“The Innovator of Violence” respects the legends who paved the way in the pro wrestling business.
When it comes to Extreme Championship Wrestling, few legends played a bigger role in the success of the company than Terry Funk.
Tommy Dreamer spoke on the latest episode of Busted Open Radio about the importance of “The Funkster” to the original ECW.
“When he came to ECW, he gave ECW validity,” Dreamer said. “Like Chris Jericho did for AEW when he stepped up to that podium [at AEW’s first press conference], here’s the face that every wrestling fan knows, and [saying] ‘This is the company that I’m gonna attach my wagon to and help carry it along. All of his famous death matches that he did in Japan with Mick Foley, his famous retirement in All Japan, all the things he has done.” Dreamer noted that Funk’s popularity in All Japan was such that he even released an album of Jimmy Hart-penned songs in Japan.”
He added, “I would tell him this all the time: I hated him as a kid. Hated him. Why? Because Dusty Rhodes was my hero. But I realized, when I got into the industry, just how good he was. So you don’t realize it until you got ‘smartened up.’ Now, we’re at least smartened up to his greatness. You get all these bits and pieces [of] stories about him, and you’re just like ‘Whoa.’ All these little things. And his mind was just insane for wrestling, and I cannot say enough great things about an individual.”
Check out the complete episode at Apple.com. H/T to WrestlingInc.com for transcribing the above quotes.
