WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. Dead at 85
Dory Funk Jr. WWE Hall of Famer Dead at 85
Published
WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. -- one of the longest-reigning world champions in professional wrestling history -- is dead.
Triple H announced Dory's death Tuesday ... paying tribute to the wrestling legend and saying Dory's hard-nosed style inspired countless performers and helped lay the early foundation for pro wrestling to become a global phenomenon.
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He said Dory's impact stretched far beyond his own matches ... pointing to the decades Dory spent training younger athletes for life inside the squared circle.
Dory began wrestling in 1963 and captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1969, holding the belt for more than four years -- the second-longest uninterrupted reign in the title's history.
He later wrestled around the world ... and teamed with his younger brother, Terry Funk, at WrestleMania 2.
The brothers became the only siblings to each hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and were inducted together into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Terry later died in August 2023 at age 79.
Dory also helped train a long list of future stars ... including Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian Cage and the Hardy Boyz.
Triple H said his thoughts -- and those of the entire WWE Universe -- are with Dory's loved ones.
He was 85.
RIP
