[1977-07-01-Houston Wrestling] Harley Race vs Terry Funk

[shoe]

This is a total Holy grail match. This service is the best. A chess match right off the bat. A total feeling out process, and a little mind games. Big chop and Funk strikes 1st. Terry on the arm. Funk really wringing that arm out. Funk transitions into an arm stretch. Funk just rubbing into the arm. Funk just standing on Harley's face. Then a hammerlock with his feet. This is how you work an arm. Everything is gritty. Some of the holds look unatural. Harley's facials are great putting over the arm work. Terry Funk with a press slam and back to murdering that arm. The stepping on Harley's head is just plain nasty. We get a slight clip about 2 minutes, and Harley is working a headlock. The struggle on the headlock is tremendous. Boesch is tremendous calling this, and explaining why the headlock is smart after getting his arm worked over. We have a great over head wristlock battle. Race working the neck with the head scissor. This is smart and gives his arm a breather to re cooperate from the arm work. We get a rope break, but Race strikes 1st. Both guys throwing bombs. Race on the arm. Terry selling the shoulder. Funk with big chops trying to get seperation from Race. The crowd is electric here on this exchange. Funk with a great move to get to the spinning toe hold, but Race has done his homework and has an answer. A great nearfall on a roll up of a Race Fig 4 attempt. Funk with a huge bump to the floor. Race with clubberin blow. Inside out suplex by Race. Adominal Stretch by Race. Crowd is expecting a submission. Yes 1st fall goes to Race. The key here was Funk hurting his back on the bump to the outside.

 

2nd fall and Funk attempts to cauliflower Race's ear. Funk gets into Race's head. Race though is dropping elbows and knees on the back. Race with a chin lock and a knee in the back. Funk with a backslide gets 2. Funk hits a piledriver for the equalizer.

 

3rd fall and it's for all the marbles. Race with a huge chop to start. Both guys are throwing hands. Spinning neck breaker by Funk. A big atomic drop by Funk. Crowd popped huge for the near fall. Spinning Toe Hold by Funk. Harley with straight rights. Funk's eye is busted open. Race is going after that cut. Race's fist is covered in blood. Knee drop by Race onto a bloody Funk. A Harley headbutt into the cut. Race selling the leg huge. Funk after the leg. Spinning Toe Hold. The crowd is blowing it's load. Race back to the eye. The ref calls it and Harley Race is still champ. Ref waves it off for blood loss. PA is calling for a doctor. What an epic match . 5* . Terry Funk promo, and his eye looks terrible. One of the best matches I've ever seen.

[conker8]

Did Terry Funk ever look as good on the mat as he is here working Race's arm ?

 

Great match. I hope we will have the return match.

[shoe]

That was some of the best arm work I've ever seen.

[Matt D]

Cross-posting this one. I'm usually terrible at that:

 

This was an absolute classic. Funk is a mad wrestling genius. He's one of the greatest sellers of all time, someone who could get across damage, both in the moment and cumulative, but also that could sell the drama of any situation. Race is as credible as any wrestler ever, a bumper and a stooger, and I don't think we've ever had a match which shows his ability to do the little things as well as this one.

It was an NWA title match so there are certain things you'd expect, first and foremost the early matwork. in that regard, this goes above and beyond. It might be the best I've ever seen from this era. After some early feeling out (which was short but interesting in and of itself on the way that they build to the lock up and use rope breaks and even just the way Funk's hands shake as he's anticipating the lock up with his manic energy), Funk starts on the arm. It's the most compelling stuff you've ever seen. There's constant motion and struggle, constant jockeying, constant shifting of position. Moreover, there's constant imagination. Normally, you might see them move in and out of the hold, interspersing it with spots. That comes eventually, but at first, it's all about cutting off attempts at escape and escalating the amount of damage being done. There's two or three points where Boesch points out that Funk's doing something he hasn't seen before, and in one case, when Funk uses his leg to half-nelson Race so that he can put on some sort of crazy modified grounded octopus, there's one that I've never seen before, even forty years later. When they move out of it, Funk hits a near press slam on Race. When they go back into it, the shots of Funk grinding his foot into Race's face are downright grisly. It's all spirited as hell and it spoils you for almost every other title match you'll see.

