Terry Funk

[Steve Gennarelli]

Terry was one of the biggest name in 70's Pro Wrestling. I'd say his "prime" in the business was in the 70's.

 

So fans that learned of him in the 90's ECW and even those who saw him for the first time in his feud with Ric Flair in '89, are only seeing this great wrestling legend at about 60% of his full talent and ability.

 

From the late 80's and on, the guy's knees were so gone, yet he still mesmerized audiences with his ability to be so "over" with the audience because Terry Funk IS one of the all time top performers in the ring.

 

See if you can find tapes, DVD's or You Tube footage of him in the 70's and you will see Terry at his best.

[Matt D]

I'm trying to slowly fill in my Funk gap. So let's see.

 

Terry Funk vs Rick Martel WWC 9/20/1986

 

This is the second round of some tournament. Funky's goofy as hell to begin, arguing with the ref, trying to slap Martel, skittering around the ring. Martel's doing phantom knee drops to the middle of the ring like Flair. Funk's goofing about fake boxing. So far as stalling goes, this is entertaining. And I love the boxing stuff back out of Martel since I've never seen him do it. Super over the top babyface act as Funk stumbles about the ring and then shimmers around the apron with the brander behind his back. Funk gets the surprise advantage (which is the point of stalling) but then crotches himself ont he top. Martel STILL sells the slam for a second because he's that good. Meanwhile Funk is throwing chairs into the fourth row of the outside stadium crowd and this is pretty awesome. They go in, do a few things and Funk ends up draped over the top rope pantsed. After a minute of that, Funk goes for the handshake. Martel's mannerisms are great here. He's outright disgusted. Top wrist lock into the corner with a clean, hilariously patting breka by Funk.

 

Martel is so good at working on top of a headlock and Funk's just as good as selling it. And this is great. Funk is using the clean breaks to build up trust so it matters more when he actually does the cheapshot. Martel's spinning headlock is great. And Funk puts his finger in his ear looking for wax after the second of the rope breaks off the headlock. Then he gets a headlock of his own and HA! Mule kick to the groin in it behind the ref's back. Pile driver out on the grass. Tossing a cup at him and stomping. Great stuff. That's one of most beautiful transitions I've ever seen. Martel sells well on the outside, flailing and stumbling. Funk uses first a sleeper and then a wire and he works the motions of hiding it into his chinlock/choke perfectly. Martel fights out in the corner, chokes him, gets a sleeper of his own on and they topple over the top rope. Then Funk ends up with achair around his head and gets pile driven. This has some feel of the early comedy but the violence has escalated so it's not funny anymore so much as a huge spectacle.

 

Poor Martel misses his slingshot in (like always). Funk bypases him out and the announcers shout Terry Funk, el magnifico lunchador loco or something like that and you believe them. Funk reverses a sunset flip in, grabs the ropes, and that's the match.

 

Funks vs Can-Am Connection - AJPW - Nov-Dec 86

 

I think this is what I'm watching at least. If I'm wrong, someone can tell me. What's cool is that the same two guys start out completely differently. Handshake. Lots of rope running, armdrags, etc. And another handshake for good measure as Terry tags Dory in. Martel and Dory have a fun little exchange with Martel powering out of an abdominal stretch by grabbing the hand and then hitting a quick roll up. They give Zenk a little moment where he holds the ropes to avoid a double team. There's a storyline sense that the Funks respect Martel more than Zenk, but there's a lightning quick dodge of an elbow between Terry and Tom. When Martel comes in, he has a different intensity, as if he's pissed off by the way they were treating his partner, clubbers a bit uncharacteristically and then snaps on a stretch of his own. Dory breaks it up and Zenk runs in, overzealous and the ref counts it as a tag. Terry gets Zenk immediately into the corner and they start working over him. It's fun how the feel of this match changed from the beginning. They cut off the ring, and keep tossing him out. Funks keeps on brutalizing Zenk first with a huge atomic drop outside the ring and then with suplexes and a piledriver as Martel gets more pissed off, even running Terry off at one point. The Funks are just a machine here, hitting one big move after the next. Zenk gets kickouts and a hope roll up or sunset flip but gets cut off as he goes for the corner. This is really solid stuff. Dory starts on the spinning toe hold and I like how he keeps having to push Zenk down, only to eat a roll through that allows for the hot tag.

