Terry Funk's 1994 WCW Run

On August 23, 2023 the wrestling world lost a true legend in Terry Funk at only 79 years old. I had met Terry in 2003 in Danbury, Connecticut at and independent show called Xobuko.  I think they only ran a couple shows.  Mr. Funk was one of the nicest and kindest wrestlers I have ever met, he was so warm and welcoming.  Maybe it was the soft voice or the kindness in his eyes but he was just awesome!  My picture with Terry Funk is one of my all time favorites. 

I've listened to a couple tribute podcasts about his life including the Something to Wrestle episode with Brice Prichard and Conrad Thompson with one of Conrad's thorough breakdown of Funk's career.  One aspect they didn't discuss that I got curious about was his WCW run in 1994.

I remember back in the day watching WCW Slamboree 1994 a Legends Reunion, May 22, 1994 at the Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  That night Terry Funk battled Tully Blanchard to a double DQ.  I have always been a huge Tully Blanchard fan and it was so cool to see him wrestle again after not seeing him since he left WWF.

I know it was a one off for Blanchard and I don't recall seeing Funk in WCW after that match but his ECW run during that time is very vivid to me.  In a Tully Blanchard interview he did years after this event he mentioned that Funk had been signed by WCW that night I didn't think much about it then, but after his death for some reason the one of the first things that popped in my mind was this mysterious 1994 WCW run.

Ultimately it lasted only 5 months, and in that time he competed in 23 matches and was a member of the Stud Stable with Bunkhouse Buck, Arn Anderson, & Col. Robert Parker.

May 15, 1994 Orlando, Florida

WCW Worldwide Aired August 6, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated David Walby & Kenny Kendall

May 17, 1994 Orlando, Florida

WCW Worldwide Aired August 20, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Erik Watts & Mike Houston

May 22, 1994 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WCW Slamboree 1994: A Legends Reunion

Terry Funk battled Tully Blanchard to a Double DQ

July 2, 199 Atlanta, Georgia

WCW Saturday Night Aired July 16, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Barry Houston & Todd Morton

July 15, 1994 Albuquerque, New Mexico

WCW Pro Aired July 16, 1994

Brian Pillman defeated Terry Funk by DQ

July 17, 1994 Orlando, Florida

WCW Bash at the Beach

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Arn Anderson & Dustin Rhodes

July 19, 1994 Atlanta, Georgia

WCW Saturday Night Aired July 30, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Joey Maggs & Todd Morton

July 30, 1994 Jacksonville, Florida

Sting defeated Terry Funk

August 1, 1994 St. Lucie, Florida

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Kevin Sullivan & Cactus Jack

August 4, 1994 Orlando, Florida

WCW Worldwide Aired September 17, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck, Terry Funk, Col. Robert Parker, & Arn Anderson defeated Barry Houston, Brian Armstrong, Steve Collins, & Terry Taylor

August 10, 1994 Atlanta, Georgia

WCW Saturday Night Aired August 20, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck, Arn Anderson & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker  defeated The Armstrong's: Brad, Brian, & Scott

WCW Saturday Night Aired August 27, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Joey Maggs & Todd Morton

August 16, 1994 Gainesville, Georgia

WCW Pro Aired September 17, 1994

Dustin Rhodes defeated Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker 

WCW Pro Aired September 25, 1994

Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, & Sting The Stud Stable: Arn Anderson, Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker 

August 18, 1994 Houston, Texas

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Chavo & Mando Guerrero

August 19, 1994 Beaumont, Texas

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Chavo & Mando Guerrero

August 21, 1994 Colorado Springs, Colorado

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Chavo & Mando Guerrero

August 24, 1994 Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Clash of the Champions XXVIII

Dusty & Dustin Rhodes defeated The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker by DQ

September 18, 1994 Roanoke, Virginia

Fall Brawl 1994

War Games: Dusty & Dustin Rhodes and The Nasty Boys: Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags defeated The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck, Terry Funk, Col. Robert Parker, & Arn Anderson

September 28, 1994 Atlanta, Georgia

WCW Saturday Night Aired October 8, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Joey Maggs & Larry Santo

October 4, 1994 Atlanta, Georgia

WCW Saturday Night Aired October 22, 1994

The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker defeated Alex Davis & Pez Whatley

October 16, 1994 Anaheim, California

Dustin Rhodes and The Nasty Boys: Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs defeated The Stud Stable: Arn Anderson, Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker

October 23, 1994 Detroit, Michigan

Halloween Havoc

The Nasty Boys: Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs defeated The Stud Stable: Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker

October 28, 1994 Tampa, Florida

Dusty & Dustin Rhodes defeated The Stud Stable: Arn Anderson & Terry Funk with Col. Robert Parker

The man was on TV, wrestled at a Clash and two other PPV's and I have no memory of it.  He wrestled on the Hulk Hogan Bash at the Beach debut show and still, nothing!  Funk's time in WCW does not fit in my brain with the dawn of the Hulk Hogan era of WCW.

