Terry Funk

[MoS]

I know Funk's most recognised heel run is in 1989 vs Flair, but his empty arena match against Lawler is his single best heel performance I have ever seen. I do not know if it is a controversial opinion, but I genuinely believe it.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Everyone stop what they are doing and watch Terry Funk vs Bob Orton from May 26, 1983 Southwest World Championship Tournament. I am not even going to spoil any awesomeness. I gave it ****3/4. Incredible narrative building. One of the most logically progressive matches ever!

[Jimmy Redman]

Everyone stop what they are doing and watch Terry Funk vs Bob Orton from May 26, 1983 Southwest World Championship Tournament. I am not even going to spoil any awesomeness. I gave it ****3/4. Incredible narrative building. One of the most logically progressive matches ever!

 

Having just taken your advice, I 100% endorse this.

[fxnj]

Everyone stop what they are doing and watch Terry Funk vs Bob Orton from May 26, 1983 Southwest World Championship Tournament. I am not even going to spoil any awesomeness. I gave it ****3/4. Incredible narrative building. One of the most logically progressive matches ever!

Hell of a match. Actually thought it was more of a great Orton performance, though, with how vicious he went after Funk in the first half and then selling the leg for Funk's comeback in the 2nd half. It makes me think Orton deserves more pimping as he's someone who's so smooth and natural looking in everything he does you don't even notice how good he is.

[Jmare007]

That match was awesome! Can't believe it's been on youtube since last year and hadn't read anything about it.

[Matt D]

I started to watch it a few weeks ago when I was finishing up my list and had to place Orton but caught up in other stuff. I'll catch it in full later.

[Loss]

I just checked it out. Too tired to really elaborate at the moment, but that was an awesome match that I'm glad I saw. 4.5-ish.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I know I saw the date of the match and that it had like 8.5k views and was shocked that no one was talking about it. I tweeted Charles, Pete and Dylan and was totally prepared for them to tell me they had seen it like five years ago. The only reason I believe it has not been talked about was because it was from Southwest and that's pretty unexplored. I found it by accident trying to see if Terry Funk vs Tully Blanchard existed from Southwest.

 

Orton's performance was great, I should have went more into detail about his punches and his selling! His selling was phenomenal heel selling.

 

Loss, I can totally see 4.5 given it was 20 minutes and a draw. I don't see anything lower than that. I got 4.75 just because how well connected everything was.

[Jmare007]

Yeah, the way Orton stood up after Terry worked on his leg was glorious. That's selling right there.

[WingedEagle]

My thoughts on the match from the MDA --

 

 

Wow! Talk about a match that came out of nowhere. No need for a detailed review as Sleeze hit the nail on the head, but this match was a textbook example of escalation and progression. The clean start with contested lockups and attempts for control. The handshakes that soon became slaps. The wristlock and arm twists that became vicious elbows to the back of the neck by Funk or big bombs from Orton as Funk was draped over the apron. After delivering the scientific start and the brawling, they deliver the limb work as well with Funk's Spinning Toehold weakening the leg and playing a factor down the stretch. Like near falls? I do. We had a great one here on the Orton Piledriver, but they weren't overdone. It was a big moment in the match rather than part of any finisher spam that might take some out of the moment.

 

This was a real treat and one hell of a find as I'd never heard about this from even the most ardent Funk fans. I can't go quite as high as my man Sleeze given the finish, as those kind of snowflakes usually require a hot and convincing conclusion that builds upon the match, but we're splitting hairs here and this just below.

 

****1/2

 

Wanted to add that here as well, as this match is *exactly* what I love and want from Terry Funk. In this setting, working this style he is right there with those I consider the best wrestlers ever. The wobbly selling and punch drunk route his selling often goes doesn't have as much mileage for me as does his work against Orton here. Or against Jumbo in '76, Flair '89, other babyface in Japan. I want more of this! Its gross to think about how much outrageously fantastic Funk material from the 70s we don't have on tape. Where are more matches like this one?? Hit me up.