 

Martel comes in pissed off and just clears house. Oh, this is great. First he did that Stretch because they did it to Zenk and now he gives Terry a HUGE atomic drop on the outside since he did that to Zenk. REALLY smart and heated stuff. That's the most heated atomic drop I've ever seen. Funk dashes in and out of the ring trying to get away from Martel and it's this frenetic but contained burst. Funk stays in the ropes and offers the hand again in a great call back to the beginning of the match but Martel is pissed off. I THINK the crowd is chanting Martel. He finally takes the hand and lets Dory tag in. They do a clean break but Terry is lurking on the outside. The story at this point, to me, is that they came in, three former world champions and one young kid. And Martel got pissed off when they started taking advantage of his partner, and Terry, desperate, tried to calm him down by appealing to their mutual respect. Except for now, they feel like he's not quite in the same club or on the same page as them anymore, so they're just waiting to get him from behind. It's pretty compelling and pretty complex actually.

 

Then finally, Terry tries it in the corner but Martel is ready and starts fighting back huge. He tags in Zenk who hits a sloppy flying body press. Dory breaks it up. Things break down. They hit a double drop kick on Dory knocking him out of the ring and then on Terry. Zenk hits a sunset flip on Funk, Dory and Martel start brawling and Funk reverses it with the best over the top leverage pin you'll ever see.

 

Great, great match. I loved it.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Terry Funk vs Mr. Wrestling II - 11/25/85 MSG

 

I have heard Dylan speak of this match; I know he likes the Poffo match (I liked it a good deal) more. I have never seen Mr. Wrestling II, but from my understanding he was as old as dirt in this match. So sorry, Mr. Wrestling II fans, this was The Funker show. Wrestling II was just there to supply some Dusty gyrations and knee lifts. So my question is how was doing the gyrations first: The American Dream or Mr. Wrestling II?

 

Funk is on top of his game in this long match by WWF standards. He chases Mel Phillips around the ring in attempt to brand him. Wrestling II wrangles him. They dod a criss-cross sequence, but Funk continues after Wrestling II stops. I know I have seen that spot before, but it never gets old. Funk gets even more flustered and goes to kick to the turnbuckle, but hits the metal. OW! I have never seen that before. Funk seems to know how to work comedy better into his matches than Murdoch, who sometimes gets a little too Three Stooges. The Body seems a bit under the weather as he is not that energetic, maybe hung over? Jimmy Hart is at his most effective in terms of his WWF run here with the mega-phone. He is consulting and being an active participant. In the WWF, always felt he didnt do much with the Hart Foundation. I have not watched much Honky Tonk, though.

 

Funk bodyslams and goes for an elbow misses. Misses another elbow. And another. Wrestling II up with a knee-lift and another great sequence and he shakes what his momma gave him to punctuate it. Funk hops over the guardrail and plans to leave through the fans and the police escort him back. Nuthin doin', Funker. Wrestling II backdrops Funk out of the ring and Hart and Funk struggle to get Funk back up. They do an excellent apron spot with Funk on the outside. Funk takes over on the outside. BIG chop by Funk! During a sleeper, Funk takes his elbow pad off and chokes Wrestling II. Never seen that either, great spot! Wrestling II chases the Mouth of South him under the ring and Funk is able to take over. Funk catches him with an knee as he bullrushes him in the corner and that's the finish.

 

There were some dull stretches in there, but I chock that up to Wrestling II being old. He was moving in slow-motion on some of those sequences. I remember liking the Poffo match better, but this match maybe a better testament to Funk's ability.

[Kronos]

Funk vs Cactus, KOTDM Finals 8/20/1995

 

Can someone explain to me what happened with the counting? It sounded like the announcing counted out the time. Did they just restart the match, since there was no winner? It went on for another 5 minutes before the final pinfall.

