944-06-30)June 30, 1944 Hammond, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 23, 2023(2023-08-23) (aged 79) Amarillo, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | West Texas State University[5] |
Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Family | Dory Funk (father)[5] Dory Funk Jr. (brother)[5] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Black Baron[1] Chainsaw Charlie[2] Dr Knows-it-All[1] Terry Funk[3] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[4] |
| Billed weight | 247 lb (112 kg)[4] |
| Billed from | Amarillo, Texas, U.S.[2] |
| Trained by | Dory Funk[2][5] |
| Debut | 1965[5][6] |
| Retired | 2017 |
Terrance Dee Funk (June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023) was an Americanprofessional wrestler and actor. Funk is known for the length of his career, which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements. He is also known for his influentialhardcore wrestling style he pioneered in the latter part of his career.
Over the course of his career, Funk wrestled forprofessional wrestling promotions includingAll Japan Pro Wrestling,Extreme Championship Wrestling, theInternational Wrestling Association of Japan,Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling,World Championship Wrestling, theWorld Wrestling Federation, and multipleNational Wrestling Alliance territories includingBig Time Wrestling,Championship Wrestling from Florida,Georgia Championship Wrestling, andStampede Wrestling. He was the promoter of theAmarillo, Texas-basedWestern States Sports promotion.
Championships held by Funk included theECW World Heavyweight Championship,NWA World Heavyweight Championship,USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, andWWF World Tag Team Championship. He headlined ECW's premier annualpay-per-view event,November to Remember, three times. Funk was inducted into multiple halls of fame, among them theWWE Hall of Fame,WCW Hall of Fame, andNWA Hall of Fame.
Outside of wrestling, Funk had a second career as an actor, including numerous film collaborations withSylvester Stallone.[7]
Funk was born on June 30, 1944, inHammond, Indiana. He was the son of Dorothy Funk (née Culver) andDory Funk, a professional wrestler andprofessional wrestling promoter.[8] Following the end ofWorld War II, the family relocated toAmarillo, Texas, where Terry and his brother, known professionally asDory Funk Jr., grew up in the professional wrestling business. After graduating fromCanyon High School, Funk attendedWest Texas State University, where he competed inamateur wrestling andAmerican football.[5]
Funk started his career in 1965, working in his fatherDory Funk'sWestern States Sportspromotion inAmarillo, Texas.[5] His debut match was againstSputnik Monroe on December 9.[9] He and his brother,Dory Funk Jr., quickly rose up the ranks as a team and in single matches against top names likeErnie 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 wrestlersBlackjack Mulligan andDick Murdoch for $20,000 (equivalent to $76,000 in 2024).[10][11][12]
In 1975, Terry defeatedJack Brisco for theNWA 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, andPat O'Connor. In addition to North America, he defended the belt in Australia, Japan and Singapore. The historic reign ended inToronto 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 refereeFred Atkins the match was stopped.
During 1981, Terry spent some time in theContinental Wrestling Association feuding withJerry 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 onlyLance 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.[13]
In July 1970, Funk debuted in theJapan 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 challengedAntonio Inoki andGiant Baba for theNWA 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 theNWA International Heavyweight Championship.[14]
Funk debuted inAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in October 1972, the same month it was founded byGiant Baba. In his first match, he teamed withBruno Sammartino to defeat Baba andThunder Sugiyama in atwo out of three falls match. Later that month, he unsuccessfully challenged Baba for thePWF World Heavyweight Championship. In October 1973, Funk returned to AJPW alongside his brother Dory, wrestlingNWA International Tag Team Champions Baba andTomomi Tsuruta to a time limit draw.[15]
Funk made his next appearance with AJPW in January 1974, primarily teaming with fellowgaijins such asJerry Brisco andLuke Graham to face Giant Baba,Jumbo Tsuruta, andThe Destroyer. In August 1974, he wrestled at AJPW's Summer Action Series II, again unsuccessfully challenging Baba for the PWF Heavyweight Championship. In March 1975, the Funks took part in AJPW's NWA Membership 2nd Anniversary Excite Series, against unsuccessfully challenging NWA International Tag Team Champions Baba and Tsuruta.[15]
In March 1976, Funk - now theNWA World Heavyweight Champion - returned to AJPW as part of its "NWA Champion Series". On June 11, 1976, Funk successfully defended his title against Jumbo Tsuruta in theKuramae Kokugikan inTokyo.[15]
In December 1977, the Funks took part in the inauguralOpen Tag League, around-robin tournament amongst nine teams. They won the League with 14 points, winning six of their eight matches and wrestling to a draw in the two remaining matches. The tournament final saw them defeatAbdullah the Butcher andThe Sheik by disqualification in the Kuramae Kokugikan.[15] The Funks' performance in the tournament and the violent bout with Abdullah and the Sheik saw themturnface in AJPW.