[Matt D]

Just curious, how much were people affected by the AJPW footage that popped up in the last year in voting for Funk? That was a huge part of it for me, supplementing what we already had to what felt like a pretty big degree. If not that, what specific footage that you hadn't seen raised him in your eyes during the voting period?

[shoe]

I gave it 4.5. Though the coin flip killed me.

[Matt D]

My favorite two thing about Funk vs Orton were A) the transitions between acts. I thought they had backed themselves into a corner with first the piledriver and then the severity of the leg damage but they successfully transitioned out of both and B ) how much Orton came off like a star. That was half Orton and half Funk but I'd rarely seen him like that. The symmetry in the slaps, for instance, was great.

[WingedEagle]

I gave it 4.5. Though the coin flip killed me.

 

Yep, this was a money finish away from being a true classic, but still an incredible find. One of the rare times you wish the video feed cut out a little early

[Superstar Sleeze]

You know whats even funnier is that Funk does not even get to advance to the finals. Orton is the one who faces Adonis in the finals...maybe I should track that down...hmmmmm....

 

Totally agree, Matt!

[JerryvonKramer]

I think I reviewed that here: http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/33155-bob-orton-jr/?p=5724327

[ohtani's jacket]

Is there a version of this match that doesn't have the dubbed over fan commentary? Because that ruined it for me.

[elliott]

I voted for Terry FUnk #1 in 2016 and at the launch of the 2026 project, the only thing thats changed is I have him even more firmly positioned at #1. I was honestly surprised that he finished 2nd in 2016 and I'll be glad if he stays in the top 3 (I expect Bryan to leapfrog Terry and be Flair's challenge for #1). There's the old line about how Terry was awesome but didn't have enough top tier matches to be the GOAT and that argument is so far gone for me its comical. I think Terry's list of great matches challenges just about anyone ever and the variety is sure to set him apart. But beyond just great matches there's nothing in wrestling that Terry couldn't or didn't do in and around the ring. 

[smoldoink]

Your ballot shouldn't even be counted if you cant find room for Terry. Did everything, everywhere at a high level for what seems like forever. 

[elliott]

I ranked Terry #1 in 2016 and I can't imagine that changing. I wrote this elsewhere a couple of years ago and figured I'd cross post it. 

The best wrestler ever.

The old argument that "Terry was great but lacks the classics you want from a #1 contender" that you'd hear, even from his biggest fans, years ago is dead and gone to me. There are probably 20-25 Terry Funk matches I would consider strong candidates for a top 100 matches of all time list and probably another 25-50 I think are great matches.

At a minimum: He's one of the 10 best heels and 10 best babyfaces of all time. He was the straw that stirred the drink on one of the 10 best tag teams ever. He's one of the 10 best singles match wrestlers ever. He's one of the 10 best brawlers ever. As more title match style stuff comes out the stronger the case for him as an all time title match/technical style wrestler gets stronger and stronger. He's one of the great comedic wrestlers ever (Funk vs Martel in PR might be the funniest match ever). Beyond just in ring work, he's one of the 10 best talkers of all time.

We can break down specific tools like offense, selling, and bumping and Terry will rate highly at every aspect. If you take a broader view of in ring traits like psychology, adaptability, versatility is there anyone ever better than Terry Funk?