You know what I do remember during this same time period, his no rope barbed wire match teaming with Dory against The Public Enemy at ECS Heat Wave 1994, his match with Cactus Jack at ECW Hardcore Heaven 1994 and other ECW matches.  

Arn and Terry were in a stable together!?!?!

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Until next time! 

The Amarillo Territory: Japanese Invasion

Dan Black is a wrestling fan who grew up in Amarillo, Texas attending the matches at the Amarillo Sports Arena from 1969 - 1979.  Here are some of his memories;

Japanese Invasion 

On December 7, 1971, Terry and Dory Funk, Jr won the NWA International Tag Team Championship from Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki in Sapporo Japan. However, on May 18, 1972 Giant Baba brought the feared Seiji Sakaguchi to Amarillo to escort the belts back home. This title match was promoted several months out. 

Seiji Sakaguchi

It would be Baba's first appearance in Amarillo, however, "Big Saka" had given Junior a scare in the Amarillo Territory in the fall of 1970 and he was no stranger to the area. Japanese wrestlers had terrorized the local boys for years as the feared team of Pak Song and Al Kim nearly "killed" Terry Funk and Ricky Romero something the fans had not forgotten. This was about more than defending a championship.

A sold out historic Amarillo Sports Arena was nervous and buzzing at bell time. The Funks struggled with there bigger opponents early, both had attempted the dreaded double arm suplex but couldn't get either off the mat. Finally about 20 minutes in, Terry and Dory double teamed Baba with the suplex and Junior got the first fall. Big Saka used a knee drop to the throat to get the pin in the second. Around 40 minutes it appeared Dory was about to falter, he finally got the tag with Terry and suddenly the ring was full. 

Terry was flipped out the ring and Dory and Saka collided. Baba was covering Dory and Terry snuck in behind to drape Saka. Ref counts 1..2,Terry screams and referee Ken Farber, he's the legal man and Farber leaps over Baba/Junior and hits the mat for the three count on Saka. Titles secured!!! 

Hometown Boys prevail and National honor defended. It was a crazy night. Probably the most exciting tag match I ever seen in person. Of course, the next night the Funks lost the straps in Los Angeles, as I found out decades later. That match in LA is on YouTube in it's entirety. 

Dan Black

WCW Hall of Fame

The WWE, then WWF, launched their Hall of Fame on the March 22, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw.  The first and only inductee that year was the 8th Wonder of the World Andre the Giant who had passed away six weeks prior on January 27, 1993.

That same year on May 23, 1993 at the World Championship Wrestling Pay Per View Slamboree: A Legends Reunion WCW launched their own Hall of Fame.  Now I'm don't know if WCW already had this in the works before the WWE or if they followed suit.  Either way it's nice that for three years WCW honored the legends of wrestling with a ceremony at Slamboree.

Two of the biggest differences between the WCW and WWE Hall of Fame's is that WCW held theirs at a PPV event and those events featured matches pitting inductees and other legends against each other.

Slamboree: A Legends Reunion

May 23, 1993 The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia

Hall of Fame Inductees:

Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne, Mr. Wrestling II, and Eddie Graham

Gordon Solie was the master of ceremonies introducing the inductees into the Hall of Fame.  Gordon began the ceremony reading a list of those who are no longer with us:  Buddy Rogers, Andre the Giant, Pat O' Connor, Gene Anderson, Dick The Bruiser, and Wilbur Snyder.  I'm not sure why these five were announced, the died between 1990 - 1993.

Godon Solie

Gordon read a small bio of each inductee as a short video package with a mixture of newspaper clippings, still photos, and video clips played.  Each inductee was given a large plaque of their likeness.  Mike Graham accepted on behalf of his father Eddie Graham who had died in 1995.  The ceremony was held in the ring about 90 minutes into the show and lasted only about 10 minutes.