In July 1978, Funk took part in the AJPW Summer Action Series, where he teamed withDick Slater. Funk and Slater defeated Abdullah the Butcher andRufus Jones to become number one contenders to the NWA International Tag Team Championship, but failed to defeat Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta. In December 1978, the Funks competed in that year'sWorld's Strongest Tag Determination League, placing second with six points.[15]
In July 1979, the Funks wrestled in AJPW's Summer Action Series. In December 1979, they competed in that year's World's Strongest Tag Determination League, winning with 11 points. During the tournament, they once again defeated Abdullah the Butcher and The Sheik in the Kuramae Kokugikan.[15]
In March 1980, Funk competed in theChampion Carnival, a 13-man round-robin tournament. He placed joint third with 18 points. In October and November 1980, he wrestled for AJPW as part of its Giant Series. In December 1980, the Funks competed in that year's World's Strongest Tag Determination League, placing second with eight points.[15]
In April 1981, Funk wrestled on AJPW's International Champion Series, taking part in a tournament for theNWA International Heavyweight Championship. He defeatedKiller Brooks in the first round, but lost to Giant Baba in the second round by count-out. His brother Dory went on to win the title. On April 30, Terry unsuccessfully challenged Dory in his first title defence. In October 1981, the Funks wrestled on that year's Giant Series. In November and December 1981, the Funks competed in that year's World's Strongest Tag Determination League, placing joint second with 11 points.[15]
In April 1982, the Funks wrestled in the Grand Champion Series. In August and September, Funk wrestled in the Super Power Series. In November and December 1982, the Funks competed in that year's World's Strongest Tag Determination League, winning with nine points; the final match saw them defeatBruiser Brody and Stan Hansen in the Kuramae Kokugikan.[15]
In March and April 1983, the Funks took part in the Grand Champion Carnival I. On August 31, 1983, the Funks defeated Stan Hansen andTerry Gordy in the Kuramae Kokugikan. Following the match, Funk announced his retirement from professional wrestling (the first of many), giving an impassioned speech in which he declared "Japan number one! Forever and ever!", then repeated the word "Forever!" until being drowned out by the cheers of the audience.[15]
After Funk broke his retirement in October 1984 by wrestling forNWA St. Louis, he returned to AJPW the following month, competing in that year's World's Strongest Tag Determination League alongside Dory. They placed joint second with 10 points, losing toGenichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta.[15]
In August 1985, Funk took part in AJPW's Decisive Battle! Dynamite Wars tour alongside Dory. In October 1985, the Funks took part in the World Champion Carnival, facing teams such as theRoad Warriors.[15]
In October 1986, the Funks wrestled for AJPW as part of its Giant Series; during the tour, Funk unsuccessfully challengedPWF World Heavyweight ChampionRiki Choshu in the Ryogoku Kokugikan. In November and December 1986, they competed in that year's World's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing joint second with nine points.[15]
In November and December 1987, the Funks once again competed in the World's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing second with 14 points.[15]
Having wrestled a handful of matches for the New York-basedWorldwide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in the early-1970s, Funk made his return to the since-renamedWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) - by now in the midst of a nationwide expansion - in June 1985.[16] Dubbed "Terrible" Terry Funk and managed byJimmy Hart, he adopted the gimmick of a rugged cowboy,chewing tobacco and carrying abranding iron to ringside with which he "branded" his fallen opponents. In his televised debut onWWF Championship Wrestling, Funk defeatedAldo Marino, then attackedring announcer Mel Phillips after Phillips made the mistake of putting on Funk'scowboy hat. The attack on Phillips led to a feud with Junkyard Dog.[16]
In July 1985, Funk competed in thefirst King of the Ring tournament, losing toTito Santana by disqualifaction in the first round. In October 1985, he defeated Junkyard Dog atSaturday Night's Main Event III in theHersheypark Arena by using Hart'smegaphone as a weapon. In November 1985, Funk took part in a 16-man tournament atThe Wrestling Classic in theRosemont Horizon, losing toMoondog Spot in the first round by count out after his attempt to trick Spot into walking out on the match backfired. Throughout late-1985 and early-1986, Funk repeatedly unsuccessfully challengedWWF ChampionHulk Hogan, including a bout in theTampaSun Dome that aired onSaturday Night's Main Event IV, which saw Hogan defeat Funk after Junkyard Dog foiled attempted interference by Jimmy Hart. Funk also unsuccessfully challenged Tito Santana for theWWF Intercontinental Championship on several occasions. In a 1999 interview, Funk referred to 1985 as his most lucrative year in wrestling, with him having earned over $500,000 (equivalent to $1,462,000 in 2024).[17]
