The wrestling world lost a pioneer, as WWE on Wednesday announced the death of hardcore legend Terry Funk at age 79.
Funk, whose remarkable in-ring career spanned more than 50 years and included stints with a plethora of promotions, will be remembered as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time.
His brutal style between the ropes — from death matches to bouts featuring ample bloodshed — opened the door for hardcore wrestling, with his contributions evident all across the globe.
Funk began his wrestling career in 1965, for his father’s Western States Sports promotion. He later laced up the boots for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), among other companies, garnering a reputation as both a hard worker and a selfless star.
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“If you get the chance, look up a Terry Funk match or a Terry Funk promo, and give thanks that this incredible man gave so much, for so long, to so many,” Mick Foley, a fellow WWE legend and Funk’s former tag-team partner wrote Wednesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “There will never be another like him. May God bless Terry, his friends, family and all who loved him. RIP my dear friend — it was an honor to know you. #RIPTerryFunk.”
Some WWE fans might remember Funk as “Chainsaw Charlie,” his moniker while teaming with Foley, then known as “Catus Jack,” in the late 1990s.
Ric Flair also paid his respects Wednesday on social media, calling Funk a “great wrestler” and “unbelievably fearless.”
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Funk was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Featured image via Audrey Richardson/USA TODAY Sports Images
