Dory Funk Jr.

Dorrance Earnest Funk (born February 3, 1941)[2][5] is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk and brother of Terry Funk, and was the promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional wrestling school.

Dory Funk Jr.
Birth nameDorrance Earnest Funk
Born (1941-02-03) February 3, 1941[1][2][3]
Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
ResidenceOcala, Florida, U.S.
Spouse(s)
  • Jimmie Funk
    ​
    (
    m. 1960; div. 1983)
  • Marti Funk
    (
    m. 1989)
Children5
FamilyDory Funk (father)
Terry Funk (brother)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Dory Funk Jr.[4]
Hoss Funk[4]
The Long Tall Texan
The Mass Outlaw
Billed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[4]
Billed weight250 Ibs (113 kg)
Billed fromThe Double Cross Ranch[4]
Trained byDory Funk[4][5]
Ricky Romero[6]
Pedro Morales[6]
Debut1963

Funk held the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship once. He is the second-longest reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion of all time, holding it for over four years. Only Lou Thesz held it longer. He also held the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship once and the CWA World Heavyweight Championship once. He is a 2009 WWE Hall of Fame inductee. He is working for All Japan Pro Wrestling as the Pacific Wrestling Federation (PWF) chairman.. Overall in major professional wrestling promotions, he is a one-time world champion consisting of the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship which is widely recognized as a counterpart to the WWE Championship.

Professional wrestling career

Training
Funk with his brother, Terry Funk in 1973.

Funk's career in professional wrestling began in 1963 just after a college football career with West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University), culminating in a 15 to 14 victory over Ohio University in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Funk's first match was a victory over Don Fargo in Amarillo, Texas. West Texas State University All American Jerry Logan was in Funk's corner and Fargo's brother, Jim, was in his corner. Funk was supported by the whole West Texas State University football team and the Tascosa High School amateur wrestling team. He was doing his student teaching as coach of the Tascosa High wrestling team under coach James Kyle.

National Wrestling Alliance (1963-1987)
See also: Western States Sports
Ring introductions as Funk (background, facing camera) prepares to defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship

Funk started in his father's Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion and fought Harley Race, Iron Mike DiBiase and Wild Bull Curry. He demonstrated a rugged hard-hitting style that gained attention. He would eventually move on to Florida, Missouri and Japan where his skills improved as he used uppercut forearm smashes, a variety of suplexes and leglocks. Funk won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Gene Kiniski on February 11, 1969 [7] in Tampa, Florida with a spinning toe hold and remained NWA World Champion for the next four and a half years, which is the second-longest uninterrupted reign of any NWA World Champion[4] (Lou Thesz held the NWA world title from November 27, 1949, to March 15, 1956). Dory and Terry are the only brothers in history to each hold the title.[8] Funk finally lost the NWA World Championship on May 24, 1973 after a hurried recovery from a pickup truck accident on his father's Flying Mare Ranch in West Texas. Dory was forced into the ring in Kansas City, losing the belt to Harley Race.[9] He performed regularly throughout the NWA, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic and Ontario as a heel, Georgia, Florida and Central States regions, through the 1970s and early 1980s. In Toronto he fought Ric Flair for the NWA championship on October 17, 1982. Flair retained the title.

In 1987 he feuded with Mike Rotunda in Florida. Rotunda defeated Funk for the vacant Florida Heavyweight title on June 7. Later on a lot of the matches ended in draws.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1973-1987)

In 1973, Funk made his debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling which had just started the year before. Eventually he became a veteran of the company. He feuded with Giant Baba, The Destroyer, Jumbo Tsuruta, Abdullah The Butcher, The Sheik, Genichiro Tenryu, and Harley Race. Terry Funk and him worked a lot as a tag team a series of matches against Abdullah the Butcher and The Sheik; and Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta.

Won many World's Strongest Tag Determination League awards with Terry and Baba. Together Terry and him won the World's Strongest Tag Determination League tournaments in 1977, 1979, and 1982.

On December 11, 1980 the Funks won Match of the Year Award from Tokyo Sports in their match against Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta.