Then comes the cut. It's frustrating, not because it exists in and of itself, but because it means we miss how Race gets an advantage. When we come back, Race had just hit a trademark headbutt on Funk, to the temple (maybe that's how he took over? We've seen him use it as a transition before), and is in charge with a headlock. Race is not the world's best seller. A lot of Flair's bad habits in dropping limb selling potentially stems from his emulation of Race. I love Boesch covering for it by saying that the best way to recover from armwork is to USE the arm. A lot of this is Race trying to just contain Funk and his energy. The struggle's still there though with Funk constantly trying to get Race over for a pin or work his way up. When he does get up and out, Race turns it into one of the best headscissors sequences you'll ever see, working it big, including slamming the leg down. Amazing hope spots here, with Funk working his way to his feet, Rance dangling behind him, keeping the hold on. Just awesome stuff until Funk can make it to the ropes.

They finish this initial matwork gamesmanship with Race (doing one of those little things I mentioned earlier) slipping behind Kozak after the rope break to sneak attack Funk. He tosses him out and that leads to a reset and the closing sequence to the first fall. Funk was amazing at creating memorable moments. I promise you every person in that building would remember Funk and Race going toe to toe with chops and headbutts and punches, them milking every blow. Everyone would remember the explosive lightning go-behind Funk did and how quickly Race kicked him off on the spinning toe-hold attempt. Funk eventually got the better of it, but ultimately missed a second shoulder tackle and went flying out, immediately selling the back like only he could. That led to a big suplex back in from the apron and a downright amazing abdominal stretch, Race reaching around to press in on the shoulder in a way I'm not sure I've ever seen. After lifting the arm a few times, Kozak called for the bell ending the fall. No one could get over toughness through selling like Funk. He gave so much but because he kept coming despite it all, it made him go past the point of weakness into true inner strength like no one else.

He started the second fall defiant, coming out strong only, angering Race with a series of blows, drawing him in and catching him with another huge slam, only to run into a kneeling headbutt, selling it like a back body drop. Race followed that up with an awesome bee-lined elbow drop, showing a real economy of motion. Like I said, I've never seen him do little things as well as in this match. Race stays on the back with a deep, knee-assisted chinlock, but Funk, bolstered by the chants of the crowd, makes his way back up. They tease another stretch by Race, but Funk turns it into a backslide, both a near-fall and a transitory moment to set up a huge pile driver and the pin. I love how they used the backslide as part of how Terry earned his way back. It was better that he hit a more definitive exclamation mark to score the fall.

The service released the third fall months ago and people went nuts for it. I didn't watch then on the hopes we would get the rest. I'm glad that I waited but at the same time, I'm not sure how I went so long without seeing something so incredible. It was transcendentally good, cinematic in a way that people give credit to things like Undertaker vs Michaels but with gravitas through timing and selling that those big WWE matches reach for ambitiously but never quite manage to reach. Funk comes out on fire, hitting those memorable chops again. They trade punches, huge killer punches. Funk keeps his advantage, hitting a neckbreaker and the world's biggest atomic drop and punting Race in the head repeatedly, Then he starts with the spinning toe-hold. Race grabs the hair and counters with punches above Funk's eye. Funk is unrelenting, putting it on again and again, trying to keep his head from Race. Race is desperate but unrelenting, managing to get the hair each time, managing to pepper Funk with punches repeatedly. Funk bleeds. Race's hand ends up covered in blood. Kozak tries to call off the match and Funk, staggering and bloody, stops him. Race can't make it back to his feet now, but manages to land a headbutt from his knees. Finally, Funk goes for a last toe-hold and Race punches him again. Funk's dangling due to the blood loss, using the positioning of the toehold to just stand. He tries to spin one more time but falls over and Kozak finally calls the match. It's poetic. It protects Funk. It makes Harley look strong. Most of all, it leads to a rematch where the match can't be stopped. Amazing, amazing end to an amazing match. Race brings a lot to the table, including some failings to go along with his projected toughness and credibility, but I don't think there was ever a wrestler who understood the potential of what pro wrestling could be and who had the ability to actually reach that potential like Terry Funk.

[Jetlag]

I think Race is merely good and can be kind of a slug, but there's no limits to what Terry Funk in the 70s could do. His aggressive, rough and yet innovative matwork in the first fall was just brilliant pro wrestling. Constantly stepping on and twisting Race's face, while still wringing the hell out of his arm. Funk both on offense and defense always kept the match focussed and building, and altough they kind of lost track in the last third of the 1st fall, they get back to it nicely when Funk takes a huge bump to the outside. This of course leads to a bunch of drama centered around Funk's back, which Race does a nice job going after. The work around the arm/back here is so nice that I'm almost a little sour that it ended up being an afterthought, but I'm not complaining about a match this good. Quick, heated 2nd fall leads to the blood drenched epic 3rd centered around Terry's Spinning Toe Hold. Terry came across like the most determined motherfucker on the planet and the punches were great. He also flat kicked Race in the face at one point. Race is mostly fine throughout this but the part I most dug was him repeatedly headbutting a blood Terry while laid out helplessly on his bad leg.

