Breaking The Walls Down -- Terry Funk - What Else Is There To Do? Submitted by Chris Dailey on Tuesday, September 24, 2002 at 8:01 PM EST
Breaking The Walls Down
Hello all and welcome back to another edition of Breaking The Walls Down. I’m going to skip Bits and Pieces this week due to confusion in my posting process. Anywhere, onto the column.
Terry Funk - What Else Is There To Do?
Terry Funk is well over 54 years old. He has numerous injuries, been in numerous championship matches, and has retired more times than I have fingers on my one hand. What else is there for Terry Funk to do?
My answer, nothing. So, why doesn’t he retire? Is it because he has a huge ego. No, not at all. Is it because he thinks he’s 25? No, his body tells him otherwise. Is it because he simply wrestles now because he loves the sport, yes, that is it.
Terry Funk has wrestling in his blood, ranging from his dad, to his brother. But, his family members don’t wrestle the kinds of matches that Funk has been in for well over a decade. Hardcore matches are Funk’s specialty. However, one has to wonder where a mid 50s man calls the limit.
A few weeks ago Terry Funk wrestled Shane Douglas in an XPW championship match. The match did not last as long as the promoters and the wrestlers involved would have liked. In the beginning of the match, Terry Funk’s arm was gouged open. The gash was said to be gruesome and as a result of that match Terry Funk had to go to the hospital after the match to get stitches. In fact, the match had to be stopped early because, as the reporter for the match said, his arm had gone limp. Now, I realize that can happen to any wrestler. But, my point is that this man is in his mid 50s. How much more can his body take.
Then, in the “how much can his body take” department, it is being said that Japanese promoters would like to put together a Terry Funk vs. Abdullah the Butcher match. Now, Abdullah is no spring chicken either, but come on. These two in a match. . . you’ve got to be kidding me. These guys need to start thinking about grandchildren, not barbed wire. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’d like to see these two wrestle a match, but they are getting too old to put on a match that fans worldwide would like to see from them.
Terry Funk’s family, especially his wife and daughters, has pleaded with him to retire, but he does not. The man has a ton of money, so it’s not as if he’s trying to hang on to earn that extra dollar. To be honest, I can sit here and write about how he desires to stay in the ring and compete, but I could never truly understand why. He has been doing this for over three decades. My only guess is that the man does it for the rush of the crowd, the rush of that moment where he feels like he has the attention of the whole world.
When you think of it that way, it’s not something I would want to give up after over three decades of wrestling. However, after watching Beyond the Mat, I know that Terry Funk’s knees can’t stand to compete the way he has been. However, Terry Funk has earned that spot where he can say when it’s over. Both him and men like Ric Flair have broken bones and bled in the ring for us. They’re not hogging world title belts at their age, they’re putting over young talent and trying to enjoy their last few years in the ring. I think they deserve that much. And now, he’s going to wrestle Chris Candido. My only hope is that Terry can continue to perform at a level he feels happy with, because, in the end, that’s all that matters. No promoter is going to reject him for several more years to come. The only person that is going to stop Terry is Terry, and he’s having the time of his life.
