WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. dead at 85

Part of the Funk wrestling dynasty that was integral in the rise of wrestling, Funk wrestled for more than 50 years as part of several companies around the world, leaving his stamp at each stop he made.

Son of Dory and brother to Terry, Funk was a man who truly loved wrestling, starting his career in the 1960s with his father’s promotion Western States Sports. He was with the company for more than 20 years, all while venturing to other promotions like All Japan Pro Wrestling.

He made his debut with the World Wrestling Federation in 1986 alongside his brother, and they took part in WrestleMania 2 together, defeating the Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana while being managed by Jimmy Hart. While his stint in the company was brief, he continued to wrestle and eventually managed promotions while paving the way for the future of the business. Funk ran the the Funking Conservatory wrestling school that trained eventual megastars likes Kurt Angle, Mark Henry, Edge, and Mickie James, as well as Matt and Jeff Hardy.

Funk wrestled his final match in August 2024 at the age of 83.

“Dory’s style inspired countless performers in our industry. Whether it was at WrestleMania 2, WCW, ECW, or the dozens of NWA-affiliated promotions, his travels across North America and Asia were a part of the early blueprint that helped build this business into a global phenomena,” WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said on social media. “A hard-nosed and fierce competitor, his rugged in-ring style was only eclipsed by the decades he spent training athletes to perform in the squared circle he loved so much.”