Legends Honored in Attendance:

The Fabulous Moolah, Bugsy McGraw, Red Bastien, "Dirty" Dick Murdoch, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, "Magnificent" Don Muraco, "Chief" Wahoo McDaniel, BlackJack Mulligan, "Jumping" Jim Brunzell, The Assassin, Mad Dog Vachon, Johnny Valentine, Bob Geigle, Lord James Blears, John Tolos, The Crusher, Ox Baker, Dusty Rhodes, Stu Hart, and Magnum TA.

The show opened with many legends already in the ring none of them were introduced, then Maxx Payne came out played a guitar solo.  After a bit about a dozen men came out barefoot in small trunks carrying an enclosed Cleopatra style cart, when they set it down The Fabulous Moolah exited, she was given a full introduction.  Others were interviewed in between matches by either Missy Hyatt or Eric Bischoff.

Matches:

"Dirty" Dick Murdoch, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, & "Magnificent" Don Muraco wrestled "Chief" Wahoo McDaniel, Blackjack Mulligan, & Jim Brunzell to a no contest

I thought it was odd that they had Muraco and Snuka on the same team considering their past in the WWF.  They even referenced how they still seem to have bad blood.  Match wasn't overly exciting they kept it basic with a routine match.  Murdoch pulled off a flying head scissors that was shocking.  The match was thrown out in about 9 minutes when all the wrestlers were fighting in and around the ring.

Thunderbolt Patterson & Brad Armstrong defeated Ivan Koloff & Baron Von Raschke
Brad replaced his father "Bullet" Bob Armstrong in the match

Being an Atlanta native Thunderbolt Patterson got a tremendous pop.  Bullet Bob was supposed to be Patterson's partner but had to have surgery.  Brad Armstrong came out after Koloff & Raschke called all of the Armstrong's cowards.  Brad came to the ring in street clothes wrestling in jeans and sneakers.  This was a nice touch because it made it feel spontaneous.

The faces jumped the heels clearing them from the ring before the match settled down into a tag team match.  I was surprised to hear Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko talk about how Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden, and then lose the title to Pedro Morales.  They never mentioned WWF by name but it's obvious what they were taking about.  The finish came at 4:39 seconds when Patterson pinned Raschke after a chop to the throat.

Dory Funk Jr with Gene Kiniski wrestled Nick Bockwinkel with Verne Gagne to a 15 minute time-limit draw

Johnny Valentine joined Tony and Larry on commentary.  This match was billed as NWA vs. AWA and this was a Dream Match from the 70's that never happened due to politics. Incidentally a simple google search proves this wrong.  These two men put on a pretty fantastic match.  They basically fit a 1 hour time limit draw into a 15 minute match.  The only black eye in the match was when there was 30 seconds left and Bockwinkel had a figure four on Gagne and Kiniski ran into the ring kicking Bockwinkel, the ref let it go.  They then did a series of pin fall attempts leading to the bell ringing.

Listening to the commentary there was an entire weekend of festivities including a banquet dinner called Slamfest, a Sunday morning breakfast and autograph signing.

May 22, 1994 The Civic Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hall of Fame Inductees:

Harley Race, "The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd, The Crusher, Dick the Brusier, Ole Anderson, and The Masked Assassin Jody Hamilton

The ceremony was held in the ring and once again Gordon Solie was the master of ceremonies introducing the inductees with Lou Thesz handing out the plaques.  Similar to last year Gordon read a small bio of each inductee and a short video package was played.  Dick The Brusier had passed away in 1991, his daughter accepted on his behalf.

Legends Honored in Attendance:

Ole Anderson, The Assassin, Penny Banner, Red Bastien, Tully Blanchard, The Crusher, Don Curtis, Verne Gagne, Hard Boiled Haggerty, Larry "The Ax" Henning, Killer Kowalski, Ernie "The Big Cat" Ladd, Wahoo McDaniel, Angelo Mosca, Harley Race, Ray "The Crippler" Stevens, Lou Thesz, Johnny Weaver, Mr. Wrestling II, and Tommy Young.

The show opened with "Mean" Gene Okerlund announcing the legends listed above when they came out and a split screen showed a live shot on the left and vintage photo of the wrestler on the right.  Terry Funk was announced but did not come out.  The legends were interviewed in between matches.

Match:

Terry Funk wrestled Tully Blanchard to a double disqualification in just over 7 minutes

Gordon Solie called the action with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.  Blanchard got a tremendous pop when he came out from the Philadelphia crowd who broke out into a Blanchard chant.  I cannot say enough just how much I love this crazy ass match!  Funk also got a grand ovation and pyro!  An ECW chant broke out, hat guy from was sitting front row.

