Dory Funk Jr. Dies at 85
Dory Funk Jr., the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and member of one of professional wrestling’s best-known families, died Tuesday in Ocala, Florida. He was 85.
His wife, Marti Funk, told the Ocala Gazette that he died while receiving hospice care. The couple had been together for 46 years and married for 40.
Funk was born Dorrance Earnest Funk on Feb. 3, 1941. He was the son of wrestler and promoter Dory Funk Sr. and the older brother of Terry Funk.
He played football at West Texas State University before beginning his professional wrestling career in 1963.
Funk defeated Gene Kiniski for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on Feb. 11, 1969, in Tampa, Florida. He held the title for more than four years before losing it to Harley Race on May 24, 1973, in Kansas City, Kansas.
At the time, the NWA champion traveled throughout the territory system and defended the title against top wrestlers from different promotions. Funk’s reign included matches across the United States and overseas during one of the busiest periods of his career.
He was known for a technical style built around holds, counters and long matches. That made him noticeably different from Terry Funk, whose career later became closely associated with brawling and hardcore wrestling.
The brothers regularly teamed together and became major stars in Japan through their work with All Japan Pro Wrestling. They also wrestled for promotions across the United States.
Funk joined the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s and performed as Hoss Funk. He teamed with Terry against the Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana at WrestleMania 2 in 1986.
Dory and Terry Funk were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together in 2009. Their father was inducted into the Hall of Fame’s Legacy Wing in 2025.
Funk remained involved in wrestling after his full-time career slowed down. He and Marti operated the Funking Conservatory in Ocala, where he trained and worked with younger wrestlers.
Among the wrestlers who trained or worked with Funk were Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian, Lita, Mickie James, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Mark Henry.
He continued wrestling into his 80s.
Funk’s final match took place Aug. 24, 2024, in Kawasaki, Japan. At 83, he teamed with Osamu Nishimura against Atsushi Onita and Raijin Yaguchi during an event honoring Terry Funk, who died in August 2023 at 79.
Dory Funk Jr.’s career lasted more than six decades and included his lengthy NWA championship reign, years of work in the United States and Japan, and his later role training wrestlers in Florida.