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 theLos Angeles Memorial Sports Arena segment ofWrestleMania 2, which the Funk Brothers won by using Hart's megaphone as a weapon. Later that month, Terry and Hoss were joined by the maskedJimmy Jack Funk, billed as their younger, more unstable brother. AtSaturday Night's Main Event VI in theProvidence 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.[18][19][16]
In May 1989, Funk debuted inWorld Championship Wrestling, defeatingEddie Guerrero on an episode ofWorld Championship Wrestling. Later that month, atWrestleWar '89: Music City Showdown, Funk was one of three judges for the main event between NWA World Heavyweight ChampionRic Flair andRicky 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. This put the champion, Flair, out of action. Funk went on to joinGary Hart'sJ-Tex Corporation.[16][20] AtClash 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 theGreat 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 byGary Hart andThe Great Muta.Sting came to aid Flair and the two brawled with Funk and Muta to close the show. AtClash of the Champions VIII in September 1989, Flair and Sting defeated Muta andDick Slater. After the match, Funk used a plastic shopping bag to suffocate Flair. AtHalloween Havoc in October 1989, Funk (who entered the ring toEnnio Morricone's "Man With a Harmonica") and The Great Muta lost to Flair and Sting in aThunderdome match. The feud then culminated in an"I Quit" match between Funk and Flair atClash of the Champions IX in November 1989, which Funk lost after yelling "Yes, I quit!" after Flair put on thefigure four leglock. After losing, Funk shook Flair's hand, and was attacked by Gary Hart's stable. This match received a5-star rating fromDave Meltzer.[21]
Soon after he became a color commentator and the host of his own segment, Funk's Grill, onNWA Power Hour where a tuxedo-clad Funk would amiably interview the top stars of WCW, both face and heel. This did not last long and he left soon after for the USWA.
After an absence of close to three years, the Funks returned to AJPW in October 1990 as part of its October Giant Series. In November–December 1990, they competed in that year'sWorld's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing joint third with 17 points.[15]
In April 1991, the Funks wrestled on AJPW's Champion Carnival tour. On April 9, 1991, the Funks defeated theCan-Am Express inKumamoto; this marked Funk's final match for AJPW until 2001.[15]
Funk debuted in the fledglingEastern Championship Wrestling promotion in January 1993 atECW Battle of the Belts, defeatingEddie Gilbert in an"I Quit"Texas Death match.[22][23] At theSuper Summer Sizzler Spectacular in June 1993, Gilbert defeated Funk in aTexas chain match massacre for the title of "King of Philadelphia" after the referee was revealed to be in cahoots with Gilbert.[22][24] AtUltraClash in September 1993, Funk andStan Hansen defeatedAbdullah the Butcher andKevin Sullivan in abunkhouse match by disqualification after Gilbert attacked Funk.[22][25] After the match, Gilbert gave a promo announcing his departure from ECW, marking the end of their feud.[25] AtNWA Bloodfest in October 1993, Funk defeatedJimmy Snuka in acage match to win theECW Television Championship.[22][26] His reign ended the following month atNovember to Remember whenRoad Warrior Hawk andSabu defeated Funk andKing Kong Bundy in a "winner takes all" tag team match with Funk's ECW Television Championship and Sabu'sECW Heavyweight Championship on the line after Bundy betrayed Funk by giving him anAvalanche Splash, enabling Sabu to pin him and become a double champion.[22][27]
After Sabu pinned Funk at November to Remember, his managerPaul E. Dangerously insulted Funk by saying that Funk's father would have died if he had seen him.[28] This led to a title match atHoliday Hell in December 1993, where Funk defeated Sabu in ano disqualification match to win the ECW Heavyweight Championship afterShane Douglas attacked Sabu.[22][29] AtThe Night the Line Was Crossed in February 1994, Funk defended his title against Sabu and Shane Douglas in athree way dance; the match ended in a time limit draw after 60 minutes.[22][30] AtUltimate Jeopardy in March 1994, Funk, Road Warrior Hawk, Kevin Sullivan, andTazmaniac faced Shane Douglas,Mr. Hughes, and thePublic Enemy in an "Ultimate Jeopardy steel cage match" in which each participant had a stipulation which would be implemented if they were defeated, with Funk's ECW Heavyweight Championship on the line. Douglas won the bout for his team by pinning Funk after tying aplastic bag over his head then giving him apiledriver, thereby winning the ECW Heavyweight Championship.[31][32][33][34]
