THANK YOU TERRY FUNK

 

Terry Funk, one of pro wrestling's biggest stars during the 70's and 80's passed away on August 23rd. He was 79. Funk is survived by his older brother Dory Funk Jr. and his two daughters. Through out his career Funk wrestled for all the major wrestling promotions including WWE, WCW, NWA, and ECW. He also wrestled internationally in Japan.

Funk started his career in wrestling in 1965 in Texas where his father, Dory Funk Sr. had his own promotion. In those days, wrestling was built on different territories in different states under the auspices of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Funk worked in tag team matches with his brother Dory and singles matches until he finally reached the top of the mountain.

Terry Funk worked his way up and became an attraction in every territory he visited. In 1975, he defeated Jack Brisco and became the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. During the 70's and 80's,  the NWA Worlds title was the pinnacle of professional wrestling. Funk held the title for 14 months and in that time he became a superstar having feuds with legends like Giant Baba in Japan, Jack Brisco in Florida, and Pat O'Connor. His greatest feud was against the legendary Dusty Rhodes in Florida. Both men were from different parts of Texas and Dusty was the top star in Florida so whenever Terry Funk and Dusty Rhodes clashed it was a monumental event. By 1977, Terry Funk would lose the NWA World title to Harley Race but by then he was known all around the world. 

In the 1980's he moved onto Memphis where he started a feud with "The King" Jerry Lawler and he wrestled in Japan having feuds with legends like The Sheik, Abdullah The Butcher, Stan Hansen, and Bruiser Brody. Overseas, the wrestling style was more physical and Terry Funk built his reputation as a "hardcore" wrestler in Japan. 

From 1985 to 1986 he and his brother Dory worked in the WWE appearing at Wrestlemania 2. During that year in WWE, Terry Funk did get to challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWE World Championship. In 1989, Funk moved onto to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he had an epic feud with Ric Flair who was the World Champion at the time.

In the 90's, Funk moved onto Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) a regional promotion located in Philadelphia and run by Paul Heyman. ECW used different styles to attract an audience such as lucha libre and American style wrestling but it was primarily known for being a violent, blood, and guts promotion. Terry Funk fit in perfectly with his reputation. He had great feuds with Shane Douglas, Sabu, Cactus Jack (Mick Foley), The Sandman, and Raven. Terry Funk became the ECW World Champion in 1997 at ECW's first Pay Per View, Barely Legal.  

Terry Funk was the epitome of professional wrestling. His persona as a wild man made him an attraction all around the world. His toughness and willingness to elevate young talent made him a legend. Rest in Peace Terry Funk and thank you for everything you did in pro wrestling. You've left a legacy that has given fans a lifetime of memories. 

THE PROFESSOR

HULK HOGAN: POP CULTURE ICON

On August 11th, Hulk Hogan celebrated his 70th birthday and over 40 years as a celebrity. It all began in 1982 when Hulk Hogan popped off the screen in Rocky 3 as Thunderlips and became a household name. Before Rocky 3, Hogan began wrestling in 1977 in Florida, and from 1977 to 1979, he bounced around different territories in the southeast including Alabama, Memphis, and Georgia. By 1979, Hulk Hogan entered the WWE (then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation) as a villain. From 1979 to 1980 Hogan was a villain and he feuded with Andre The Giant and he had a World title match with Bob Backlund. In 1980, Hogan left the WWE after a dispute with Vince McMahon Sr. over his role in Rocky III.

After filming his role in Rocky III, Hogan entered the AWA (American Wrestling Association) in 1981. He quickly became a fan favorite feuding with Bobby Heenan and The Heenan Family which included Ken Patera, Mr. Saito, and the AWA World Champion, Nick Bockwinkel. At 6'7 and 300 pounds, Hulk Hogan had a superhero appeal to fans. Hogan was the biggest star in the AWA and Vince McMahon took notice making him an offer to come to the WWE.

In December of 1983, The Hulkster entered the WWE and beat the Iron Shiek in January of 1984 to become the WWE Champion changing pro wrestling in the process. His feuds in the 80's with stars like Rowdy Roddy Piper, King Kong Bundy, Andre The Giant and Macho Man Randy Savage made  WWE a national brand and Hulk Hogan a superstar. He would go on to have roles in TV shows like The A-Team and movies like No Holds Barred and Suburban Commando which would cement his pop culture status. 

In 1994, Hogan left WWE for World Championship Wrestling. His presence in WCW made the company into a national powerhouse. Hulk Hogan is the only wrestler that was apart of two companies that he helped become mainstream entities. 

Happy Birthday Hulkster! and Thank you for your contributions to pop culture. 

THE PROFESSOR