WHY A PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING SCHOOL AND TRAINING DVD
- 11/28/2005 (12:39:28 pm)
- Press Release
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Why a Professional Wrestling School and Training DVD?
Dory Funk Jr. www.dory-funk.com
Professional wrestling has been my life. I first watched wrestling from my grandparents house in Hammond Indiana. We watched wrestling from Chicago's Marigold Garden and the International Amphitheater. I watched my father, Dory Funk Sr., Buddy Rogers, Chief Don Eagle, Bobby Managoff, Hans Schnabble and the originator of the Spinning Toe Hold, Walter Palmer.
As a kid growing up at Texas Boy's Ranch, in 1948, I listened to the radio broadcasts by Earl Curly Williams live from the Amarillo Sports Arena as he described in vivid details the bloody battles between my father, Dory Funk Sr. and Wayne Martin and Leroy McGuirk. (NCAA Wrestling Champions)
When we moved to the Flying Mare Ranch, I was so impressed when I had the opportunity to meet stars like Verne Gagne, Bob Geigel, Frankie Hill Murdoch, (Father of Dick Murdoch) Dick Hutton, Joe Blanchard and Bob Cummings.
When they announced Gorgeous George was coming to town to wrestle my father, 10,000 people filled the Amarillo Sandie Football stadium to watch the match. (Gorgeous George was the original inspiration for Ric Flair, Muhammad Ali and every wrestler you see on TV or the independent circuit with bleached blond hair and a fancy robe.
Lou Thesz came to town with his manager Ed Strangler Lewis who in his day commanded fifty percent of the gate and earned millions before the days of the income tax. Lewis spent all his money on women and parties.
(What a way to go.) (In his last years, Ed Lewis was cared for by the National Wrestling Alliance.)
As I entered high school I watched Eddie Graham and Art Nielson wrestle with my father and Cowboy Carlson and later Ricky Romero. Iron Mike Dibaise came to town to challenge my father for the championship and they wrestled a Texas Death Match for 3 hours and 10 minutes before the commission doctor stopped the match.
Through college, I played football and worked construction in the off season but still had my eye on professional wrestling as Dandy Dan Miller, Sir Nelson Royal, Sputnik Monroe came to town.
After our final game of the season a 15 to 14 victory over Ohio University in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas in 1963, I told my father I would like to become a professional wrestler. In my first year, I wrestled Gene Kiniski, Verne Gagne, Sonny Myers, Pat O'Connor and Lou Thesz for the NWA World Championship.
Within my second year in the wrestling business, my father's partner in the Amarillo Territory passed on and with my father's help I became part owner of the Amarillo Territory along with my brother, Terry Funk.
On February 11, 1969 in Tampa, Florida I became NWA world champion, winning the belt from Gene Kiniski.
For four and a half years, I faced every great worker in the wrestling business and learned from all of them, Jack Brisco, Johnny Valentine, Wahoo McDaniel, The Sheik, Antonio Inoki, Giant Baba, Harley Race, Chauvo Guerrero, Fritz Von Erich, Gene Kiniski, Billy Robinson, Don Leo Jonathan, Lonnie Mayne, Bill Watts, Pat O'Connor, Black Jack Lanza, Mr. Wrestling I and Mr. Wrestling II, Jose Lothario, Mil Mascaras, Abdullah The Butcher, Whitey Caldwell, Barron Von Raschke, Lord Alfred Hayes, and more.
In 1972 my father, Dory Funk Sr. helped Giant Baba with the start up of All Japan Pro-wrestling. Dory Funk Sr. was the first booker for Baba's company..
After losing the NWA World Championship to Harley Race in May of 1973 I returned to the Amarillo Territory. Shortly thereafter Terry and I faced the death of our father, Dory Funk Sr. at the age of 54 by heart attack. Terry and I took over the business of ru nning the Amarillo Territory.
With the passing of my father, Terry and I became the bookers for Giant Baba's All Japan Pro-wrestling for the next 20 years every tour featured talent supplied by the Funks.
Stars like Johnny Ace, Stan Hanson, Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, The Sheik, Rob Van Dam, all were booked through our office. Terry and I became the first faces accepted in Japan and had epic tag team matches with Baba and Tsuruta and Sheik and Abdullah.
In 1980, I went to work for Eddie Graham as booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida working with stars like Jack Brisco, Bruce Reed, Sweet Brown Sugar, David Von Erich, Gerry Brisco, Andre the Giant, Giant Baba, Harley Race and Ric Flair.
In 1983 I booked for Jim Crockett in the Mid Atlantic Territory working with Flair, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, Bob Orton Jr., Ricky Steamboat, Jay Youngblood, Jimmy Valiant, Rock 'n Roll Express, Terry Funk and NWA champion, Harley Race.
In 1986, Terry and I worked WWF for Vince McMahon Jr. facing Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog in Wrestlemania II.
By 1996 I had made over 70 trips to Japan working for Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling and have recently worked Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, FMW and this year for Wrestle-1.
In 1997, Marti and I developed a program for training wrestlers and took it to the WWF. A year and a half later, we brought the program to Ocala Florida as the Funking Conservatory.
Wrestlers who have participated in the Dory Funk method of training include Kurt Angle, Christian, Matt and Jeff Hardy, Test, Rhino, Lita, Mickey James, Gene Sniski, Paul London, Sylvan Granier, Steve Corino, Christopher Daniels, Chris Sabin and more.
With this experience in the wrestling business and a love for professional wrestling I have developed a training video DVD. (The Dory Funk Method)
So, Why the wrestling school and DVD?
To pass on to the new generation the skills of their predecessors.
To give the wrestling fans a look at how skilful good wrestlers must be.
Safety. When we were young, very young, we could wrestle with our brothers, sisters and friends and try all the holds we saw on TV. As young adults you must do them properly or risk serious injury.
This DVD is produced to entertain the wrestler and the wrestling fan.
The Dory Funk Method of Pro-wrestling will preserve the skills of the past for the wrestlers of the future.
This DVD will prepare young athletes for tryouts with all wrestling companies.
The Dory Funk Method of Pro-wrestling will improve the skills of every wrestler who watches it.
For wrestlers planning to attend the Funking Conservatory "The Dory Funk Method" will prepare you for what you will be accomplishing in the training camp.
If you are already a wrestler earning a living, this DVD will make you a better wrestler.
This DVD is a labor of love of the wrestling business.
Dory Funk Jr.
The "Dory Funk Method" is a double DVD set. If you order now we will include a $100 discount certificate good at the Funking Conservatory Wrestling School, Scheduled online chat with Dory Funk Jr., A free autographed photo of Dory Funk Jr., and an additional DVD of a 30 minute episode of
!BANG! TV
The Dory Funk Method DVD is now available at
www.dory-funk.com
www.dory-funk.com
Or you can order the "Dory Funk Method" DVD direct by Clicking Here
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