His biggest achievement in All Japan was winning the NWA International Heavyweight Championship three times. He won a tournament for the vacant heavyweight title defeating Terry on April 30, 1981. He dropped the title to Butch Reed that June. Later he defeated Reed in August. On October 9 he dropped the title to Bruiser Brody in Tokyo. He regained the title form Brody on November 1. Eventually he lost the title to Brody on April 21, 1982 in Osaka.

Later in his tenure he feuded with Brody, Stan Hansen and Tiger Jeet Singh. The Funks feuded with Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu; and the Youngbloods.

World Wrestling Federation (1986)

In 1986, Dory (given the nickname "Hoss") made his WWF debut in a team alongside his brother Terry. The brothers performed at WrestleMania 2 defeating the Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana. Terry left the WWF shortly after WrestleMania, but Dory remained, mostly tagging with storyline brother Jimmy Jack Funk, who in truth had no relation to the Funk family. They were managed by Jimmy Hart. He would feud with Junkyard Dog. They feuded with The British Bulldogs. Funk wrestled his last WWF match to Pedro Morales at the Sam Muchunik Memorial Tournament on August 29.

World Wrestling Council and various promotions (1987-1989)

On September 20, 1987, he and Terry teamed up and lost to The Road Warriors by disqualification at World Wrestling Council 14th Anversario in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. On February 27, 1988, Funk participated in World Wrestling Council's La Copa Gillette tournament beating Bruiser Brody in the first round but later that day he lost to Carlos Colon in the quarter finals.

On April 11, 1988 he lost to Jerry Lawler by count out at Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis, Tennessee.

He reunited with Terry at World Wrestling Alliance defeating Doug Somers and Gary Young on February 2, 1989 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Return to All Japan Pro Wrestling (1990-1996)

In October 1990 both Terry and Dory returned to All Japan. They wrestled in tag team matches until Terry left the promotion in April 1991 and went back to North America. Dory found a new partner, Al Perez and they won World's Strongest Tag Determination League Teamwork Award later that year. They lost to Andre the Giant and Giant Baba on November 30, 1991 in Obihiro. At the end of the year Perez left Japan and returned to the United States. In 1992 he once again teamed up with Baba. Later on he teamed with numerous partners. From 1990-1996 he feuded with Abdullah The Butcher and Giant Kimala. He left Japan at the end of 1996.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1994, 1997)

In 1994 Funk made his debut for Extreme Championship Wrestling. He reunited with Terry for the first time in three years. Terry was a main star for the company. They feuded with The Public Enemy during Dory's stay in ECW. On June 26 they teamed up with Tommy Dreamer to defeat Hack Meyers and Public Enemy on ECW Hardcore TV. They lost to Public Enemy at ECW Heat Wave 1994 in a No Rope Barbed Wire match.

On September 27, 1997, Dory returned to ECW for a one night appearance losing to ECW Champion Shane Douglas.

Later years (1993-present)

He made an appearance for World Championship Wrestling at the Slamboree 1993: A Legends Reunion Pay-Per-View, wrestling Nick Bockwinkel to a time limit draw in 15 minutes. Funk had Gene Kiniski in his corner and Bockwinkel had Verne Gagne in his corner.

He teamed up with Dick Murdoch defeating The Heavenly Bodies at tribute show to Dory called Funk Free For All in Amarillo, Texas October 28, 1993.

The Funks wrestled Bruce Hart and Brian Pillman at the Stu Hart 50th Anniversary Show on December 15, 1995 in Calgary, Canada.

He made a return appearance with the WWF as a participant in the 1996 Royal Rumble being eliminated by Savio Vega.[4]

On June 6, 1997 he made another appearance in WCW at Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Show 2 teaming with Greg Valentine as they lost to Tony Parsi and Gino Brito by disqualification in Buffalo, New York.

On September 11, 1997 Dory took part in Terry Funk Presents Wrestle Fest: 50 Years Of Funk event. Terry was planning to retire from wrestling for the first time. That night, Dory defeated Rob Van Dam in an upset victory.

He won the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time since 1981 defeating Steve Keirn on November 7, 1997. Then he would hold the title until August 15, 2000 when the title was vacated.

In 2001 he wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling teaming with Terry. He feud with Tatsumi Fujinami and Bob Backlund

Funk and student, Adam Windsor wrestled in a dark match for NWA Total Non-stop Action defeating Homicide and Kory Chavis on November 27, 2002.

