The former NWA World Champion leaves an enduring legacy
Summary
– Dory Funk Jr. passed away on August 4 at the age of 85
– The WWE Hall of Famer held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for 1,563 days
– Funk influenced generations through his wrestling, international success and training career
Dory Funk Jr., one of the most respected wrestlers of his generation, passed away on August 4 at the age of 85. Brian Blair first announced the death of the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Hall of Famer.
Blair remembered Funk as a mentor, leader and close friend whose presence naturally commanded respect. He also recalled watching Funk wrestle Jack Brisco as a child, before eventually becoming friends with the legendary 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.,” Blair wrote.
Born into one of professional wrestling’s most influential families, Funk was the son of wrestler and promoter Dory Funk Sr. After playing football at West Texas State University, he entered the wrestling business in 1963. He began competing for his father’s Amarillo-based territory.
While his younger brother Terry Funk became famous for his unpredictable brawling style, Dory established himself through calculated strikes, grappling and precise technical wrestling. His disciplined approach allowed him to create believable battles without relying on elaborate stunts or spectacle.
Funk reached the top of the industry on February 11, 1969, when he defeated Gene Kiniski in Tampa, Florida, to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He held the title for 1,563 days before losing it to Harley Race on May 24, 1973, completing the second-longest uninterrupted reign in the championship’s history.
Holding the NWA title required Funk to travel constantly and defend it throughout the alliance’s network of territories. He was trusted to headline against different local challengers while making each opponent appear capable of taking the championship from him.
His matches with Jack Brisco became showcases for hard-hitting technical wrestling. Through holds, counters, and basic strikes, the two created matches that felt like legitimate wars and influenced generations of wrestlers who followed them.
Dory and Terry also became two of the most successful foreign stars in Japanese wrestling history. The Funk brothers emerged as major attractions for All Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1970s and 1980s, facing teams that included Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta, Abdullah the Butcher and The Original Sheik, and Bruiser Brody and Jimmy Snuka.
The brothers won All Japan’s major year-end tag team tournament three times. Dory also captured the NWA International Heavyweight Championship twice and maintained a close connection with Japanese wrestling throughout his career.
Funk competed across numerous promotions and territories, including Florida, Mid-Atlantic, Memphis, Puerto Rico, Smoky Mountain Wrestling and ECW. He reunited with Terry in ECW in 1994 and battled The Public Enemy during the promotion’s rise.
WWE audiences knew Dory as “Hoss” Funk during his run with the company in the 1980s. He teamed with Terry to defeat Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana at WrestleMania 2 before later continuing alongside Jimmy Jack Funk.
WWE inducted Dory and Terry into its Hall of Fame in 2009, recognizing the brothers’ influence across several generations and multiple countries. Their father joined them when Dory Funk Sr. entered the Hall of Fame’s Legacy Wing in 2025.
Dory’s impact continued through his work as a trainer and promoter. Through his Funking Conservatory and !Bang! promotion in Ocala, Florida, he helped guide wrestlers including Edge, Christian, Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Mickie James.
Funk wrestled his final match in Japan on August 24, 2024, at the age of 83. He teamed with Osamu Nishimura to defeat Atsushi Onita and Raijin Yaguchi during an event honoring Terry, who died in 2023.
Dory Funk Jr. may not have been the wildest member of the Funk family, but he was one of professional wrestling’s greatest technical performers. His historic championship reign, international success and commitment to training future stars ensure that his influence will remain part of the industry for generations.
