It was announced this week that Dory Funk Jr will be going to Japan for a final tour. I have crossed paths with Dory Funk several times over the years. I know that the first several times that I did I went totally unnoticed as he was a legend in our business and I was a young guy trying to make my way in the business.
The first time I actually spoke to Dory Funk Jr. was a strange situation. I was on AOL Instant Messenger talking to my friend B.Brian Blair of The Killer Bees. It was late at night I should have realized that something was wrong when the typing was coming back so fast. I eventually saw a message come over saying that Brian was getting off line and to call him at a certain phone number. Well I called the number and found that I had woken up Dory Funk Jr in the middle of the night. He seemed good natured about it and one day I had the chance to tell him about it he just laughed it off with a big smile.
That is Dory Funk Jr. I have never known him to be anything else but the most even tempered man you could imagine. I found out later that it was not Brian typing those messages it was a guy named Mark Nulty who does some ring announcing in Florida and is a wrestling encyclopedia. We used Mark as the ring announcer for WrestleReunion 1 in Tampa. He did a fine job and has a tremendous amount of wrestling knowledge.
I did want to confirm the rumors of Dory's Farewell Tour to Japan before posting this article. So I sent an email off to Dory and his wife Marti. As always, you can count on a very fast reply from Marti, which is always appreciated in this business. I was wondering would this be Dory’s final tour of Japan or would it be his last match period? It does sound like, at this point, it is his last match.
I am so glad that I was able to get Dory and Terry to team up for WrestleReunion 1 and challenge for the NWA Tag Team Titles in Tampa. It was a long road making sure that we had the tam team champions at WR1 but we did have them. At the time it was America’s Most Wanted (James Storm and Chris Harris) these guys were so respectful and so thrilled to be with all the legends. They were proud to be in the ring with The Funks. I did not know them at all before they got there, but when they left they had my respect. I still have no understanding as to why they were broken up as a team. It was a major mistake on TNA’ part if you ask me. I have no understanding why WWE didn’t grab these guys and let them run with the belts for awhile.
It was not easy to get The Funks in a position to team up together. If you are a hardcore wrestling fan you know that there have not been many situations where they have teamed up in the last fifteen years. It was my idea to give people things they couldn’t see on every Indy show. So I tracked down Terry Funk and called Marti Funk, who handles the business end for Dory and has for many years. I can say that I am a guy who thinks things out before I approach the legends and with WR1. That was done all the way down the line. I can say with a smile that the only manager I dealt with over the years that protected her client more was the manager of Jim Nabors of The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. fame. I am like anyone else I want things my way but I can also respect tough but fair negotiators who are actually doing their job. In the case of Jim Nabors manager she was tenacious and firm but not fair at all. In the case of Marti Funk sooner or later we were able to come to conclusions we could both live with.
When it came to WrestleReunion 2, I had another idea that I felt the fans would love to see. I love using the Midnight Express on my shows but in keeping with the "give them something different" motto I like using them in six man tags or eight man tag matches. I know we have had the last chance to see Jim Cornette in the ring but if and when the time comes again I will look to Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane to get back in the ring again hopefully they would all agree. So when I had the idea for WrestleReunion 2 I had to call the man that I knew would be the hardest to convince my long time friend Mick Foley. It was no problem getting Mick at WrestleReunion1 to sign autographs etc but I was no going to ask him to get back in the ring for an Indy show. Even though after the first WrestleReunion was deemed so special I knew that it was still going to be a hard sell. I also know that Mick didn’t like turning me down for requests and rarely did it but I just wasn’t sure about this one.
I called Mick and, as expected, as soon as he figured out the road I was going down he started to beg off. I said Mick "what if I had something really special for you?". He said "well if it was really special then maybe I will consider it". I laid out the plan for him and he said let me talk to Terry and get back to you. Well he called back in a few days and said "I talked to Terry we are going to do this for you". I was thrilled to have both Funks back in the ring again with “The Hardcore Legend” Mick Foley.
I had also gotten Tully Blanchard back in the wrestling business for WrestleReunion. In the months after that Tully started taking other bookings again and I heard that he had at least one thirty minute match against Dory Funk Jr somewhere in lower Georgia. I heard it was some match. I am sorry that I missed it. But I did talk to Tully about it. As it turned out I guess it was a good thing that I gave him a lot of time to get back into shape.
I have visited Dory’s old wrestling school in Ocala, Fl. I understand they have a new location now which I have not had the chance to visit yet. I have been told by Rob Russen that the new facility is a really nice place. In my visit to the old facility with wrestling journalist Bill Apter, Rob Russen and Missy Hyatt, I watched Dory in action with a much younger student and what really stood out to me was that it was crystal clear that Dory could take the guy at any time. I remember telling Marti people on the other side of town can see that even at Dory’s age that he has to carry these guys. If you ever have the chance to get up close to Dory Funk Jr the size of his arms is mind boggling to me I remember when they advertised just a few years ago that Dory would challenge Jeff Jarrett for the NWA Title I asked several people in the business the same question. "If the business was a shoot do you think anyone would bet that Jeff could hold on to the title if Dory wanted it?" All I got in reply was a bunch of "hell no’s" or people laughing at me. I am sorry that I never booked myself to work against Dory. He is another guy like Gorgeous Gary Royal who could take someone as limited as The Big Cheese and make him look like a pro.
All great things come to an end. It was inevitable that the careers of Dory Funk Jr and Terry Funk would come to an end. When was the last time that pro wrestling didn't have a member of the Funk family as an active competitor? As one door closes others open and I am sure that Dory will stay involved in the business for as long as he is able. You really don't think about guys like Dory Funk Jr retiring he I can't imagine him ever becoming sedentary or just hanging around. I am sure that we will continue to see him at conventions and at his wrestling school passing along a wealth the wealth knowledge that he has absorbed over the years. Even though all that information is in his head. I struggle thinking that anyone person could possibly absorb it all into their heads. Best of luck to you Dory. Enjoy your tour to Japan and remember the word "retirement" doesn’t really do much to stop a guy like me from asking you to put on the tights "one" more time. If you dont believe me ask Bob Orton Jr, Tully Blanchard, Playboy Buddy Rose, "Sweet" Stan Lane and others I still might come calling one day. As soon as my schedule allows I will stop by your school and I recommend that anyone else that has the chance do the same. You can meet in person the most unassuming, non-egotistical NWA Champion that there ever was and probably ever will be. Isn't it funny in life that generally the legitimate tough guys are generally the quiet ones and most of the bully's are the ones that cant hold their own if push came to shove.
I wont be writing about anything else for this article because when a legend like Dory Funk Jr retires there is no bigger news to write about unless there is some tragedy going on. Thank goodness there is no new tragedy in our business to start off the year.
The picture for this article came from the same show at the Meadowlands Arena that the Ric Flair and Dory Funk Jr picture came from that I used in an earlier article. This picture shows Dory Funk Jr and former AWA World Champion Nick Bockwinkel
This has been a piece of my mind
by "The Big Cheese" Sal Corrente
