Posts Tagged ‘Dory Funk Jr.’

Dory Funk Jr. Gets Hit With Exploding Bat During Historic Match

Dory Funk Jr. really knew how to honor his late brother Terry Funk by following in his footsteps at the age of 83.

The legendary Terry Funk passed away one year ago on August 23 and his older brother Dory decided to step into the deathmatch realm against a longtime Terry rival in Atsushi Onita. Terry Funk and Onita had a very memorable match back in 1993 as the two battled in an exploding ring match, a battle that was historically violent and memorable.

Dory Funk decided to tip his cowboy hat in honor of his brother by doing just that this weekend as he teamed up with an old rival of his own in Osamu Nishimura to face Onita and Raijin Yaguchi in a Double Hell Current Explosion Death Match.

Thankfully, the “death” aspect didn’t live up to its name but the “explosion” most definitely did on Dory’s end. Ontia managed to whack the former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion with an exploding baseball bat during the battle, but it wasn’t enough to keep Funk down as his team ended up getting the victory at the Terry Funk Memorial & Atsushi Onita 50th Anniversary show.

Before this fight, Dory’s last in-ring match took place five years ago against the aforementioned Nishimura in a ten-minute draw.

However, Dory Funk Jr. made history in the world of pro wrestling as he became the oldest wrestler to ever have a match while paying tribute to his baby brother Terry.

RELATED: Dory Funk Jr. To Make History In Upcoming Tribute Match for Terry

Dory Funk Jr. To Make History In Upcoming Tribute Match for Terry

WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. will pay tribute to his late brother Terry in an upcoming match, and will also make history in the process. Funk will team with Osamu Nishimura in a tag-team match on August 24, to take on Atsushi Onita & Raijin Yaguchi. The match has been sanctioned by PWF President Yoshio Osumi and will be part of the official memorial show for Terry Funk who died one year ago tomorrow.

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By competing at the event, Funk will become the oldest wrestler to compete in a match at 83 years of age. Funk made his in-ring debut in 1963, the same year that Buddy Rogers became the very first WWE World Champion. He is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and boasts the second-longest individual reign (behind Lou Thesz’s first reign that lasted 2,300 days.) For his efforts in wrestling, Dory, alongside his brother Terry and their late father Dory Sr. was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

H/T to @PuroresuFlow for uncovering this stat. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more interesting wrestling facts and statistics.

This match will be Funk’s first bout in close to six years. He last stepped in the ring for the Tokyo Gurentai Tokyo Dream event in November 2018. That match saw him face Nishimura to a time-limit draw. His most recent victory came in an eight-man tag for All-Japan the previous year.

Funk, like his brother and father, mastered the art of mat wrestling during his heyday and is ready to lace up his boots one more time for his brother who died last August. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on the legendary Funk wrestling family.

Kevin Owens Shows Off His Tattoos (Video), NXT Star Busted Open, More

– Kevin Owens is featured on the latest episode of Superstar Ink with Corey Graves.

– Patrick Clark of Tough Enough fame was busted open by Hideo Itami during their match at Friday’s NXT house show in Ocala, FL. He tweeted the following warning to Itami after:

https://twitter.com/PatrickClarkWWE/status/756652945505124353

– Also at last night’s house show in Ocala was an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk, Jr. Funk, who runs a wrestling school in Ocala, came to the ring and thanked Triple H for bringing NXT to the area. He was interrupted by a heel Mandy Rose but Bayley quickly made the save and hit her finisher. The segment ended with hugs between Dory and Bayley, seen below:

https://twitter.com/Cody_Starbuck/status/756639128947687426

https://twitter.com/Cody_Starbuck/status/756640983949963264

Harley Race Shares Dusty Rhodes Memories, Talks Past Issues With Ric Flair & More

WWE Hall Of Famer Harley Race recently spoke with the folks at The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast about a number of topics related to his legendary career. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On what students take away from a Harley Race Wrestling Camp: “They are going to learn how to take care of themselves and then how to perform inside that squared circle. After that we start sticking them into the ring and see how they would look for the public. When you’ve got the physical side and that’s pretty much all the way down then the other parts will come along to you fairly easy.”

On heat with Ric Flair during his career and not wanting to drop the NWA Title: “Overall, Flair and I have had a hellishly active part of wrestling. He knows and I know that we are too old to want to get involved with this stuff now. In 1983, Flair was just starting to really get involved and I was at that point in time thinking that that he wasn’t ready but once he got really involved in the championship part of it (the business) he came along to be one of the best ever. Flair proved to me that he was a good hand in the ring and he was in there with the absolute very best so it was all pretty easy from there.”

