Professional wrestling has lost another giant. Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. passed away Tuesday at 85, ending a legendary career that stretched from the Texas territories to Japan and lasted more than six decades.
Funk’s death was announced by Brian Blair and the Cauliflower Alley Club. The wrestling veteran had celebrated his 85th birthday in February at his home in Ocala, Florida, alongside his wife, Marti.
Blair paid tribute to Funk as more than just one of wrestling’s greatest technicians. He remembered watching Funk battle Jack Brisco as a child before eventually developing a close friendship with the former world champion.
“It’s hard to find the right words to say goodbye to a man who became a mentor, a leader and a dear friend, Dory Funk Jr. My love for him started all the way back as a kid at the Bayfront Center, booing him as the ultimate heel while he took on my hero Jack Brisco.”
Blair said Funk carried himself like a legend without ever needing to force it.
“He was an absolute legend who commanded respect just by being himself. My heart goes out to his wife, Marti, and his family. You will be deeply missed, Dory. I know God is welcoming you with open arms. Rest easy until we meet again.”
Funk was born into the wrestling business as the son of wrestler and promoter Dory Funk Sr. After playing football at West Texas State University, he entered professional wrestling in 1963 and began working for his father’s Amarillo territory.
While his younger brother Terry Funk became known for unpredictable brawls and wild violence, Dory built his reputation through calculated strikes, grappling and punishing technical wrestling. He could fight when the match called for it, but everything he did was built around control and precision.
Funk reached the top of the industry on February 11, 1969, when he defeated Gene Kiniski in Tampa to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. At the time, holding that title meant traveling constantly and defending it across the National Wrestling Alliance’s network of territories.
He held the championship for more than four years before losing it to Harley Race in 1973. Race later dropped the title to Jack Brisco, another opponent closely linked to Funk’s legacy.
Funk’s championship run made him one of the most important wrestlers in the world. He was trusted to headline cards across different territories while making each local challenger look like a legitimate threat.
His matches with Brisco became a blueprint for hard-hitting technical wrestling. The two could turn holds, counters and basic strikes into matches that felt like legitimate wars without relying on stunts or spectacle.
Dory and Terry also became two of the biggest foreign stars in Japanese wrestling history. Their work for All Japan Pro Wrestling turned the Funk brothers into major attractions throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
They battled Abdullah the Butcher and The Original Sheik, Jumbo Tsuruta and Giant Baba, and the team of Bruiser Brody and Jimmy Snuka. The Funks won All Japan’s major year-end tag tournament three times, while Dory also captured the NWA International Heavyweight Championship during his run in the country.
Funk remained closely connected to All Japan for decades and helped open doors for other wrestlers looking to work in Japan. He continued appearing in the ring for the promotion well into the later stages of his career.
His resume extended far beyond Amarillo and Japan. Funk competed in Florida, Mid-Atlantic, Memphis, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Puerto Rico and ECW, where he teamed with Terry against The Public Enemy in 1994.
Dory and Terry rarely wrestled against each other. Their only official singles meeting came during a tournament final for All Japan, adding another unusual chapter to one of wrestling’s most famous family partnerships.
WWE fans knew him as “Hoss” Funk during his mid-1980s run with the company. He teamed with Terry and faced Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana at WrestleMania 2. Dory later remained with the promotion alongside Jimmy Jack Funk after Terry’s departure.
WWE inducted Dory and Terry into its Hall of Fame in 2009, recognizing the brothers’ impact across several generations and multiple countries. Their father later joined them in the Hall of Fame’s Legacy Wing in 2025.
Funk’s influence continued through his work as a trainer. He helped develop wrestlers including Edge, Christian, Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Mickie James while operating training camps and his !Bang! promotion in Ocala.
His last match took place in Japan in August 2024. Funk teamed with Osamu Nishimura in a match held as part of an event honoring Terry, who died in 2023. Even at 83 years old, Dory found a way to step into the ring one final time for his brother and the country that had treated the Funks like royalty.
Dory Funk Jr. was not the loudest or wildest member of the Funk family, but he was one of the most technically gifted wrestlers the industry ever produced. His world championship reign, international success and work training future stars guarantee that his influence will remain part of professional wrestling long after his death.
What is your favorite match, rivalry or memory from Dory Funk Jr.’s legendary career? Share your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