After ECW entered into a talent exchange agreement with World Championship Wrestling, in May 1994 Funk wrestled on WCW'sSlamboree pay-per-view, while at the ECW eventWhen Worlds Collide Funk teamed with WCW wrestlerArn Anderson to face Sabu and WCW wrestlerBobby Eaton.[35] During the match, the Public Enemy attacked Funk at Dangerously's behest, hitting him in the leg with a2×4. Towards the end of the match, Funk attempted to hit Sabu with a steel chair, but instead accidentally struck Anderson, leading an irate Anderson to take the chair and hit Funk in the leg in retaliation. Sabu then applied asingle leg crab to Funk's injured leg, forcing him to submit; this marked the end of Funk's feud with Sabu and the beginning of a feud with the Public Enemy.[36][35][37] On the May 17 episode ofHardcore TV, Funk cut apromo, in which he announced that he would recruit his brother Dory Funk Jr. to gain revenge on Public Enemy.[38] AtHostile City Showdown in June 1994, the Funks wrestled the Public Enemy to a no contest. AtHeatwave '94: the Battle for the Future the following month, the Funks lost to the Public Enemy in abarbed wire match.[22][39]
AtHardcore Heaven in August 1994, Funk wrestledCactus Jack in the main event. After the Public Enemy interfered in the match by attacking Jack, it was declared a no contest. The Public Enemy then proceeded to attack Jack until Jack and Funk recovered and fought back. During the post-match fight, Funk called for a fan to toss him a steel chair. This set off a wild scene as several fans obliged Funk. More and more fans eventually got involved, and the ring began filling with chairs. Jack and Funk abruptly left the ring while Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge stayed down on the mat so as not to be struck by any of the steel chairs now being used as projectiles. The chaos resulted in Public Enemy being trapped under a massive pile of steel chairs, and the situation got so out of hand thatJoey Styles had to leave his broadcast position and take the public address microphone in order to get the fans to stop throwing chairs.[40] The Public Enemy's attack resulted in Funk and Jack forming an alliance and beginning a feud with Public Enemy. On the August 16 episode ofHardcore TV, a match was made between Public Enemy and the team of Funk and Jack for theECW Tag Team Championship atNWA World Title Tournament.[41] Funk did not appear at the event due to missing a flight (withMikey Whipwreck substituting for him), and would not return to ECW for around six months.[42]
In May 1993, Funk debuted in the Japanese promotion Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW). In his first match, he lost to FMW founderAtsushi Onita in a "no rope barbed wire current blast super large time bombdeath match" in theKawasaki Stadium at theFMW 4th Anniversary Show. In August 1993, he wrestled a series of matches for FMW as part of itsShingeki series, including teaming withTarzan Goto to defeat nephew and uncle duoSabu andThe Sheik in a tag teamstretcher death match, teaming with Onita to defeatMr. Pogo andRicky Fuji in a Texas street fight death match, and defeating boxerLeon Spinks by disqualification in a "different style fight".[43]
Funk returned to FMW for two matches in May 1994 as part of itsHaisuinojin series, defeating Sabu, then defeating The Sheik by knockout in a "no pinfall" match at theFMW 5th Anniversary Show.[43]
In April and May 1996, Funk took part in FMW's Fighting Creation series. During this tour, he formed a stable withSuper Leather,Headhunter A, andHeadhunter B, "Funk Masters of Wrestling". His matches during the tour included teaming with Mr. Pogo to defeatHayabusa andMasato Tanaka in a "no ropes barbed wire current mine explosion double hell time bomb tornado death match". At theFMW 7th Anniversary Show, Funk defeatedKoji Nakagawa inKawasaki Stadium.[43]
In November 1999, the Funks returned to FMW for theFMW 10th Anniversary Show, defeating Naohiko Yamazaki andYoshinori Sasaki in theYokohama Arena.[43]
In May 1994, Funk returned to WCW, joiningColonel Robert Parker'sStud Stable.[44] AtSlamboree later that month, he wrestledTully Blanchard to a double disqualification. Later that evening, Funk attackedDustin Rhodes, beginning a feud between the two men.[44][45] AtBash at the Beach in July 1994, Funk and stablemateBunkhouse Buck defeatedDustin Rhodes andArn Anderson when Andersonturned on Rhodes and defected to the Stud Stable.[44] In September 1994 atFall Brawl '94: War Games, the Stud Stable lost to Dustin Rhodes,Dusty Rhodes, and theNasty Boys in aWarGames match.[44] Funk left WCW once more in October 1994.[44]