On January 25, 2005 he teamed with Terry at WrestleReunion where they lost to NWA World Tag Team champions America's Most Wanted.

Funk returned to Puerto Rico for WWC Friday Madness where he defeated Carlos Colon on May 20, 2005.

At WrestleReunion 2 Dory, Terry and Mick Foley lost to The Midnight Express in a six-man tag team match on August 27, 2005.

On March 5, 2006 he teamed with Mike Graham to defeat David Flair and Tully Blanchard at World Wrestling Legends.

On the February 16, 2009 episode of Raw, it was announced that Dory along with his brother Terry would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2009 by Dusty Rhodes. On the April 1, 2010 edition of TNA Today, Funk appeared on the show to have an interview with Jeremy Borash.

Since 2002 Dory been wrestling for his own promotion Funking Conservatory known as "BangTV!" in Ocala, Florida. On September 3, 2006 he lost to Samoa Joe in a Lumberjack match.

From 2015 to 2018 Funk has wrestled for Tokyo Gurentai. His last match was against another student of his Osamu Nishimura which ended in a 10-minute draw on November 28, 2018. With the finals seconds left in the match, Funk pinned Nishimura which ended at the count of 2 when the bell rang as time was up.

For the first time, 2019 was the first year that Funk never wrestled a match that year.

On Leap year 2020 Funk teamed with The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) to defeat the team of Blain Rage, Jake Logan, and Shane Chung at Funking Conservatory in Ocala, Florida. He is still wrestling at 79 years old.

Second Return to All Japan (2008)

On March 1, 2008, Funk and Osamu Nishimura defeated Genichiro Tenryu and Masanobu Fuchi in Funk's retirement match via spinning toe hold.[10]

Third Return to All Japan (2013-2017)

On October 27, 2013, Funk returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Terry in a tag team match, where they wrestled Masanobu Fuchi and Osamu Nishimura to a twenty-minute time limit draw.[11] Funk was then announced as the new Pacific Wrestling Federation (PWF) chairman.[12][13] Funk returned to All Japan on July 27, 2014, teaming with Osamu Nishimura and Yutaka Yoshie in a six-man tag team match, where they defeated Masanobu Fuchi, Takao Omori and Último Dragón, with Funk submitting Fuchi for the win.[14] On May 30, 2015 he teamed with old student Genichiro Tenryu and Nosawa Rongai for Tenryu Project to beat Kohei Suwama, Hikaru Sato and Atsushi Aoki. Funk's next match with All Japan took place on May 31, 2015, when he and Nishimura wrestled Fuchi and Yoshiaki Fujiwara to a twenty-minute time limit draw.[15] He returned to All Japan the next month to team with Fuchi and Ultimo Dragon to beat his student Nishimura, Masao Inoue and Soma Takao. His last match for All Japan was on November 28, 2017 teaming with Nishimura, The Great Kabuki and his student Dalton Drellich as they defeated Fuchi, Great Kojika, Atsushi Maruyama and Daisuke Sekimoto in Yokohama.

Funking Conservatory (1991-present)

Funk is now the Coach of the Funking Conservatory Professional Wrestling School in Ocala, Florida and teaches the Dory Funk Method of Professional Wrestling. It had a branch affiliated with the World Wrestling Federation called the "Funkin' Dojo. Dory's students included Jeff Hardy,[4] Matt Hardy,[4] Christian Cage, Lita, Kurt Angle, Mansoor, Mickie James,[4] Edge,[4] Ted DiBiase and Test. His wife Marti runs BANG TV in which Dory's matches are featured.

Personal life

Dory married his first wife, Jimmie, on June 8, 1960.[16] Together, they have three children: Dory III, Adam Dirk, and Penny. They also have five grandchildren. They later separated and were officially divorced on July 6, 1983. Dory III went into medicine and now practices out of Colorado. Dory IV is now training to be a wrestler under Dory Jr. In 1980, Dory met his second and current wife, Marti; the couple married in 1989. They have two children.

