Terry Funk Talks About Coming Out of Retirement Again, Feud With Jerry Lawler, Why Wrestling Needs Ric Flair, More
Thanks to the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling for sending us the following:
It is our monumental 300th EPISODE of the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling. How can we get any bigger than welcoming the one and only “Texas Bronco” and former NWA World Champion, the timeless Terry Funk. Discussing his return to the ring as part of Big Time Wrestling’s upcoming shows on September 22nd in Raleigh, North Carolina and Saturday September 23rd in Spartanburg, SC, the Funker gives John and Chad the low down on his return as well as what he expects from his longtime nemesis Jerry Lawler and his Memphis Mafia. Also take a walk down memory lane as we relive the greatest feuds and matches of one of the best to ever step into a wrestling ring.
Terry Funk On Coming Out Of Retirement AGAIN in 2017:
Terry Funk On Ric Flair’s Health, Why We Need The Nature Boy, Their Matches:
How is he feeling as he prepares to come out of retirement for Big Time Wrestling:
“How do I feel about it? I feel really great about it and I feel great that I am able to get back into the ring event though I’ve had a little bit of a physical problem. But I feel like I am prepared for it, I’ve worked hard at it and I am back in shape one more time. It is a great card that they’ve got there. I am looking forward to getting into the ring with the Rock N’ Roll Express and also going against Lawler one more time. What an idiot.”
Getting in the ring and wrestling Jerry Lawler again:
“I certainly don’t feel blessed to be in there against “The King” because “The King” is nuts. We all know that. Jerry Lawler is as nuts as I am. He is going to try and be going in the ring as long as I’ve gone in the ring. I don’t know if he is going to try and catch up with me or what but Jerry Lawler is truly a legend in his area and his family is a legend and it is a pretty amazing thing.”
His matches with Jerry Lawler always being chaotic:
“I’ve never been in anything but a chaotic match with Dusty Rhodes and him. Dusty and Lawler both were over bearing. Dusty and Lawler both, I don’t think I’ve ever called anybody else but those two this, “egg sucking dogs.” That is what both of them are. Jerry Lawler is also a pig. He wants all of the money, he wants everything. That is Jerry Lawler’s way and it is not my way because I am wonderful person and I’m a great guy but Jerry Lawler is not. Dusty Rhodes was okay but he couldn’t quite make being a football player and he played behind me the entire time at West Texas (State) and that is why he couldn’t stand me. I was just a little bit better than he was. I’d like to find that idiot kid of his Cody and I’d like to beat the hell out of Cody sometime. That would be a real pleasure. If Cody is around at the arena whenever I get there, I’ll take on Lawler first and I’ll take on Cody after and anybody else too. “
Why the Rhodes/Funk rivalry will never die:
“It was pretty intense and especially in Florida. It was probably the greatest feud in wrestling at that time. All you had to do was put us in the ring and sometimes not even put us in a ring just in the same arena. Same with Lawler, just put us in the same arena and we don’t have to be in a ring together because we will find each other. The people knew we were going to find each other before the night was over. If Dusty was close enough to hear it I’d say: Is that so? But he was too dumb to pick up on it (FATSO).”
“It was just a continuous feud. It went back further than myself with wrestling and it went back to West Texas University and Dusty was playing behind me. He was playing like a second team guard and he could never start at West Texas because I was always ahead of him. I was always so much better than Dusty.”
His matches with Ric Flair during their feud of the year in 1989:
“That was quite the feud there. It was quite the bitter feud and was a very rough feud to go through with Ric and he certainly didn’t like me at that time and I didn’t like him and we were both trying to be at the top of (World) Championship Wrestling in Georgia and at that time I was much better of a competitor than Ric was but that is my own opinion.”
Flair’s recent health issues:
“I sent my regards to him and I wish him the best. It is very important to me that he comes along and to be very honest with you when you take a look at the old timers there are not many of us that are left and that are headed to the ring. I’d like to see Ric come back and come into the ring and I’d like to go into the ring with him. I really mean that. I’d like to have one more chance and basically I think Ric would like to be in the ring with me too. It is just like with Lawler, I am looking forward to this. It is very important to me and I have no intention of anything but coming out on top at the end of the night. It means a great deal to me because if I don’t than I’ll be totally upset with myself because this will probably be the very last time I get in the ring with him.”
What he wants fans to remember about him:
“I would like to be remembered, be respected and to be loved by the wrestling fans and to be thought of as giving 100% each time you stepped through the ropes. That means a great deal to me.”
