We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of WWE Hall of Famer/Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Terry Funk.
Funk began his professional wrestling career in the mid-1960s, making promotions for his father’s Western State sports.
Funk has traveled the world, including as a wrestling member of Florida Championship Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and the Continental Wrestling Association. He had a brief stint with the World Wrestling Federation in 1985-86 before leaving to try his hand at making movies in Hollywood.
In 1989, Funk returned to the national wrestling spotlight at the World Wrestling Championships and had a legendary feud with Ric Flair.
The younger generation will remember Funk’s time at ECW, and many will recognize him for selflessly helping ECW take it to the next level. Funk won the ECW World Championship on Barely Legal in 1997, the event’s first pay-per-view event, and eventually returned to WWE, appearing as Chainsaw Charlie, alongside the likes of Mick Foley and the New Age Outlaws.
Summarizing his career in a few short paragraphs doesn’t do Funk justice, so we’ll be posting more about him on the site soon. It goes without saying that Terry Funk will go down in history as one of the kindest, friendliest people you’ll ever meet and one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
Fink has been battling dementia for the past few years. RIP radio operator. Our condolences to Funk’s friends and family.
