How Terry Funk Took Over Japanese Wrestling

Terry Funk didn’t just wrestle in Japan. He changed it forever. From his early tours with All Japan Pro Wrestling under Giant Baba to the blood-soaked wars with Atsushi Onita in FMW, this is the untold story of how “The Funker” became one of the most beloved and feared names in Japanese wrestling history, and why the mainstream wrestling media has never given it the credit it deserves. We break down Terry Funk’s rise in Japan alongside his brother Dory Funk Jr., the legendary Funk Brothers tag team, and his famous rivalries with Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu, Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, Tiger Mask, Mil Mascaras, Riki Choshu, Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, Great Muta, Hayabusa, Mr. Pogo, Tarzan Goto, Masanobu Fuchi, and Giant Baba himself. We also cover the Funk family legacy, including Dory Funk Sr., Dory Funk Jr., and Terry’s relationship with Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Jack Brisco, Mick Foley (Cactus Jack), Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, and Shane Douglas. From the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to the PWF titles, the World Tag League and the Real World Tag League, to the infamous Barbed Wire Exploding Ring matches in FMW, Terry Funk’s Japanese career is one of the greatest and most overlooked chapters in professional wrestling history.