Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore

There are a plethora of wrestling books on the market these days and most of them can be entertaining but once you have finished the last page, you put the book down never to re-read it again. Terry Funk's book is different. He is a true legend of the business not just because he was a NWA champion in the mid-1970's but by the fact that he wrestled as a main eventer everywhere and wasn't afraid to change his style as the years passed. He is still going today which is a testament to his durability and popularity. Terry tells a good story and his life is well worth reading about.

If you know who Terry Funk is, chances are you're a wrestling nut, and not just any run-of-the-mill WWE fan, but a bone-deep, need-it-like-your-morning-coffee wrestling nut. You will devour this book, then feel an overwhelming need to revisit your old scratchy VHS tapes of poorly filmed matches from the seventies and early eighties (you know you have them, admit it). Terry is known for "telling it like it is", and his outlook on wrestling as a whole, after slogging through some other wrestlers' autobiographies that read more like the National Enquirer or stereo installation instructions, is refreshing. The language is readable without being "dumbed down". If you are not a wrestling fan, read Terry's book anyway. It's a glimpse into the mind of a determined man who knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to bleed a little to get it. If you see wrestling as comic book characters mock-hitting each other in their underwear, be aware that the "real Terry Funk" tells his story here. While the casual fan knows Terry Funk, the bloody, branding iron-wielding maniac who has terrorized wrestling for over thirty years, readers will discover Terry Funk, a man devoted to his family, his friends, and his commitment to his craft. This is a man who followed his father and older brother into "the family business", and continues to perform for the love of that business and the legacy of his family. It is a complete portrait of a man, a son, a father, and a grandfather. Read this book and you will understand why "hardcore" wrestling nuts have a special place in their hearts for Terry Funk.

I heard all the hype going into this book of how it's the best book since Mick Foley's. I'd have to agree with it. This was very well written and the stories are endless! What I truly liked in this book is how Terry lived through all the eras. From Amarillo, to being NWA champion, to WWF, to WCW, to Japan, to ECW, to WWF again, to WCW again, to the indies,etc... I loved how we would get his opinion across and did not sound like a bitter old man who took shots at everybody (i.e Ric Flair although I loved his book too). It was very well written. It captured the voice of Terry and in this book, you really do sense his knowledge about the business and he was honest, which you can read in the final chapters about death in wrestling. However, there is one major gripe I have, there aren't many pictures in the book. This book should have had more pictures of Funk's 40 year career. I also loved the recurring theme of family values and his love to his family that made him sacrifice some of his wrestling potential and how his profession almost destroyed this family unit. You'll also love the stories told. They range from crazy to passionate and Terry never lets his sense of humor take a break. It's funny, knowledgable, and a fun read. Could have used more pictures but the content of the book was more than fine. Excellently well done!

I have read practically all of the wrestling books and this has to rank among the very best. It is well wriiten and keeps you interested. It isn't ego driven like so many books on this subject seem to be. He really says what he thinks and lets you decide for yourself. A couple of times I've woken my wife reading at night because something he says makes me laugh out loud.I just really , really enjoyed thid read. I thought Harley Races and Mick Foleys books were good but this was probably the best wrestling book I have had the pleasure of reading.

The problem with most wrestling autobiographies is that they're written by wrestlers who have little experience in the game. What does someone who has been in the business for 10 or less years really know, or is willing to reveal? The WWE biographies read as if they've come out of the same template: I was born, I went into wrestling, Vince McMahon is the greatest thing since sliced bread. All this for $20 odd something dollars. The best bios are written by people with real tenure in the business: Lou Thesz, Fred Blassie, Jim Wilson, and Ric Flair. In other words these are all people who have a real story to tell. Add Terry Funk to this list of distinguished alumni. Terry's memoirs, written with Scott Williams (who earns a real tip of the hat for his contributions) seem as if we are sitting down in a comfortable room with Terry and listening to his life story. The book literally comes alive in the reader's hands and imagination, which cannot be said of many other books on the subject. To say that Terry led an interesting life is an understatement. A member of what could rightfully be called, "the first family of wrestling," both Terry and brother Dory, Jr. have held the NWA World Title along with so many regional titles that it would take a couple of days to research. Father Dory, Sr. was a legend in the business himself, a man who, like Lou Thesz and Bruno Sammartino, replied on no other gimmick than his own ability, of which he had plenty. Traveling with Terry, we discover how he got into wrestling, how it was decided to make his brother Dory, Jr., champion, and how it was decided to make Terry himself champion. He also discusses the effect wrestling had on his marriage and family, the lost art of selling (making one's opponent look like a world beater), the decline and fall of the NWA, WCW and ECW, and how the WWE almost became extinct at the hands of WCW (and how WCW blew that chance), and the state of the art today. Plus he paints hilarious portraits of quite a few of his co-workers over the years, including, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Jerry Lawler, Dick Slater and Mick Foley. This is not just a book for put in your wrestling library - this is a book to READ and place in your wrestling library. But keep it in a handy place, because you'll want to refer to time and again.