 

This match had impossible hype behind it. I didn't think it was a GOAT contender or something that told anything new but still a great title match that had all the trademarks. Great matwork, drama, blood, build, anything you want. The best Race match I've ever seen and another to add to the Funk resume.

 

 

Did Terry Funk ever look as good on the mat as he is here working Race's arm ?

 

Great match. I hope we will have the return match.

 

He looked even better in the Jumbo match.

[Phil Schneider]

Dear god what a match!! Maybe the best example of a classic NWA title defense we have on tape. 2/3 falls, traditional build with a absolutely off the charts finish. We have an expected long feeling out process, and it is really great matwork. Funk goes after Race's arm with some great arm wringers where he would bootscrape Race in his mush, and yank back violently. Unlike many other great wrestlers (Flair, Bret Hart, Santo) Funk is more of an improv guy then a stick to the script, Bosch mentions on commentary that Funk is doing thing he has never seen before, and I get the sense he is just making moves up in the match. I also loved the sequence built around Race's headscissors where Funk tries to scramble to his feet, such a unique escape. There was also really great variations of tempo in this match, lots of the early work was very deliberate, but there would be moments of speed and explosion, the finishes to both falls were set up by one of the two guys shifting into high gear and catching his opponent a step behind.

3rd fall is what elevates this from a classic to a legend. After Funk planted Race with a piledriver to get the second fall, you could tell he felt the match was his and he goes after the spinning toe hold with reckless abandon. Race counters the toe hold with straight shots right to Funk's eye and Terry starts leaking badly. However Funk will not be deterred, he keeps going back to the hold, tearing away at Race's knee and keeps eating right hands. Funk is betting he can destroy the knee before Race can destroy his face, he decides to walk through fire betting he can drag Race to hell and come out ahead, he loses the bet as he gets Race down but is too dazed to apply the hold and the ref calls the match. Awesome blood loss selling by Funk and a classic finish.

[paul sosnowski]

I just watched it with my dad. It was FN great. Definitely annoyed by the missing 4:07 of the first fall that was clipped. Could be the best Terry Funk match I have ever seen.

 

 

Race takes first fall 28:46

 

Funk takes second fall 3:10

 

Race wins third fall 7:39

 

Total Match Time 39:35

[NickH]

I was also annoyed by the missing 4 minutes but thankfully it was in the first fall which was 28 minutes so I dont think we really missed that much. Just glad it wasn't the 3rd fall which was EPIC.

 

Hopefully we get the rematch that happened a few weeks later and who knows, it may be better than this one.

[paul sosnowski]

Forty years ago today. Anyone who has not seen this, really should watch it now!!!

[fxnj]

This match might be a victim of the hype for me. It probably didn't help matters that I watched this right after Fujiwara/Tiger from UWF 12/1984, but I really didn't see this as anything near ***** and was actually left left feeling pretty underwhelmed.

 

I'm not really a fan of sitting in a hold. I like seeing guys going back and forth on the mat, constantly on the move and looking for counters while selling the progressive weardown. With this, we got some cute ways of getting into arm locks from Funk, but it just got tiring for me to see them spend so long with one guy on top with little in the way of counter attempts from Race.

 

The issue I had was with the selling. I'm not usually one to care too much about unsold limb work but if you're gonna spend 1/4 of a 40 minute match working an arm it just feels like time killing with Race working a headlock with no issues a few minutes later. I thought it also detracted a lot from the finish of the first fall. It felt like very backwards psychology to have Race as the guy fighting through the pain while Funk is the one who ends up submitting to a hold. I watched it without knowing the finish to the falls, so it really caught me off guard. Since Race came through all that arm work unscratched I didn't see much special about an abdominal stretch in making Funk submit.

 

Third fall is great but I wish it was longer. It kind of feels like an abbreviated version of their Toronto title change with the epic war selling and leg submissions, but here there's also a blade job added on for a cheesy stoppage finish. I pretty much hate blood stoppages, but I think it would have been more appropriate if they had some crazy brawl either before or after the finish.

 

I'm not completely down on this. I'd still put it at around ***3/4 as it did have its moments even with the issues I had with it. For historical significance this match definitely is a treasure and I'm glad I watched it just to see what a 70's NWA title match looks like stateside. I'd be open to rewatching it sometime later with adjusted expectations.

[Microstatistics]

I agree with fxnj in that this is very good but not a classic. Stuff I really liked - Funk's ultra aggressive arm work, his third fall fatigue/blood loss selling and his stubborn, tenacious attempts to secure the spinning toe hold even if it was getting his face caved in. I liked Race's punches and headbutts in the third fall but he brought nothing otherwise, in fact he actively hurt the match at times.

