Dory Funk Jr. passes away at 85 years old
Dory Funk Jr. — an all-time great whose longevity was almost unparalleled in the wrestling industry — has passed away at 85 years old.
The death of Funk was announced on Tuesday by Brian Blair and the Cauliflower Alley Club, who extended their condolences to Funk’s wife Marti and the rest of heir family. Blair grew up watching Funk wrestle in Florida, and he eventually had the privilege of being able to call Funk a mentor and a friend.
“It’s hard to find the right words to say goodbye to a man who became a mentor, a leader, and a dear friend, Dory Funk Jr. My love for him started all the way back as a kid at the Bayfront Center, booing him as the ultimate heel while he took on my hero Jack Brisco,” Blair wrote. “He was an absolute legend who commanded respect just by being himself. My heart goes out to his wife, Marti, and his family. You will be deeply missed, Dory. I know God is welcoming you with open arms. Rest easy until we meet again.”
Funk’s wife Marti told the Ocala Gazette that her husband passed away under hospice care.
Dory was the son of Dory Funk Sr. and the brother of Terry Funk, with the Funk brothers following their father into pro wrestling and having tremendous success as a tag team and as singles wrestlers. Both became NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and their impact spanned multiple continents with stardom in the United States and Japan.
Despite his age, Dory Jr. wrestled in Japan pretty frequently through most of the 2010s and was active as recently as 2024. Whenever NXT would hold house shows in Ocala, Florida, Dory would stop by and appear in a non-wrestling capacity. He also was shown in the crowd at a 2025 edition of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque pays tribute to Dory Funk Jr. —
The Funks were inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Paul “Triple H” Levesque posted a message today sending his condolences to Dory’s loved ones.
- From the Double Cross Ranch to the @WWE Hall of Fame, Dory’s style inspired countless performers in our industry. Whether it was at WrestleMania 2, WCW, ECW, or the dozens of NWA-affiliated promotions, his travels across North America and Asia were a part of the early blueprint that helped build this business into a global phenomena. A hard-nosed and fierce competitor, his rugged in-ring style was only eclipsed by the decades he spent training athletes to perform in the squared circle he loved so much. My thoughts and those of the entire @WWE Universe are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Dave Meltzer on the passing of Dory Funk Jr. —
Our Dave Meltzer also sent out a tweet remembering Dory:
- Dory Funk Jr. was such a fantastic world champion for his time. I’d call him for that 1969-73 time period the perfect champion, always a great match, always made the opponent, no matter the skill level, look like someone who could win the world title. He became a legend in Japan, booked the legendary 1983 Carolinas year as well as in many other places including All Japan, a company he helped build. People don’t know this but in most places in the 70s, Terry was the brother of the legend, although the Dory credible wrestler in-ring style popularized by Lou Thesz was no longer in vogue in later years, he remained an iconic name in Japan. My best wishes to his family and friends. His matches with Jack Brisco were the epitome of Florida and St. Louis wrestling style in their day.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.