Terry Funk, R.I.P.

Former professional wrestler and occasional actor Terry Funk passed away today. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2019. He was 79.

Funk grew up in a wrestling family in Amarillo, Texas following in the footsteps of his father Dory Funk, Sr. and older brother Dory Funk, Jr. (who is still with us at 82). The younger Funk began his pro wrestling career in 1965 primarily working as a tag team with his brother. 

In 1975, Funk captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Jack Brisco. He held the title for over a year before dropping it to Harley Race in 1977.

In 1989, Funk returned to significant prominence when he attacked Ric Flair after regaining the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Ricky Steamboat feuding with the Nature Boy for most of the year. 

Funk had a couple of stints in the WWF during the mid-1980's and late 1990's. The latter of which he was known as Chainsaw Charlie capturing the WWF Tag Team Titles with Mick Foley (a.k.a. Mankind). In between these two stints, Funk wrestled in ECW winning its World Title from Raven in April 1997 at the age of 53 before losing it to Sabu a few months later.

Outside of wrestling, Funk was friendly with Sylvester Stallone appearing in Paradise Alley and Over The Top. He would also have a notable role in the Patrick Swayze film Roadhouse. 

Although Funk retired from wrestling on numerous occasions, his career would span more than five decades before he finally hung up his boots for good in 2017. 

Funk generally wrestled as a heel and had "middle aged and crazy" persona, and these were often accompanied by wild promos. However, I will leave you with this promo Funk did with ECW in January 1997 when he was challenging Raven for the title. 

In this promo, Funk spoke of how his father died of a heart attack after wrestling in a match at age of 54. Given Funk was 53 at the time, this promo was true to life, and he struggled to hold back tears. Ultimately, he would achieve the dreams which would allude his father. Now he is reunited with him and they can tell each other, "We did it our way." R.I.P.