In terms of the lengthy line {of professional} wrestlers that throw warning to the wind in service of a superb present, few names exist that can all the time stand heads and shoulders above the remainder. And sadly we misplaced one yesterday with the passing of the nice Terry Funk.

At 79 years outdated, Funk had change into an outlier within the wrestling business — he lived to a really outdated age regardless of his previous antics. Because the godfather of hardcore wrestling, Funk put himself (and his opponents) by a substantial quantity of hell within the ring. He’d change into an elder statesman of the wrestling world after his ultimate match again in 2017 as a 73 12 months outdated.

Now, I do know what you’re going to say — “it’s all faux, although” — and that’s largely true. However you possibly can’t faux touchdown on barbed wire or thumb tacks. You’ll be able to’t faux being branded with a scorching iron. These actions take a toll and regardless of the injury he did, Funk grew to become an elder statesman after his ultimate match as a 73 12 months outdated.

However to recollect Funk as solely a hardcore wrestler can be doing the person a slight disservice. His profession spanned greater than 50 years, together with his preliminary begin coming again in 1965 as a performer in his father’s wrestling promotion, Western States Sports activities. Within the years that adopted, he labored with icons like Mick Foley and Hulk Hogan, grew to become a tag champion together with his brother Dory Funk Jr., and landed in numerous promotions from WWE and ECW to All Japan Professional Wrestling and scores of indie reveals. The dude was a workhorse.

After which there have been the film roles in flicks like Highway Home, Over the Prime, and The Wringer. He was on TV reveals like Quantum Leap, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and Thunder in Paradise. The dude thrived in entrance of a digicam.

Mick Foley, who went on to work with Funk quite a few occasions over time for some iconic (and insanely bloody) matches confirmed the wrestler’s dying on social media yesterday. In his message to followers, he lionized the person he known as a mentor, urging everybody to look at Funk’s matches.

“If you happen to get the prospect, search for a Terry Funk match or a Terry Funk promo, and provides thanks that this unbelievable man gave a lot, for therefore lengthy, to so many. There’ll by no means be one other like him.”

He’s proper. We’ll by no means get one other performer like the nice Terry Funk.