I wanted to point out one sequence in particular: In the third fall, a bloody Funk is working over the right leg of Race. Race's selling is minimal but at one point he decides to drop a kneedrop with his left leg. Then proceeds to sell that leg for nearly 1 minute in what is probably the dumbest spot I've ever seen in wrestling. After that Funk returns to working over the right leg (as he should) like nothing happened. That spot nearly killed the match for me and almost made me want to yell at my screen "You had an injured leg RIGHT THERE to do that exact spot and it would have fit the context perfectly and looked great".

 

[Jmare007]

This was amazing.

Harley's selling was a mixed of weird and just plain bad, but Boesch's commentary made it make sense (sorta) so I wasn't too bothered with it, that and the 3 minute of lost footage are the only negatives I can muster about this 40 minute match. Terry was amazing as always, awesome selling, mat work, hope spots and strikes. I agree with shoe, this was a game of human chess.

Loved Harley getting pissed in the 2nd fall, rushing into Funk and getting caught for a powerslam to a huge pop, and then just using a desperate headbutt to shut everyone up.

Third fall was great drama all around.

 

By the way, Harley spent more time working the head than Funk working the arm.

[Beast]

This is the Terry Funk show and a strong piece of evidence for anyone who thinks he's the GOAT.

Race not selling the arm after Funk spent the first 10 minutes of the match working on it is a big negative, but Funk is on fire here. Multiple press slams, stomping the face during the armbar, great piledriver. He showed a ton of personality, even if this is pre-wildman era. Race, in contrast, was more of a generic tough guy.

The finishes all made sense and were built up to well. I do think the final fall was a bit silly with how Funk kept going for the spinning toe hold and leaving his face open over and over and over. I can only imagine that would have paid off in the rematch later that month. 

And am I out of my mind, or did the ref call it because Funk (in a bloody daze) threw a punch at him while being checked up on? Not just a blood stoppage, but a "this guy doesn't even know who he's fighting anymore" blood stoppage.

Strong '70s era title match. If anything, this gets me more excited to see more non-wacky Funk.

[ohtani's jacket]

Great match! Loved this. Really great mix of submission wrestling and striking. Funk was in amazing shape. He had a physique to rival even Nick Bockwinkel. The matwork was a step down from previous generations but it was tough, gritty and uncompromising and matched the personalities of the wrestlers involved. The strikes were fantastic as was Funk's selling. Those two things gave the match an edge. There was no doubt in the viewer's mind that Terry Funk was hellbent on winning the title back and would go to any lengths to do so. The blood stoppage was a cool way to end the bout and set-up a rematch. It was such a clever idea that it wouldn't surprise me if Funk thought of it himself.

Race was just sort of "there." That's unfair to stay in a match that was hard fought, but Race is a guy who people want to like more than they do. The problem here was his lack of personality and lack of expression. At no point did you stop and think "that's why this guy's the champ" or "man, Race wants it just as much as Funk." I didn't have a problem with his selling -- his selling of Funk's strikes was solid and understated and I couldn't give a toss about long-term arm selling -- he simply lacked the fire that Funk had. I actually think he got better at that type of stuff as he got older and became the gruff, surly Harley with the beer gut and the huge afro. That said, even if Race couldn't match the intensity of Funk it didn't detract from Funk's performance and the greatness of the bout. This was Funk at the height of his powers. There's a high possibility that any wrestler would have played second fiddle to Funk on a night like this. I just felt that if Race had gotten angry during the bout the way that Thesz used to do that the match would have been even better and that Race repeatedly punching Funk above the eye would have been even cooler.

Still, great match! First Terry Funk match I've seen in a while where he lived up to the GOAT hype.

[Superstar Sleeze]

" The problem here was his [Harley Race] lack of personality and lack of expression" - OJ nailed it. This has become a major hangup I have with Harley in a lot of his matches. 

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race vs Terry Funk - Houston 7/1/77

Holy Grail is an understatement as anything from Terry Funk in the 1970s especially a long traditional NWA Championship bout is a huge prize. Race defeated Terry Funk in Toronto for the World's Championship in Februrary of '77 and now five months later Funk is challenging for the belt. 