These two guys beat the absolute shit out of each other!  The match was on the floor, in the ring, on the walkway to the ring, plunder was used.  I mean Funk piledrove Blanchard three times!  The fans chanted we want blood and after Patrick threw the match out chanted bullshit.

Referee Nick Patrick had no hope in maintaining control of the match even admonishing Funk, "I will ring this bell right now, you don't go on the floor, and you don't bring any more furniture in this ring"

It was fantastic!

May 21, 1995 The Bayfront Arena St. Petersburg, Florida 

Hall of Fame Inductees: 

Wahoo McDaniel, Dusty Rhodes, Antonio Inoki, Angelo Poffo, Terry Funk, Big John Studd, and Gordon Solie

This years induction ceremony was held on the ramp at the entrance way and not in the ring.  Gordon Solie once again the master of ceremonies, he read a brief bio of each inductee and a very brief video package played.  This year instead of plaques the honorees with given a trophy that was handed to them by Gordon,  Also each inductee was given a few moments to say something.  Studd's son Robert John Minton accepted on his family's behalf.

Gordon accepting his honor, also a young Cody Rhodes is standing next to his father

Gordon didn't know he was being inducted.  After Dusty finished he said there was one more inductee into the Hall of Fame and Mean Gene walked out Solie thought it was him until Rhodes started talking about Solie.  His reaction was quite amazing as he seemed truly surprised.

The ceremony itself was longer this year than the previous years.  Although unlike the last two years no other legends were in attendance or acknowledged other than the Hall of Fame honorees.

Match:

"Chief" Wahoo McDaniel defeated "Dirty" Dick Murdoch

This match was shown in Black and White because people use to have black and white TV's, yup that's the reason.  Also no entrance music for either man and the action was called by Gordon Solie & Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

Very slow and methodical match until the last minute or so where the pace picked up.  Finish came suddenly when Wahoo chopped Murdoch who was coming off the ropes and scored the pin after just over six minutes.  It was good for what it was.

In total WCW inducted 17 individuals into their Hall of Fame of those ten have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  Those who haven't: Mr. Wrestling II, The Crusher, Dick the Bruiser, Ole Anderson, Masked Assassin, Wahoo McDaniel, and Angelo Poffo.  Of those that haven't been I can really only see Wahoo McDaniel getting inducted in the future.  If Ole Anderson was going to go in I would assume it would have been when the Horsemen back in 2012.

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The Amarillo Territory: Bob Roop

Dan Black is a wrestling fan who grew up in Amarillo, Texas attending the matches at the Amarillo Sports Arena from 1969 - 1979.  Here are some of his memories;

Some of the top heels in the Amarillo Territory in the late 60's to mid 70's had to be Harley Race, Jack Brisco, hard for some to believe, but the Brisco's were hated here, and of course Cyclone Negro.
One individual that arrived on the scene as a face, was Bob Roop. He beat Cyclone Negro soon after he entered the territory and was very popular with the fans. 

Bob Roop

However the tide would change on August 26, 1971 when Roop challenged Dory Funk Jr for the NWA Worlds Championship and frustrated late in the match would turn heel.  Over the next several months he evolved into one most hated wrestlers in the territory. 

He would later have two epic Texas Death Matches with Junior, one of which he get a stunning non-title victory. That Fall, Roop was part of a double Main Event in which he faced Dory Funk Sr. and Terry Funk went against Cyclone Negro in a Russian Chain Match. In the match with Senior he got the upper hand and was about to jump off the top rope onto his head. Terry rushes from the baby face locker room, but Roop cowardly heads to the heel's locker room where Terry chases him inside. 

Cyclone Negro

Seconds later Funk is lying a few feet from the looker room door in a pool of his own blood. If Roop's intentions were only to get under the skin of the NWA Champion there was no turning back now, it was all out war. 

Even though Roop made his way to the ring to offer to take Terry's place in the Main Event Chain Match against Negro, battle lines had been drawn. As Terry explained the following Saturday on TV

Terry Funk

"THE FIRST THING I REMEMBER AS I ENTERED THE LOOKER ROOM DOOR WAS BOB ROOP HITTING ME AND THE LAST THING WAS BOB ROOP HITTING ME". Even then, Terry could sell the promo, and far as the Amarillo fans were concerned, there was no turning back. 

