10 Huge Wrestling Moments That Played Out To Silence

6. The Funker's Final Conflict Promo

Terry Funk was actually part of the first ever recorded empty arena bout, with that 1981 battle pitting him against long-standing rival Jerry Lawler. And while that match has a special place in history, Funk had one of the most legendary moments of his career in another silent setting.

Having headed to Championship Wrestling from Florida, Funk embarked on an empty arena squash match against Bruce Walkup. Not just in an empty arena, mind, for this brutal, brief encounter took place within the confines of a steel cage.

The match itself was merely the setup for something iconic here, with The Funker laying down the sort of post-match promo he'd become famous for. With Dusty Rhodes in his sights, Funk delivered the type of promo that only Terry Funk can deliver. Impassioned, emotional, and laced with just a hint of the crazed insanity so often associated with Funk, it still holds up to this day as something utterly compelling.

If ever you needed to show someone an example of why Terry Funk is one of the greatest promos in the history of professional wrestling, this is the perfect thing to send their way. And using that empty, silent setting to his benefit, Funk hones in on those watching at home, with the one-time NWA Champion laser-focused on the camera lens in a way that is brimming with intensity.

 
Posted On: 
Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.