Wrestling Legend Terry Funk Passes Away at 79

Wrestling legend Terry Funk, real name Terrence Funk, passed away today at the age of 79.

Funk’s passing was first announced by WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley on Twitter who stated that Funk’s daughter Brandee confirmed that he had died in a conversation they had today.

Terry Funk is gone. I just talked to Terry’s daughter, Brandee, who gave me the awful news. He was my mentor, my idol, one of the closest friends. He was the greatest wrestler I ever saw.

If you get the chance, look up a Terry Funk match or a Terry Funk promo, and give thanks… pic.twitter.com/WwdFLwXqZ0

— Mick Foley (@foleyispod) August 23, 2023

Funk’s career in wrestling spanned from 1965 to 2017 and had notable stints in the United States with WWF, WCW, ECW, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and Championship Wrestling from Florida and in Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling. Funk was most known for being one of the pioneers of hardcore style wrestling.

Funk’s legendary career included notable feuds with Giant Baba, Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair Mick Foley under his Cactus Jack persona, New Age Outlaws, Tommy Dreamer, and many other legends and notable wrestlers.

Funk was also known for his tag team work with his real life brother Dory Funk Jr. in Japan for AJPW during the 1970s to 1991.

In wrestling history, Funk is known for his efforts in taking then fledgling promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling and helping launch the company into great new heights and exposure under its more well known name of Extreme Championship Wrestling. Funk headlined the first ever ECW pay-per-view event, Barely Legal ’97, which saw him defeated Raven to be crowned the new ECW World Champion.

Some of Funk’s notable accolades and achievements during his legendary career included being a two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, one-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, one-time NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion, two-time NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, three-time WCW Hardcore Champion, one-time NWA Georgia Television Champion, two-time NWA Florida Tag Team Champion, and one-time WWF Tag Team Champion.

Funk was also inducted into the WCW (1995), Stampede Wrestling (1995), Wrestling Observer Newsletter (1996), Professional Wrestling (2004), Hardcore (2005), WWE (2009), NWA (2009), George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling (2010), St. Louis Wrestling (2010), and Intentional Professional Wrestling (2021) Hall of Fames. Funk was also the recipient of the Tokyo Sports Lifetime Achievement Award in 1983.