In November 1994, Funk joined the fledglingInternational Wrestling Association of Japan, defeatingMiguel Pérez Jr. in theKanazawa Stadium. During the month, he competed in variousgimmick matches, including teaming with Hiroshi Ono to defeat Nobutaka Araya and Shoji Nakamaki in a "hair vs. hair no ropes barbed wire fire death match" and teaming withDick Slater to defeat theHeadhunters in a "scramble bunkhouse death match".[46]
Funk returned to IWA Japan in January 1995 as part of its New Year '95: Bound To Break tour, taking part in matches including teaming with Nakamaki in a loss toCactus Jack andTracy Smothers in a "no ropes barbed wire death match" and defeating Cactus Jack in a "no ropes barbed wire scramble bunkhouse death match". In March–April 1995, he took part in IWA Japan's Get the Glory, Grab the Glory tour, primarily facing the Headhunters.[46]
In August 1995, Funk was a participant in IWA Japan's "King of the Death Match" tournament, staged as part of theIWA Kawasaki Dream show inKawasaki, Kanagawa. After defeatingLeatherface in a "barbed wire board and chain match" andTiger Jeet Singh in a "barbed wire board and glass match", Funk lost to Cactus Jack in a "no ropes barbed wire exploding barbed wire boards and exploding ring time bomb death match".[46][47]
In December 1995, Funk took part in IWA Japan's 2nd Year Final Battle tour. Teaming withKeisuke Yamada, Funk competed in atournament for the vacantNWA World Tag Team Championship. Funk and Yamada finished joint second in the tournament with eight points.[46]
Funk returned to Eastern Championship Wrestling - by now renamedExtreme Championship Wrestling - atReturn of the Funker in March 1995, establishing himself as a heel by aligning himself withthe Sandman against Cactus Jack, with Shane Douglas coming to Jack's aid.[47][48][49] AtECW Extreme Warfare later that month, Funk and the Sandman defeated Jack and Douglas when Funk pinned Jack after grinding a flamingbranding iron on his chest and piledriving him onto the iron. AtHostile City Showdown in April 1995, Funk lost to Jack; after the match, he again attacked Jack with a flaming branding iron. Funk was subsequently absent for several months.
In October 1995, Funk returned to ECW to supportTommy Dreamer in his feud with Cactus Jack, who had turned heel by joining forces withRaven and adopting a cowardly disposition. On October 28, Funk accompanied Dreamer to ringside for a match with Jack, punching refereeBill Alfonso after he tried to allow Jack to walk out on the match. After the match, Funk and Dreamer brawled with Jack and Raven. During the brawl, Jack attempted to hit Funk with a flaming steel chair; as Jack swung the chair, thekerosene-soaked towel that had been affixed to the chair came loose and landed on Funk,legitimately badly burning his shoulder (a fan at ringside also burned his hand while trying to extinguish the flames on Funk).[47] AtNovember to Remember the following month, Funk and Dreamer defeated Jack and Raven. Funk subsequently departed ECW once more.[22]
Funk debuted inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling in May 1995 at theWrestling Dontaku 1995, held in theFukuoka Dome inFukuoka, Japan, where he teamed withShiro Koshinaka to defeatHiromichi Fuyuki andMasahiro Chono. Later that month, at the Heisei Ishingun Origin event inTokyo, Funk teamed withThe Great Kabuki to defeat Chono and Sabu.[50]
Funk returned to ECW atNovember to Remember 1996, substituting for the injuredPitbull #2 to team withTommy Dreamer to defeat Shane Douglas andBrian Lee. AtHouse Party in January 1997, Funk lost to Lee. AtCrossing the Line Again in February 1997, Funk defeatedTommy Rich. After his win, Funk declared his intention of challenging Raven for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.[51] AtCyberSlam later that month, Funk and Dreamer wrestled Lee and Raven to a no contest. AtHostile City Showdown in March 1997, Funk defeated Lee. Over the following weeks, Funk and Dreamer continued to feud with Raven, Lee, and Douglas.[22]
On April 13, 1997, Funk headlined ECW's first pay-per-view,Barely Legal, winning theECW World Heavyweight Championship from Raven. Earlier in the night, he defeated The Sandman andStevie Richards in atriple threat match, thus earning him the match with Raven. Funk went on to successfully defend the title in bouts atECW Chapter 2,The Buffalo Invasion,Wrestlepalooza, andHeat Wave. He was ultimately defeated for the title by Sabu in abarbed wire match atBorn to be Wired in August 1997, in which the ropes of the ring were taken down and replaced with barbed wire. Both men had to be cut out of the wires at the end of the match. Sabu had his biceps visibly torn open by the barbed wire – as a result, the wound was taped up and the match continued. Funk wrestled his final ECW match later that month atHardcore Heaven - ECW's second pay-per-view - competing in a three way elimination match for Sabu's ECW World Heavyweight Championship that was won by Shane Douglas.