Championships and accomplishments
Dory and Terry Funk at the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Funk was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion
gollark: PSA: don't use passwords, just create a new account every session.
gollark: Oh, RIGHT, I need to set the node, silly me.
gollark: ```krist-miner v2.1 by 1lann (github.com/1lann/krist-miner)2020/06/27 22:10:10 failed to update work: invalid character '<' looking for beginning of value2020/06/27 22:10:10 failed to update last block: invalid character '<' looking for beginning of value2020/06/27 22:10:10 using 1 processes2020/06/27 22:10:10 using AVX2 optimisations2020/06/27 22:10:10 mining for address ktkc9cylja...panic: miner: incorrect header size. report this to 1lann.goroutine 18 [running]:main.mineAVX2(0x0) /home/osmarks/Programming/krist-miner/cpu-miner/sha256blockAvx2_amd64.go:23 +0x5bccreated by main.mine /home/osmarks/Programming/krist-miner/cpu-miner/miner.go:154 +0x307```
gollark: I get "panic: miner: incorrect header size. report this to 1lann."
gollark: Okay, I successfully stole the krist.

References
  1. Steven Johnson; Greg Oliver; Mike Mooneyham; J.J. Dillon (11 January 2013). The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons. ECW Press. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-77090-269-5.
  2. Brian Solomon (1 April 2015). Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left to Know about the World's Most Entertaining Spectacle. Backbeat Books. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-61713-627-6.
  3. "Power Slam". This Month in History: February. SW Publishing. January 1999. p. 28. 55.
  4. Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE. In his many title defences across North America and Japan he fought The Sheik, Johnny Valentine, Jack Brisco, Archie Goudie, Ernie Ladd, Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba.. He also teamed with brother Terry and held both the U.S. and NWA team titles in a feud with Jack and Gerry Brisco. Encyclopedia. DK. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  5. Hornbaker, Tim (2007). National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-1-55022-741-3.
  6. Raj Giri (2013-11-07). "Dory Funk Jr. Talks His Wrestling School, Why He Left WWF, Training Kurt Angle, Wrestling Terry". Wrestling, Inc. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2009-05-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. Burton, Richard (2008-03-10). "Ex-champ Dory Funk leaves ring". Ocala Star Banner. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
  9. Murdock, William (2003). Brisco. Newton, Iowa: Culture House Books. pp. 134–135. ISBN 0-9676080-7-4.
  10. Gerweck.Net; accessed 15 August 2015.
  11. "Anniversary Tour". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  12. 曙が諏訪魔を下し、新ベルトとなった三冠王座を奪取！健在だったファンクスにファン歓喜！ドリフは惜しくもアジアタッグに届かず！. Battle News (in Japanese). 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  13. Caldwell, James (2013-10-28). "Japan news: Funks return to Japan, Dory Funk named chairman, IWGP & NWA Tag Titles to be defended in same match". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  14. "【全日本プロレス】諏訪魔vsドーリングの三冠戦、青木vs光留の世界Jr戦". Battle News (in Japanese). 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  15. "5.31全日本プロレス大阪大会『ファン感謝デー』でドリーと藤原の対戦が実現！潮崎＆宮原はビッグガンズを下して世界タッグV1". Battle News (in Japanese). 2015-06-01. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  16. "Free Family Tree, Genealogy and Family History - MyHeritage". www.familytreelegends.com. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  17. "Pro Wrestling History". prowrestlinghistory.com. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  18. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Open Tag League 1977 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  19. http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/history/rwtl80.php
  20. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Real World Tag League 1984 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  21. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Real World Tag League 1985 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  22. http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/history/rwtl86.php
  23. http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/history/rwtl87.php
  24. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Real World Tag League 1990 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  25. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Real World Tag League 1991 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  26. https://twitter.com/CACReunion/status/1094764643531280384
  27. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  28. Hoops, Brian (January 14, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/14): Christian wins NWA World Title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  29. Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 36 (2): 34. 2015.CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  30. "PWI 500 1994". The Turnbuckle Post. Archived from the original on 2012-07-26. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
  31. "PWI 500 of the PWI Years". Willy Wrestlefest. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
  32. Whalen, Ed (host) (December 15, 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 27:55. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.
  33. "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  34. 東京スポーツ プロレス大賞. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  35. Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Siegel, Boesch and McLemore]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  36. "National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.