There Will Never Be Another Terry Funk

Terry Funk wasn’t just a wrestler — he was one of the toughest, most unpredictable figures the business ever produced. Coming out of Amarillo, Texas, the son of Dory Funk Sr., Terry built a reputation across every major territory in the world. From the NWA territories to Japan to the hardcore revolution decades later, Funk constantly reinvented himself and somehow stayed relevant in every era of wrestling. In the 1970s, Terry Funk became one of the most respected champions in the industry when he defeated Jack Brisco for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. His title reign saw him defend the belt against legends like Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Giant Baba, and Abdullah the Butcher. Unlike many champions of the era, Funk mixed technical wrestling with wild brawling, making every match feel chaotic and real. By the 1980s, Funk had already been a world champion, but instead of slowing down he became even more violent. His feud with Jerry Lawler in Memphis is still considered one of the most brutal rivalries in territory history, including the infamous empty arena match that influenced generations of wrestlers. Around the same time he battled Ric Flair, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, and Randy Savage across different promotions. Terry Funk also became one of the first major American stars to fully embrace the Japanese hardcore style. In promotions like All Japan and later FMW, he fought in barbed wire matches and no rope explosions long before that style became popular in the United States. His wars with Atsushi Onita, Abdullah the Butcher, and Mick Foley pushed the limits of what wrestling could be. Even when most of his generation had retired, Funk kept going. In ECW he became a symbol of the promotion’s violent spirit, feuding with Shane Douglas, Sabu, Cactus Jack, and The Sandman. He later appeared in WWF during the Attitude Era, proving that his wild style still connected with fans decades after his debut. What made Terry Funk special wasn’t just longevity. It was authenticity. Whether he was fighting in Texas, Memphis, Japan, WCW, ECW, or WWF, fans believed every punch and every promo. Wrestlers like Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Edge, and countless others have credited Funk as a major influence. Few wrestlers were great in multiple generations. Terry Funk somehow managed to be a legend in the territory era, the hardcore era, and even the Attitude Era — which is why many consider him one of the most respected and toughest performers the wrestling business has ever seen.