In September 1997, a show was held in Funk's hometown of Amarillo. It was called "Terry Funk's WrestleFest" and was both his own show and a celebration of the careers of Terry, his father, and his brother. Terry lost to then-WWF ChampionBret Hart in the main event, a non-title match. Beforehand, ECW owner Paul Heyman presented Terry with a belt, paid for through a collection taken up by wrestlers on the ECW roster, that declared him theLifetime ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
After an absence of over 10 years, Funk returned to the World Wrestling Federation in January 1997. On the January 18, 1997 episode ofShotgun Saturday Night (filmed inSan Antonio, Texas), Funk was interviewed in the ring byTodd Pettengill about his participation in the upcomingRoyal Rumble match; during the interview, Funk called Pettengill's mother "a whore" andVince McMahon a "Yankee bastard", then instigated a brawl withStone Cold Steve Austin on color commentary.[52] Later that month, Funk competed in the1997 Royal Rumble match, entering at number 24 and lasting 15 minutes and 18 seconds before being eliminated byMankind.
Funk made his return to the WWF on the December 29, 1997, episode ofRaw as themasked "Chainsaw Charlie" (although his true identity was soon acknowledged by the announcers). According to Funk, he selected the "Chainsaw Charlie" persona in reference to a barber, and assembled the character's outfit himself ("...I got the suspenders fromHoward, tookBruce'sLevi's and I had that shirt on, borrowed a pair of pantyhose fromChyna, cut one leg out of them and there came Chainsaw Charlie.")[53]
Chainsaw Charlie formed a tag team with his former ally and rivalCactus Jack. The duo began feuding with theNew Age Outlaws, who defeated them by disqualification on the January 26, 1998 episode ofRaw. The following week onRaw, 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. AtNo Way Out of Texas: In Your House, Charlie and Jack teamed withStone Cold Steve Austin andOwen Hart, defeating the team ofTriple H,Savio Vega and the New Age Outlaws. AtWrestleMania XIV, Charlie and Jack defeated the New Age Outlaws in adumpster match to win theWWF Tag Team Championship.[54] The following night, on the March 30 episode ofRaw, Charlie and Jack lost the titles back to the New Age Outlaws in acage match.
On the April 13, 1998 episode ofRaw, Funk began wrestling as himself and formed a tag team with2 Cold Scorpio. The team was short lived but did defeat the likes ofthe Quebecers andthe Midnight Express. On the May 4 episode ofRaw, Funk was defeated by Foley in ano holds barred match. On the June 1 episode ofRaw, Funk was defeated byMark Henry in aKing of the Ring qualifying match. During the King of the Ring pay-per-view, Funk interfered in theMankind vs. The UndertakerHell in a Cell match, receiving achokeslam from The Undertaker.[55]
Funk then formed a short lived tag team withJustin Bradshaw, which defeatedToo Much on the July 25 episode ofWWF Shotgun Saturday Night. AtFully Loaded: In Your House, Funk and Bradshaw were defeated byFaarooq and 2 Cold Scorpio, with Bradshaw attacking Funk after the match.[56] Funk left the WWF once again the following month.
Funk returned to ECW atNovember to Remember 1998, where Tommy Dreamer and a mystery partner were to faceJustin Credible andJack Victory in aStairway 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 betweenBlue World Order andDanny Doring and Amish Roadkill, Funk slappedThe Blue Meanie, then attacked the Blue World Order after the match. Later in the evening, after Dreamer and his mystery partnerJake "the Snake" Roberts defeated Credible and Victory, Funk again confronted Dreamer, then attacked him.[57][58] AtGuilty 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.[59][60] A planned match between Funk and Dreamer atLiving Dangerously in March 1999 did not materialise when Funk became ill withhepatitis, side-lining him for several months.[61]
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 theNew Age Outlaws) alongsideArn Anderson,Larry Zbyszko, andPaul Orndorff to oppose theNew World Order (nWo). His first match upon returning saw him wrestle nWo memberBret Hart to a no contest in ahardcore match that aired onWCW Thunder. AtSouled 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.[44][62][61][63]