On memories of Dusty Rhodes: “Dusty was probably one of the best interview people ever in wrestling. He could talk about anything on the face of God’s green earth and make it sound like it was extremely important. Overall, Dusty could perform in that ring as well as just about anybody. I never really had a bad performance with Dusty in any of the matches that we ever had. There are very few people that I can say that about.”

On working against Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. and if he has a preference between the two: “Dory was very, very good in the ring. He and Terry both were great in there but I can’t mention one without mentioning the other. Between the two of them it was just the flip of a coin, with Dory you could have a little bit better of a wrestling match. Terry was good for wrestling but he was very very good at scrambling.”

On bodyslamming Andre The Giant: “The only reservation I ever had was to have everything in the right spot at the right time and to be able to come up with him. Because you were lifting the world’s biggest athlete. It was a hell of a lot better to be on the same side as him.”

On the WWF’s national expansion and invading “his territory” during the 1980s: “By the time they had done the expansion you knew that they were going around the whole entire country. I didn’t want to get involved in fights with them or against them. I just wanted to stay Harley Race in the wrestling world, worldwide and that is what I did for a long time.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

Interesting WWE Network Stats & Data, 74 Year-Old WWE Hall Of Famer To Wrestle

– WWE Hall Of Famer Dory Funk Jr., at age 74, will be returning to the ring for a match in Osaka, Japan on May 31st. Funk Jr. will be teaming with Osama Nishimura to take on the team of Masa Fuchi and Yoshiaki Fujiwara, who himself is 65 years of age. Apparently Funk Jr. and Fujiwara have never wrestled each other despite being big stars in Japan for many years.

– According to data and statistics released by WWE in April, the average WWE Network subscriber household spends four hours and five minutes per week on the WWE Network. Another interesting stat is that in an average month, six percent of WWE Network subscribers never log-in once.

(Credit: F4WOnline.com)

Dory Funk Jr. Speaks On Terry Funk’s Reputation, Run As World Champion & More

The following are highlights of a new In Your Head Wrestling Radio interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Dory Funk Jr.:

Was it intentional that your brother Terry Funk was the more hardcore wrestler and you were the more technical wrestler, or was that just your personalities?: “I guess it probably reflects our real personalities. You wouldn’t believe it, but we both had the same teacher, who was my father, Dory Funk, Sr. He had a side of him that was a great wrestler, he was an amateur wrestler from Indiana University and had a terrific wrestling career, but he also was the king of the Texas Death Matches. Some of the bloodiest battles I’d ever seen in my life took place when I was a kid in Amarillo, Texas, watching my father. So, I guess my brother picked up one side of what my father taught, and I picked up the other side.”

What was it like to have a four-year run as NWA World Champion?: “There is nothing like being in the ring performing for the wrestling fans…It’s what you do all the hard work in wrestling for; it’s for the performance. That’s the most pleasure in wrestling. It’s not like it was a grind; it was a pleasure. At that time, with the leadership of the National Wrestling Alliance and Sam Muchnick, every place I went was a first-class trip. It was the best hotels; it was fabulous money and a fabulous way of life. It gave me the opportunity to provide my family will all that they needed at that time. I enjoyed every minute of it, especially the time in the ring. There is another part of it that you mention, and that is the part of being away from home, and that’s a sacrifice that you have to make, but I think it was good for everybody. I think it was good for family, I think it was good for me, and I certainly enjoyed it and had a wonderful time doing it.”

You can check out the complete interview above.

  • HUGE BACKSTAGE NEWS: WWE To Make HULK HOGAN The NEW RAW GM?! [Full Story >>]
  • Tammy Sytch At It Again, Ric Flair Back In The Game, Colt Cabana/WWE, Funk’s

    -According to his official Facebook.com page, independent wrestler Damien Darling claims WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch has tried to get him removed from some of the indy dates he was booked for.

    -After taking time off to deal with some personal issues, WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair is once again taking some bookings for appearances. Flair is now reportedly based out of Tampa, Florida, and living with former WCW wrestler Joe Gomez.

    -For those wondering, Colt Cabana has yet to receive the WWE tryout that he mentioned he would be getting soon on his recent appearance on The Steve Austin Show.

    -Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. went to a 20-minute draw in their first match as a tag-team in years. The two worked against Masa Fuchi and Osamu Nishimura for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in a recent tag-team match.

    Huge *SPOILERS* For Tonight’s Edition Of WWE RAW — CLICK HERE!

    [Credit: PWInsider.com]

    Update On Funk’s In Japan, Bret Hart’s First WWE Title Win, Birthdays/Deaths

    -As previously reported, the Funk brothers are headed back to Japan. WWE Hall Of Famers, Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr., are scheduled to appear on the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) show at the Tokyo Sumo Hall on October 27th.

