The legendary Terry Funk, a WWE Hall of Fame, has passed away at 79. According to TMZ, follow wrestling superstar Ric Flair was the first to break the news via his Twitter account, with the Nature Boy writing, “In My Entire Life, I’ve Never Met A Guy Who Worked Harder. Terry Funk Was A Great Wrestler, Entertainer, Unbelievably Fearless, And A Great Friend! Rest In Peace, My Friend Terry Funk, Knowing That No One Will Ever Replace You In The World Of Professional Wrestling!”
In My Entire Life, I’ve Never Met A Guy Who Worked Harder. Terry Funk Was A Great Wrestler, Entertainer, Unbelievably Fearless, And A Great Friend! Rest In Peace My Friend Terry Funk Knowing That No One Will Ever Replace You In The World Of Professional Wrestling! ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/EYMAKOzxnx
— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) August 23, 2023
Even if you’ve never watched a single wrestling match in your life, you’d probably recognize Terry Funk. In addition to his impressive fifty-year wrestling career, the hulking Funk, with his curly hair and beard, often played henchmen in eighties action movies. Sylvester Stallone put him through a glass window in Over the Top, and Patrick Swayze gave him a few really good beatings in Road House.
Despite appearing in these cult classics, wrestling was Funk’s first love, with him having spent time in the WWF (now WWE), WCW, NWA, ECW and many more. Funk hadn’t wrestled since 2017 and reportedly suffered from dementia in recent years, although that didn’t stop him from releasing an autobiographical comic book in 2022.
Indeed, Funk’s career was legendary. His down-and-dirty moves were all the rage, so much so that when Sylvester Stallone was looking to film a street fight for the climax of Rocky V, he had Funk as the choreographer. Like many of his contemporaries, Funk always seemed at ease in the ring playing either villains or heroes, and he was known for being a mentor behind the scenes to rising talents like Mick Foley, who said on Twitter, “Terry Funk is gone. I just talked to Terry’s daughter, Brandee, who gave me the awful news. He was my mentor, my idol, and one of my closest friends. He was the greatest wrestler I ever saw…”
From all of us here at JoBlo, we wish all of the best to Mr. Funk’s fans and loved ones. Indeed, the man was a one-of-a-kind wrestling icon.