[Grimmas]

Funk vs Cactus, KOTDM Finals 8/20/1995

 

Can someone explain to me what happened with the counting? It sounded like the announcing counted out the time. Did they just restart the match, since there was no winner? It went on for another 5 minutes before the final pinfall.

The countdown was to the explosion, if I remember correctly.

[Kronos]

Funk vs Cactus, KOTDM Finals 8/20/1995

 

Can someone explain to me what happened with the counting? It sounded like the announcing counted out the time. Did they just restart the match, since there was no winner? It went on for another 5 minutes before the final pinfall.

The countdown was to the explosion, if I remember correctly.

 

Oh. That's just silly, then.

[Phil Schneider]

Masaji Aoyagi/Terry Funk/Great Kabuki v. Leatherface/Metalface/Freddie Kruger IWA 1998-GREAT

 

Cool discovery, this is a HH from IWA and the kind of fun wild brawl you would expect from this group of guys. Not sure who was playing Leatheface but he was the highlight of the Monster team, pinballing around the ring for the babyface team including making Kabuki look like a killer, and taking big bumps into chairs. Aoyagi is a bit of a minor player in the match, but he definitely brings the violence whenever he tags in. Of course Terry Funk was great, it pretty much goes without saying, and if you can't enjoy Terry Funk recklessly throwing chairs at movie monsters, you should probably get a different hobby.

[WingedEagle]

I watched Funk vs. Jumbo from '76 today. It was a great world title match and I can see why at the time it might have felt like an all time classic. But it didn't register with me as such a classic today in 2013. What am I missing?

[NintendoLogic]

I'm finding that the more of Terry I see, the less I like him. When he keeps his goofiness in check, he's great. But when he doesn't, I find him intolerable.

[JazeUSA]

The old ''Florida Cracker'' promo could possibly be one of the best I've ever saw from a ''mad man'' I LOVE TERRY FUNK!

[WingedEagle]

I was recently looking at an old Observer talking about Lawler's book and went into some detail about the Funk feud. Apparently he burned the hell out of his eyes and spent days trying to get the oil out of his hair. And then somehow the match didn't draw as well as previous versions!!

[Sidebottom]

Although over rates, the Sabu / Douglas / Funk match is still excellent and Douglas selflessly credited the success of this to Funk structuring everything.

[goodhelmet]

Everyone I know hates that match. Interesting.

[El-P]

I like that match quite a bit too.

 

And yeah, Douglas said that coming off of it, he thought the match sucked and he was very surprised that the audience reacted in a positive way. And credited Funk for whatever made it work.

[cheapshot]

That was the first ECW match I saw, and I loved it at the time. And as a naive teenager, I thought it was Douglas who was the "worker" in the match. Little did I know! No idea how it would hold up now though.

[Guest TheGreatPuma]

Yes, I liked the triple threat match between Sabu, Douglas and Funk a lot too.

[goodhelmet]

I don't know you guys personally

[shoe]

Have any of you guys watched that triple threat recently? I can't comment much in it because it's been a while. I remember hating the match. It was a train wreck.

[Dylan Waco]

That match is shit and this is coming from a guy who loves Terry Funk

[El-P]

Have any of you guys watched that triple threat recently? I can't comment much in it because it's been a while. I remember hating the match. It was a train wreck.

Yes, when I was doing my ECW watch a few years ago. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Messy of course but in a fun way.

[shoe]

Have any of you guys watched that triple threat recently? I can't comment much in it because it's been a while. I remember hating the match. It was a train wreck.

Yes, when I was doing my ECW watch a few years ago. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Messy of course but in a fun way.

 

 

Different strokes for different folks. I'm

with Will and Dylan on this one.

[peachchaos]

Maybe worth noting that there were two "Three Way Dance" matches between Douglas, Funk and Sabu. The first in '94 at The Night the Line Was Crossed, and a sequel at the second PPV, Hardcore Heaven '97.

 

Although neither match is something I'd consider worthwhile on whole, I do recall the PPV match being at least a bit more coherent.

 

The interview segment in the hotel after the first match in 1994 is, however, required viewing.