Funk went on to feud withRic Flair, including losing to Flair's sonDavid in an"I Quit" match onWCW Monday Nitro. The feud culminated in aTexas death match atSuperBrawl in February 2000 that was won by Flair. Funk then went on to feud withDustin Rhodes, losing to Rhodes in abullrope "I Quit" match atUncensored in March 2000.[44]
In April 2000, Funk began competing in WCW's hardcore division. AtSpring Stampede later that month he defeatedNorman Smiley to win the vacantWCW Hardcore Championship. AtSlamboree, Funk defeated Smiley and Ralphus to successfully defend the title. He lost the title toShane Douglas the following month, but regained it several days later. His second reign ended in June 2000 when he lost toEric Bischoff. In September 2000, Funk defeatedLance Storm for theWCW United States Heavyweight Championship at a house show inAmarillo, Texas. He lost the title back to Storm the following day. In December 2000 atStarrcade, Funk defeatedCrowbar to win the WCW Hardcore Championship for a record third time. He made his final appearance with WCW atSin in January 2001, losing the Hardcore Championship toMeng in athree way match that also involved Crowbar.[44]
In January 2001, Funk returned to AJPW after an absence of close to a decade as part of its "King's Road New Century" event: a joint promotional event held in theTokyo Dome featuring wrestlers from AJPW andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling. Funk teamed withAtsushi Onita to defeatAbdullah the Butcher and Giant Kimala.[15]
In October 2002, Funk wrestled for AJPW as part of its October Giant Series, primarily competing insix-man tag team matches. On October 27, he wrestled on AJPW's "Royal Road 30 Giant Battle in Budokan Final Battle" pay-per-view, teaming with Abdullah the Butcher to defeatTarzan Goto andTomoaki Honma in the Nippon Budokan.[15]
In January 2003, Funk wrestled on AJPW's 2ND WRESTLE-1 pay-per-view in the Tokyo Dome, teaming withmixed martial artistHeath Herring as the "New Texas Broncos" in a loss toHiroshi Hase andSatoshi Kojima. This marked Funk's penultimate match for AJPW, and his final match for the promotion for over 10 years.[15]
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From 2002 to 2004, Funk was a regular top star forRing of Honor Wrestling andMajor League Wrestling. Funk had several battles with the likes ofCM Punk, the Extreme Horsemen (Steve Corino,C. W. Anderson,Justin Credible andSimon Diamond) in specialty matches such as a No Ropes Barbed Wire Death Match, and a 5 on 5WarGames match. On MLW's final show until 2017, Funk was attacked by his former managerGary Hart and his syndicate.
On February 4, 2004, NWA-TNA, Funk andThe Sandman lost to The Gathering (CM Punk andJulio Dinero). On February 18, 2004, NWA-TNA, Funk andRaven defeated The Gathering.
In November 2004, Funk competed in the UK wrestling companyFWA's annual show entitled British Uprising. He teamed withPaul Burchill and Paul Travell, managed by "The Twisted Genius" Dean Ayass, to face The Triad, managed by Greg Lambert, in a 6-Man Tag Team match. Funk's team emerged victorious in front of a crowd of 2,000 people in the Coventry Skydome. In 2005, Funk received an offer from World Wrestling Entertainment to appear at the ECW reunion showOne Night Stand, but turned it down in favor of working the ECW nostalgia showHardcore Homecoming that was being put together by Shane Douglas. AtHardcore Homecoming, Funk lost a three-way barbed wire match to Sabu.
Funk made a brief return to WWE in 2006, when he appeared on the May 15 episode ofRaw, confrontingMick Foley over the attack onTommy Dreamer on the previous weeks episode ofRaw. AtECW One Night Stand, Funk would team with Dreamer andBeulah McGillicutty in a losing effort against Foley,Edge andLita.[64] 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.[64]
In September 2006, Funk facedJerry "The King" Lawler in an Extreme Rules match at The Great Plains Coliseum inLawton, Oklahoma, for the promotion Impact Zone Wrestling.[65][66] Funk was also thespecial guest referee during the Raven and Johnny Webb vs. Khan Kussion and Homeless Jimmy match at "Cold Day in Hell" on May 24.[67]
Funk, along with his brother Dory, was inducted in theWWE Hall of Fame in 2009 by his longtime friendDusty Rhodes.
On May 23, 2009, Funk made an unannounced appearance at ahouse show forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling. At the show, Terry joined longtime friend,Mick Foley, as special guest enforcers for a match betweenScott Steiner andSamoa Joe.
