10 Wrestlers Who Ruined Their Bodies For The Business

6. Terry Funk

John Cena Edge Crying
WWE

Retirement became a meme-worthy concept for Terry Funk. The battle-hardened old stager seemed like he'd never call it a day before finally doing so for good (due to health problems) in 2017. To put that into context, the guy was being told to stop wrestling during footage shown in 1999's 'Beyond The Mat', and that probs wasn't the first time.

Funk made his debut way back in 1965, and eventually pioneered a rough hardcore style that'd make some question his sanity. Terry's gentle voice and mild-mannered grandfather personality belied the demon he'd become in-ring, and pro wrestling fans loved that about him.

His body, however, certainly did not.

Funk was visibly a broken-down wreck by the dawn of the 1990s, and that's being generous. The man could barely stand upright, but somehow soldiered on working barbed wire spots and taking massive bumps. He was in perpetual agony day-to-day, yet couldn't bring himself to hang up the boots for good until 2017.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.