I also consider him the defining pro wrestler of the last 70 years (basically since TV). Terry Funk is pro wrestling. I know that's some eye-rolling, fan boy sounding stuff right there and I want to make something clear off the bat. I'm not saying he's the most important or influential or best drawing wrestler of the last 70 years. That would be crazy. But I think the story of pro-wrestling for the last 70 years is best told through Terry Funk. One might be inclined to call him the Forrest Gump of Pro Wrestling, but Funk was more active participant than passive viewer. Consider Terry Funk's highlights:

2nd Generation Pro Wrestler & Younger Brother of highly regarded Pro. Many popular wrestlers are 2nd generation stars & relatives of other wrestlers. It was a hard business to break into without connections.
Played football at West Texas State. A crazy amount of West Texas State football players went on to have successful pro-wrestling careers.
Terry started his career in the territory system. The primary business model for pro-wrestling prior to WWF's expansion. He had memorable feuds with the defining wrestlers of certain territories. vs Dusty Rhodes in Florida, Jerry Lawler in Memphis, etc.
Terry was the 14th man to hold the NWA title, making himself & former champ Dory Jr the first pair of brothers to hold the NWA title. This meant that Terry had risen to the top of the industry.
Terry was the top foreigner & one of the top wrestlers overall in Japan at a time when working in Japan was consider prestigious because of the pay scale and perks. 
When Stan Hansen jumped from NJPW to AJPW, he attacked Terry Funk.
In general, Terry worked everywhere there was wrestling. North America, Asia, Europe & Africa. Had there been a match in Antarctica, surely it would have been between Terry Funk & either Abdullah the Butcher or Mark Lewin. (I don't think he worked South America, but nobody knows about that stuff anyway).
When the WWF went national & changed the business, Terry Funk came in for a feud with Hulk Hogan. Terry appeared on the first ever WWF PPV, the Wrestling Classic. He worked the 2nd WrestleMania. He was on the 3rd Saturday Night Main Event & main evented the 4th against Hogan.
When WCW went national & had arguably the greatest in ring year of any company ever, Terry Funk came in & feuded with Ric Flair.
He became the first big Independent Star of the post territory world with big feuds guys like Eddie Gilbert, Kevin Sullivan, Abdullah & eventually Sabu & Cactus Jack.
Was the first big star to main event ECW and would main event and win the world title at ECW's first PPV.
Main evented the first FMW Anniversary Show at Kawasaki Stadium against Onita drawing 41,000 creating a tradition that lasted only 4 years but was extremely successful.
Worked in WWF during Austin vs McMahon & worked in a pushed match on Mania 14 underneath Austin's coronation.
Worked in WCW underneath Russo's madness.
Worked post ECW independent nostalgia shows against guys like Lawler in Memphis, Douglas/Sabu in the North East, & Dusty in Florida.
Worked the early post ECW independents like Ring of Honor or JAPW against the next generation like CM Punk & Homicide.
Worked ECW National Revival for modern Corporate Share Holders WWE on PPV.
He is currently retired but lives on via new media like Youtube or WWE Network.

He worked against Baba, Inoki, Jumbo, Tenryu, Choshu, & Onita in Japan. 
He worked against Carlos Colon in Puerto Rico. Dusty & Jack Brisco in Florida. Bill Watts in Texas. Lawler in Memphis. Gene Kiniski in St. Louis. Sheik in Detroit. Harley in KC. etc etc
In ECW he worked against Sabu, Shane Douglas, Public Enemy.
In ROH he worked against CM Punk.
He worked against Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Sting, & Lex Luger in WCW.
He worked against Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, The Rock, Undertaker, & Steve Austin for The WWWF/WWF/WWE. (He even worked on a WWE PPV headlined by John Cena)
He worked against world travelers Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, Mil Mascaras, Mick Foley, Stan Hansen Mark Lewin, and Billy Robinson all over the world.

He worked f0r WWWF Vince McMahon
He worked for WWF Vince McMahon & WWE Vince McMahon and on screen MR MCMAHON.
He worked for Giant Baba
He worked for Carlos Colon
He worked for Atsushi Onita
He worked for ECW Heyman
He worked for pre-NWO Eric Bischoff & post NWO Bischoff.
He worked for attitude era WWF Vince Russo & fully unleashed cocaine nightmare WCW Vince Russo.

He worked countless untelevised house shows, local syndicated tv shows, national tv shows, cable tv shows, and ppv shows many of which have been available on 8mm film, vhs, laser disc, dvd, blu ray & now streaming online.