In August 2009, Terry made a surprise appearance forInsane Clown Posse'sJuggalo Championship Wrestling at the 10th AnnualGathering of the Juggalos. He served as special guest referee for a match betweenViscera and2 Tuff Tony. Funk also appeared at the annualNJPWJanuary 4 Dome Show in 2010, teaming withManabu Nakanishi,Masahiro Chono andRiki Choshu to defeatAbdullah the Butcher,Takashi Iizuka,Tomohiro Ishii andToru Yano.[68]
On September 11, 2010, at Ring of Honor'sGlory By Honor IX, Funk worked as theringside enforcer for theROH World Championship match betweenTyler Black andRoderick Strong.[69] Funk appeared at the fifthWrestleReunion event at the LAX Hilton inLos Angeles, California, from January 28 to 30, 2011. On the second day of the event, he competed in a Legends Battle Royale on thePro Wrestling Guerrilla show. He lasted until the end where he was eliminated byRoddy Piper.[70] Funk wrestledJerry 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 protégéTommy 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 officially retired from professional wrestling at age 68,[71] On October 27, 2013, he returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling with Dory in a tag team match, wrestlingMasanobu Fuchi andOsamu Nishimura to a 20-minute time limit draw; this was his final match for AJPW.[15][72] On November 9, 2013, Funk appeared at House of Hardcore 3 as Tommy Dreamer's tag team partner. They defeated Sean Waltman and Lance Storm and the match was promoted as the last time Dreamer and Funk would wrestle together.
In 2013, Funk inductedMick Foley into the WWE Hall of Fame.
On December 11, 2014, Funk returned to Japan for aTokyo Gurentai independent event, which saw him,Masakatsu Funaki andMil Máscaras defeatKaz Hayashi,Nosawa Rongai andYoshiaki Fujiwara in a six-man tag team main event.[73] On October 16, 2015, Funk made an appearance at AIW's Big Trouble in Little Cleveland event, where he attackedEddie Kingston and his manager, The Duke, destroying the concession stand in the process. On October 24, 2015, Funk had his last match at USA Championship Wrestling inJackson, Tennessee, atOman Arena againstJerry Lawler, Lawler went on to win by DQ. On September 17, 2016, Funk announced his retirement at House of Hardcore 17.[74]
Funk made a cameo appearance on the March 21, 2016, episode ofRaw, givingDean Ambrose a pep-talk for his match againstBrock Lesnar atWrestleMania 32. At the conclusion of the segment, Funk presented Ambrose with a chainsaw, in reference to his previous gimmick as Chainsaw Charlie.
Funk made another return to the ring on September 22, 2017, for the Big Time Wrestling promotion inRaleigh, North Carolina. He teamed withThe Rock N' Roll Express in a six-man tag team match, where they defeatedDoug Gilbert, Jerry Lawler and Lawler's sonBrian Christopher via disqualification in what was Funk's final match.[75]
Funk's appearance in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone movieParadise Alley would lead to numerous collaborations between Funk and Stallone.[7] Funk would do stunts forRocky III, and also recommended Hulk Hogan's appearance in the film to Stallone.[7][76]
Terry Funk appeared as a bouncer in the movieRoad House (1989) withPatrick Swayze. In 1999, Funk was featured in director Barry Blaustein's wrestling documentaryBeyond 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 asThe Ringer, and 1987 Stallone filmOver the Top.[77][7] He released an autobiography,Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore, in 2005.On May 11, 2010, Funk appeared on "Right After Wrestling" withArda Ocal onSIRIUS Satellite Radio to discuss his possible retirement, to which he replied "I never really truly will retire". This was also the interview with the infamous quote, "I dislike Vince (McMahon). I'm jealous of Vince."
In 1985, Funk appeared in the short-lived westernWildside. Only six episodes were aired. Behind the scenes, Funk choreographed the street fight between Rocky Balboa and his nemesis Tommy Gunn at the end ofRocky V. Funk's name can be seen in the end credits. Funk also had a short lived career in music. The release of the album "Great Texan" in 1984 which was a soft rock AOR oriented album. The album was met with mixed reviews and is generally considered a "cult classic" by fans. Funk also appeared in several WWE video games, inWWE SmackDown vs Raw 2008 andWWE SmackDown vs Raw 2011 as himself and inWWE '13 as downloadable content as his Chainsaw Charlie gimmick. He was also included as downloadable content forWWE 2K24,[78] andWWE 2K25.
In July 2022, Terry Funk released his self-titled biographical comic book through Squared Circle Comics.[79]
Funk married his wife Vicky Ann on August 14, 1965. They had two daughters together. For many years, Terry and Vicky owned a ranch inCanyon, Texas, which they later sold. Vicky died on March 29, 2019.[80] Funk was close friends withNFL playerJohn Ayers andHollywood actorSylvester 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.[81]
In June 2021, fellow wrestling legendDon Muraco reported Funk was diagnosed as living withdementia and was living in an assisted living facility.[82] On December 29, 2021,Ric Flair announced on hispodcast withMark Madden that Funk had returned home and was doing well.[83]
On August 23, 2023, Funk died of complications from dementia at the age of 79, at aPhoenix-area hospital.[84][85][86] The August 25 episode ofSmackDown honored him andBray 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 betweenThe Brawling Brutes and theStreet Profits.[87][88]
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| 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 |
| 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" |
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