40 Greatest Stories Wrestling Ever Told

No-one could flip from gentlemanly peer to wild-eyed lunatic quite like Terry Funk. Or, at least, as quickly as the Funker. He congratulated Ric Flair on a job well done once the 'Nature Boy' vanquished Ricky Steamboat at the NWA's WrestleWar 1989 show. Jim Ross was inside the ring too, but he struggled to get a word in because Terry grew more and more outraged at what Flair was saying.

Funk had been out of the wrestling game for a while. He was chasing acting dreams, and had even recorded a little music here or there. That's why Ric said he respected Terry but couldn't agree to defend his World Heavyweight Title against someone who was barely even a wrestler anymore.

That caught Funk off guard. He reckoned he'd built up enough respect to waltz in, make a challenge and see it accepted. Not quite. Flair repeatedly turned it down, so Terry attacked and started rag-dolling the top champ around the place whilst yelling like he'd lost his mind completely.

It was a stunning bit of business. The way Funk went from quiet and reserved to an outlaw unchained snuck up on everybody, and it fed into what was coming next: Flair vs. Funk at the Great American Bash '89. At WrestleWar, a piledriver delivered on top of a table (which wasn't a common spot back then) upped the violence and left people shocked by what they were seeing.

In short, Funk's exasperation was a human story. He felt insulted by Flair's knock back, and wanted to prove that he still had plenty in the tank.