10 Wrestlers Who Remained Great Past 45
3. Terry Funk
One of the greats of NWA and All Japan, the once traditional Texan wrestler was reborn in the 1990s as a a blood-soaked hardcore icon.
With a multitude of knee injuries to contend with, Funk could no longer hit the athletic highs of his younger days. With a mastery of ring psychology and crowd interaction still in hand, Funk’s ultra violent brawling style revitalised him to a new generation of fans.
A two time ECW World Champion, Funk’s second win came at 53 years of age during the promotion’s first ever pay per view, Barely Legal, in 1997. With the notoriously rowdy Philadelphia crowd firmly behind him and a little assistance from Tommy Dreamer, an exhausted Funk overcame the dastardly Raven.
Far from done, Funk had a well received turn in WWF the next year as Chainsaw Charlie and has taken bookings in the many years since. His selling of an eye injury at ECW One Night Stand 2006 was so convincing that it briefly silenced the strong stomached New York ECW crowd. Ever a master of realism, Funk’s mastery of the craft has remained a constant throughout his life, seemingly in spite of the insane amount of wear and tear he has accumulated.