He has worked territories, national promotions, independent promotions & corporate promotions.

He has won & defended the NWA World Title. He has also worked in empty arena matches & barbed wire exploding death matches.

If I wanted to tell the story of Pro-Wrestling over the last 70 years, I would tell it through Terry Funk. He is pro wrestling and he is the greatest of all time.

[Jmare007]

Yup, he was #2 for me last time and I can totally see myself putting him #1 this time around. No matter what I watch from Terry, he hooks me in. Kinda hard to follow up what Elliot said because I feel the exact same way.

And yeah, new Funk stuff showing is legit one of the highlights of my fandom each year. It's crazy that no matter how stupid high expectations I might have over something (like the Harley Race match), the Funker matches it or exceeds it.

He's wrestling's God, indeed.

[strobogo]

It really is absolutely nuts how many all timers and promotions he worked. Almost every major champion from every major company from the mid 60s up to the late 90s and a few guys who who would be come champions into the mid 00s or even up to this year.

 

He worked with or against every NWA Champion from Kinski through the end of the WCW/NWA relationship (and also Lou Thesz and Pat O'Connor, as well as a number of the post WCW and TNA era guys) 

He worked with or against every WWE Champion from Bruno through DiBiase, as well as Bret/Sid/Foley/Austin/Taker/Nash/Rock/HHH/Bradshaw/Eddie/Benoit/Punk/Edge, as well as a battle royal with Show/Mark Henry/Lashley/Kurt Angle.

He worked with literally almost every single AWA Champion besides Verne, Mr. Saito, and Larry Z.

He worked with nearly every ECW Champion besides Mikey Whipwreck.

He worked with or against every Triple Crown holder from Jumbo all the way through Muta in 2002 with Hashimoto being the first guy to hold the Triple Crown that he didn't work at some point. 

Despite very rarely working NJPW, he still worked with or against nearly all the people who would hold the title from 1987 to 2000. 

 

The only handful of guys he never seemed to match up with at some point were Randy Savage (although he did face both Angelo and Lanny), Rick Rude, HBK, Hashimoto, and AJ Styles.

 

Terry Funk seriously has matches that range from Lou Thesz to Steve Austin to CM Punk to Tomohiro Ishii. There's probably never been a guy in wrestling that has worked with as many father/son duos in the history of pro wrestling. He worked all 3 generations of Ortons. Dusty and Dustin. Gory and Chavo/Mando/Eddie Guerrero. Larry and Curt Hennig. Eddie and Mike Graham. Fritz and Kerry/David/Kevin. Blackjack Mulligan and Barry Windham. Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, and The Rock. The entire Armstrong clan. Johnny and Greg Valentine. Tommy, Eddie, and Doug Gilbert. Jerry Lawler and Brian Christopher. Boris Malenko and Dean/Joe. Mike and Ted DiBiase. 

[strobogo]

Road Warriors vs Funks, 1986, AJPW.

 

Hawk no sells Terry's piledriver. He then hits one on Terry. Terry then no sells it while also selling like Terry Funk while also selling like Terry Funk trying to no sell and it is the most delightful thing I've ever seen. 

[Grimmas]

My #1 in 2016 and currently sits as my #1 man on the list and I don't see how that can't last. One of the best wrestlers ever at mixing in comedy, but not having comedy matches. You can throw on any Terry Funk match and, at the very least, it will be entertaining. The longevity is there, and wildly we have very very little of their actual prime. Has the ability to be an amazing heel or babyface, work tags or singles, work brawls or regular matches, work undercard or main events. The charisma jumps off the page with them in the ring too.

[Shrike02]

41 minutes ago, Grimmas said:

My #1 in 2016 and currently sits as my #1 man on the list and I don't see how that can't last.

How many female wrestlers do you have on your working list ahead of Funk, out of curiosity?