Dan Black

Signed Cards: Dalton Castle, Terry Funk, & The Goon

This post features four cards, one in person and the other through the mail success, so let's get to it!

Dalton Castle
This card is from a custom fan made set featuring the 24 competitors of the 2016 PWG Battle of Los Angeles. I got this card signed in person at the Ring of Honor All Star Extravaganza VIII pay-per-view at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

Terry Funk
I got these cards signed in the mail direct from the Double Cross Ranch.  Mr. Funk was gracious enough to sign them both for me.

The card on the left from the 1985 O-Pee-Chee set and on the right 1996 Baseball Magazine set from Japan.

The Goon
I got this card signed in the mail direct from "Wild" Bill Irwin with a request for $5.  This wasn't a trading card but a card from a WWF Trivia game.  It is the only trading style card that I can find of Bill Irwin or any of his gimmicks.

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One Year Champions: NWA World Championship

Some of you may have read my blog entitled One Year Champions  where I break down the major active and inactive championships listing who held the titles for one year or better.  I have been doing this a lot the with the titles breaking down their lineages into different categories in a series of posts.  For example: House Show Title Changes, One Day Champions, & The Longest Reign.

What you may have noticed is that the NWA World Championship was not included in the One Year Champions post.  That is because the number of men that have accomplished this is so great that it deserves its own post.  So with out further ado here we go.

Orville Brown
July 14, 1948 - November 1, 1949 476 days

Upon creation of the National Wrestling Alliance the current Midwest Wrestling Association World Champion was declared the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion.  Was stripped of the championship when he suffered a career ending care accident.

Lou Thesz
November 27, 1949 - March 15, 1956 2301 days awarded Championship defeated by "Whipper" Billy Watson

November 9, 1956 - November 14, 1957 370 days defeated "Whipper" Billy Watson defeated by Dick Hutton

January 24, 1963 - January 7, 1966 1,079 days defeated "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers defeated by Gene Kiniski

Lou Thesz had won the National Wrestling Association World Championship on July 10, 1948 he was scheduled to face Orville Brown in a unification match prior to Brown's accident.  Thesz unified the championships when he was awarded the title.

Dick Hutton
November 14, 1957 - January 9, 1959 421 days defeated Lou Thesz defeated by Pat O' Connor

Pat O' Connor
January 9, 1959 - June 30, 1961 903 days defeated Dick Hutton was defeated by "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers

"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
June 30, 1961 - January 24, 1963 573 days defeated Pat O' Connor defeated by Lou Thesz

Gene Kiniski
January 7, 1966 - February 11, 1969 1,131 days defeated Lou Thesz defeated by Dory Funk Jr,

Dory Funk Jr.
February 11, 1969 - May 24, 1973 1,563 days defeated Gene Kiniski defeated by Harley Race

Jack Brisco
July 20, 1973 - December 2, 1974 500 days defeated Harley Race defeated by Giant Baba

December 9, 1974 - December 10, 1975 366 days defeated Giant Baba defeated by Terry Funk

Terry Funk
December 10, 1975 - February 6, 1977 424 days defeated and was defeated by Harley Race

Harley Race
February 6, 1977 - August 21, 1979 926 days defeated Terry Funk defeated by "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes

"Nature Boy" Ric Flair
September 17, 1981 - June 10, 1983 631 days defeated "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes defeated by Harley Race

May 24, 1984 - July 26, 1986 793 days defeated Kerry Von Erich defeated by "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes

August 9, 1986 - September 25, 1987 412 days defeated "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes defeated by "Rugged" Ronnie Gargin

November 26, 1987 - February 20, 1989 452 days defeated "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin defeated by Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

May 7, 1989 - July 7, 1990 426 days defeated Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat defeated by Sting

From the first day that Flair on the title on September 17, 1981 until he signed with the WWE September 8, 1991 3,644 days passed, Flair was champion for 3,059 of those days which is impressive to say the last.  In total Flair held the championship 9 times for a total of 3116 days.

Dan"The Beast" Severn
February 24, 1995 - March 14, 1999 1,479 days defeated Chris Candido defeated by Naoya Ogawa

Blue Demon Jr.
October 25, 2008 - March 14, 2010 505 days defeated and was defeated by "Scrap Iron" Adam Pearce

Jax Dane
August 29, 2015 - October 21, 2016 419 days defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and was defeated by Tim Storm

Tim Storm
October 21, 2016 - December 9, 2017 414 days defeated Jax Dane and was defeated by Nick Aldis

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