    -As noted, today is the birthday of WWE Hall Of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, who turns 68. Also celebrating birthdays today in the world of pro wrestling are Stan Hansen (64), Rodney Mack (43) and Karen Jarrett (41).

    -Former WWE manager The Grand Wizard (Ernie Roth) passed away on this day in 1983. Roth was 54 at the time of his passing.

    -Also on this day, in 1992, WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart won his first WWE World Championship against fellow WWE Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in Saskatoon.

    Related News: Kevin Nash & Scott Hall To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame Together?

    New Jim Ross Interview, Cena’s Charity Work, Funk’s Returning To Japan, Jericho

    -The Mace And Crown website recently ran a featured article on the charity work that WWE Superstar John Cena participates in on a regular basis. Fans interested in checking that out can do so online at MaceAndCrown.com.

    -The TBN Weekly website ran a “Where Are They Now?” type story on George Scott, the famed pro wrestling star of the 1950s and 1960s who later became one of the most noted bookers in wrestling. You can check that out online at TBNWeekly.com.

    -WWE Hall Of Famer Dory Funk Jr. recently noted on his official Twitter account that he and his brother, fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Terry Funk, will soon be returning to Japan. Funk didn’t, however, elaborate on what exactly that meant.

    -An interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross, where he mainly discusses legends of Texas wrestling, is available online at Facebook.com/ihweprowrestling.

    -Chris Jericho’s rock-and-roll band “Fozzy” will be performing two shows ths weekend. The first stop for the group will be the House Of Blues on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California on Friday, October 4th. Next up, “Fozzy” will perform at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California on Sunday, October 5th.

    Dusty Rhodes PISSES OFF Stephanie McMahon At RAW Recently [FULL STORY HERE >>]

    Details On Upcoming !BANG! TV Charity Show For Interfaith Services Of Marion County

    SESCOOPS.COM reader Dory Funk Jr. sent along the following:

    !BANG! TV Report – A CHARITY SHOW FOR INTERFAITH SERVICES OF MARION COUNTY
    SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
    “The Amazing Kong RETURNS”
    At the Dory Funk Arena filmed live for !BANG! TV. www.dory-funk.com

    Professional Wrestling comes to the !BANG! TV Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida Friday September 20th. Support Your Troops 96, “KONGFRONTATION” will feature a Last Woman Standing “Fatal 4-Way Championship Match with Amazing KONG, Hollywood Heather, Claudia “The Claw” Reiff (Champion) and Jessica “Power-House” Hill. Showtime is 7:00pm with doors opening at 6:15pm.

    Proceeds from this event will go to Interfaith Emergency Services of Marion County. “God’s Hand Extended to Those in Need”

    Also appearing on this charity event, Dory Funk Jr., Johnny Magnum, Hector “Taino” Alicea, Ryan “The Rogue” Passmore, Quinton “Drop-Back” Hitchcock, Bulldog Bryson Michaels, Shane Chung, Moose McNamara and a special appearance by Noah “Cracker Jack” Maycer.

    Tickets to this charity event can be purchase online at http://www.dory-funk.com or you may call Funking Conservatory Wrestling 352-895-4658 – Tickets are also available at Interfaith Services of Marion County 629-8868.

    This show is a charity event for Interfaith Services and it will benefit their food pantry. We are raising money and asking for food to be brought to the event to help replenish the food pantry for the hundreds of folks fed each day by Interfaith.

    “Karla Grimsley (Interfaith Services) and George Albright (Marion County Tax Collector) are directing us all the way to help maximize our fund raising“ said Dory Funk Jr., owner of the FCW training center in Ocala, Florida.

    Visit Dory Funk’s Website at http://www.dory-funk.com

    Join Dory Funk and Marti on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube – http://www.dory-funk.com/bt-20.html

    24WRESTLING.COM — WWE & TNA News, PPV Coverage & Spoilers

    Dory Funk Jr. Comments On Passing Of Don “The Lawman” Slatton

    SESCOOPS.COM reader Dory Funk Jr. sent along the following:

    With the passing of Don “The Lawman” Slatton we lost one of the most entertaining characters in the wrestling business. Don a talented “Hard-Core” wrestler with box office appeal was the promoter of Abilene, Texas and the surrounding area (Sweenwater, Brownwood, San Angelo). Don booked talent out of the Amarillo Wrestling Office.

