10 Wrestlers Who Inflicted The Most Damage To Their Bodies
5. Terry Funk
Terry Funk was exceptional at selling years before his twilight run in the 1990s.
Watch his legendary 'I Quit' Clash of the Champions match with Ric Flair. It's impossible to watch without thinking that something is missing from even this superb phase of wrestling in 2021. The anguish and animosity was off the scale.
It was even easier to believe that Funk was in pain when he worked Extreme Championship Wrestling, because he was. He played the sentimental legend role to utter perfection; his diminished mobility made it all feel as real as it was, his distinct gait underscored the sacrifices he had made to forge such a strong, heartfelt connection with the devout hardcores. Funk - and this is so poetic - wrestled forever.
His body reminded him of that in his later years. In the late '90s, he underwent double knee surgery, and by hid early 70s - by which time he was still wrestling, incredibly - he had been under the knife no less than 15 times.
If there's a happy note to any of this it is that, in a fandom increasingly divided by tribalism, Funk, a great worker and a great man, is the most universally beloved legend of the lot.