First Fall: If you watch closely, Funk is reviewing the rules with the ref and makes a specific point about how chopping to throat is illegal but below is not. First move of the match, a chop by Terry Funk! The first 15 minutes focused on matwork. Terry Funk looked great working the arm. The best part was definitely how he set up the arm stretcher by stepping on Harley's face. I dont mean he placed his boot on Harley's face. He put both his feet right on the face of the champion. It was some nasty work. Harley made sure to add some movement. Funk hit not one, but two press slams on Harley. I dont think I have ever seen Funk do that. The first one was a beauty and an emphatic way to regain control. There is 4 minutes of clipping and we come back to Harley working a tight headlock. Very similar to a tight Backlund style one with plenty of wringing. Great struggle from Funk. Funk is able to earn an armbar but quickly loses control to a headscissors. Race is working his holds very well, very tight. Great pressure on the headscissors. Funk stands up with Race draped over his back, but Race maintains the hold and Funk falls forward. Funk hits a couple lefts while in the headscissors and stands up with it and this time gets out. I like how this does not start the Funk immediately instead Funk is still selling so it is Race landing the blows. Race goes for an arm wringers, but Funk starts throwing right-handed chops and eventually Funk breaks Race's clasp and starts to mount a comeback. I really enjoyed Race totally whiffing on a straight left closed fist only for Funk to punch him in the face. I love Funk's reaction to the ref to throw his hands up like he is innocent. Stuff like that makes closed fists feel so much more important. Funk wants the spinning toehold, but cant apply it. Then it is Race with a figure-4 attempt but he cant get it. Funk takes a nasty spill to the floor when Race side-steps him on a criss-cross. Race bring back in the hardway with a vertical suplex. Funk does an excellent job selling the back. Abdominal Stretch gives Race the fall. I have watched thousands of pro wrestling matches and never seen the abdominal stretch earn a fall and now I have seen it twice. Great first fall. It really puts Funk on display. He is so innovative and unpredictable. If that is something you value, then he is your man. Even little things, like how he falls through the ropes on his apron and re-enters the ring feels different. This is the best possible Race as he is toned down not throwing out too much. He is sticking to the fundamentals. He is still a blackhole of charisma but everything looks tight. Race 1-0.

Second Fall: Even though Harley won the first fall. It was not definitive. Funk came back strong in the opening of the second fall. Backing Harley into a corner and slapping him around. This drew the ire of Race. Who charged into a bodyslam. Funk came over, but Race butted him in the abdomen. Great transition. Race went back to work on the back as that is how he won the first fall. Funk eventually wrestled a headlock on Race. They break free and Race wants an abdominal stretch, but Funk gets a backslide for two. Funk urgently pounces and hits a piledriver for three. This has been the Terry Funk show. Great individual performance. Characteristically short second fall.  Tied 1-1.

Third Fall: Excellent fall, ***** stuff here. Harley decides that he wants to make this match a battle of fisticuffs. He is hitting harder than in the Wahoo match. Funk blasts him back! Atomic Drop! 1-2-NO! Both feet over the ropes. Dont leave anything to chance. Funk lays a clever trap. He takes a knee over by the ropes. Baiting Race to come over and Funk picks the ankle. SPINNING TOEHOLD! Race starts punching him in the face. He keeps punching until he busts Funk wide open. Great bladejob. This was great drama. It was Funk's Spinning Toehold vs. Race working the cut. I loved the spot where Race hits a kneedrop on the cut, but comes up clutching his bad knee. Funk has one last gasp in the Spinning Toehold, but Harley grabs him by the hair Funk tries to block the left hand, but Harley breaks free and starts taking wicked shots to the cut. Funk gradually loses his strength each punch taking more of him until he finally succumbs to collapse, bloody and convulsing he takes a wild swing at the ref who calls for a blood stoppage because he knows Funk has lost it. Wow! Damn great finish to set up a big time rematch. Race starts headbutting Funk in the cut while announcer calls for a doctor. Wild!

Little bit of overhype calling this the greatest NWA Championship of all time aside, this match is fantastic and a terrific Terry Funk performance. So many little touches that are unique to Funk and so many innovative spots that I dont think have been seen since 1977 and were seen before. The third fall was high drama and you always want to peak at the finish and these two did just that. ****3/4

[cactus]

This is a great slow-burner NWA mat classic that broke down into a brawl as the match progressed. The first fall sees a lot of focused mat-work, with single holds lasting for literal minutes, but they are able to keep things interesting as it always feels like they are working towards something. Tension builds up and they are soon chopping and punching each other. This had a bullshit finish that protected Terry from taking the fall, but it's an incredible bullshit finish that sees the referee calling the match off as Terry is too bloodied up to carry on. The ring announcer repeatedly calling for the doctor really help his injury as legit. Terry Funk's performance here is obviously great, but I think Race is being undersold here a tad. His stoogey selling here was fantastic and I thought he more than held his own with Funk. ★★★★¼