    The Lawman was also known for being one of the best ribbers in the wrestling business. Following is just one of many stories that will give you a look into the life and humor of Don “The Lawman” Slatton.

    http://www.dory-funk.com/deer.html

    With love for Don “The Lawman” Slatton and thanks to his wife, Silvia for being so gracious to me on so many occasions, My Condolences to Silvia, Daughter Donna and the family of Don “The Lawman” Slatton.

    Dory Funk Jr.

    Follow SESCOOPS.COM reporter Matt Boone on Twitter @MBoone420 for breaking news updates!

    Jesse Sorensen’s MRI Results, Luger/Sting Note, Daniels Interview, Funk/Brisco

    -Lex Luger’s new autobiography, “Wrestling With The Devil,” will be released on Tuesday. The forward for the book is written by Luger’s long time friend and fellow wrestler, Steve Borden, aka “Sting.”

    -Recently released TNA Impact Wrestling star Jesse Sorensen posted a new tweet on his official Twitter account on Monday updating fans on the status of his neck. Sorensen wrote, “Just received amazing news from the MRI my neck is 100% & is not at risk of being re injured! Time to make this dream really come true!”

    SESCOOPS.COM reader Marc Kruskol from MJK Public Relations sent along the following:

    Christopher Daniels was interviewed by Greg Bicouvaris / “Sports Scene” on 1490 AM and 102.1TheGame.com in Virginia Beach, VA. You can listen here (at 41:40): http://stationcaster.com/player_skinned.php?s=100&c=845&f=1727941

    SESCOOPS.COM reader Dory Funk sent along the following:

    On the set of !BANG! TV, Dory Funk Jr. and Jerry Brisco pull out the Record Book to help decide, “Who is the best team in professional wrestling, The Funks or the Briscos?”

    The record book includes famous matches from around the world including St. Louis, Greensboro North Carolina, Japan, Puerto Rico, Tampa Florida, Oklahoma and The Great State of Texas.

    Both agree Funk vs Brisco were the hottest brother combination in wrestling but the conversation turns competitive regarding, “Who is Best.”

    Watch Dory Funk and Jerry Brisco “Who is Best?” below:

    WWE RAW Spoilers

    WWE Scout At Dory Funk’s TV Taping, Mick Foley Video Interview, Dutch Savage

    -WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley appeared on “The Morning Blend” on TMJ14 in Milwaukee to promote his upcoming comedy gig at the Mirmar Theater on Sunday at 7pm. Foley talked about his Christmas projects such as the movie “I Am Santa Claus.” Foley also discussed Mr. Socko and other random topics. You can check out a video of the appearance online at TheMorningBlend.com.

    -The SLAM! Wrestling website out of Canada has a feature-piece on their website about the late Dutch Savage. You can check that out online at Slam.Canoe.ca.

    SESCOOPS.COM reader Dory Funk sent along the following:

    WWE Talent Scout, Jerry Brisco Coming to !BANG! TV Taping

    Jerry Brisco will be in attendance at the next !BANG! TV Taping, Support Your Troops 95, “Friday Night Fight” at the !BANG! TV Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida. The event will take place Friday August 23rd Showtime is 7:00pm. Jerry Brisco will be here to scout wrestling talent for WWE.

    Headlining the card will be a World Title Match featuring 3rd Generation Romero Youngblood (Champion) defending against the challenge of Triple Sport Star (Baseball, Football and Wrestling) Quinton “Drop-Back” Hitchcock.

    Also on the card – Dory Funk Jr., Johnny Magnum, Shane Chung, Hollywood Heather, Claudia “The Claw” Reiff, Jessica “Power-House” Hill, Ryan “The Rogue” Passmore, Bulldog Bryson Michaels, Hector “Taino” Alicea and a Special Appearance by Noah “Spike” Mayser and more.

    If you would like to become a professional wrestler, Visit Dory Funk’s Website at http://www.dory-funk.com or Call Now 352-895-4658 for Training Information.

    Join Dory Funk and Marti on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube – http://www.dory-funk.com/bt-20.html

    Details On Last-Minute Changes To Next Sunday’s SummerSlam PPV!

    Big Show RAW Return Promo, WWE Signs Indy Wrestler Trained By Hall Of Famer

    -WWE posted the following video promo on their official YouTube channel. The promo features hype for the return of The Big Show to WWE RAW this coming Monday night:

    -WWE has signed independent pro wrestler Cory “Wild” Weston. Weston is a student under WWE Hall Of Famer Dory Funk Jr. Dory released the following statement on Weston’s signing with WWE:

    “From Funking Conservatory Wrestling we are proud of the accomplishments of Cory ‘Wild’ Weston. Cory is an example of what can be accomplished with dedication and hard work.”

    Huge *SPOILERS* For This Coming Monday’s WWE RAW