This week Throwback Thursday pauses to pay tribute to some of the legends we’ve lost in 2023 with help of the WWE Network and Peacock.
2023 was a particularly hard year for fans of all generations. Pioneering legends like Terry Funk and “Superstar” Billy Graham, who were among those who laid the groundwork for the so-called “Golden Era” of pro wrestling, passed away, leaving towering legacies that will no doubt stand the test of time.
Beloved “Golden Era” legends like Lanny Poffo, Iron Sheik, Butch Miller, and the exotic Adrian Street, played a massive role in expanding the very definition of what “pro wrestling” was and could be, took their final bows, leaving the business far better than they found it.
And a pair of modern-era stars were taken far too soon when Darren “Droz” Drozdov and the uniquely creative Bray Wyatt were taken from his family, friends, and sport he loved so dearly far too soon.
Now, with the help of the WWE Network and Peacock, let’s celebrate the lives of some of the legends we lost in 2023.
JAY BRISCOE
January 25, 1984 – January 17, 2023
While Throwback Thursday typically focuses on talent, events, and shows found exclusively on the WWE Network and Peacock, I would be remiss if I did not take a brief moment to acknowledge the incredible life and legacy of Jay Briscoe.
Despite never wrestling for WWE, Mark & Jay Briscoe became household names across the globe.
From Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) to Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) to Ring of Honor (ROH), Jay Briscoe took part in some of the most talked about, greatest, and important tag team matches in the history of independent wrestling.
He and brother Mark helped revive and elevate the “indie” scene as they created a unique, old-school legacy for the ages.
A loving husband, father, friend, and brother, Jay Briscoe leaves behind a legacy that goes far beyond the confines of a “rasslin’” ring, and one that will not soon be forgotten.
You can celebrate Jay’s life and one-of-a-kind career by revisiting AEW’s stellar tribute package from the January 25, 2023, edition of AEW Dynamite and by reliving the unforgettable conclusion to the incredible FTR/Briscoe Brothers war with the “Double Dog Collar” ROH World Tag Team Championship match from ROH Final Battle 2022 from December 10, 2022.
LANNY POFFO
December 28, 1954 – February 2, 2023
Born December 28, 1954, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Lanny Mark Poffo was the eldest of Angelo and Judith Poffo’s two sons. Born into a wrestling family it seemed a given that Lanny would follow in the footsteps of his father, Angelo, and older brother Randy.
Lanny Poffo made his pro wrestling debut at the age of 19, on April 16, 1974. Lanny quickly found success in a number of territories, including Detroit, St. Louis, and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), winning tag team gold with his father and wrestling NWA World Champions Terry Funk (May 29, 1976) and Harley Race (February 4, 1978) along the way.
By the summer of 1978 Lanny was in Emile Dupree’s New Brunswick territory where he and brother Randy traded the new Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling (AGPW) Heavyweight title.
In the fall of ’79 Lanny landed in his father’s new “outlaw” International Championship Wrestling (ICW) promotion.
Lanny and brother Randy Savage would rapidly become two of the promotion’s biggest stars, dominating the ICW Heavyweight and Tag Team title picture, with Lanny winning a combined eleven titles in ICW.
When ICW ceased operations in the spring of 1984 Lanny joined his brother Randy in the rival Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) before joining Randy Savage in the WWF in June 1985.
“Leaping” Lanny Poffo made his WWF debut at the June 17, 1985, Championship Wrestling tapings in Poughkeepsie, New York.With his unique, high-flying style, frisbees, and poems, Lanny became one of the first spectacle/comedy WWF Superstars.
“Leaping” Lanny would play a part in some of the biggest moments and angles of the era, including the wedding of Uncle Elmer, the heel turn of Andre the Giant, and the “creation” of Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The birth of the heel “Genius” on the April 8, 1989, edition of WWF Superstars gave Poffo the break he had long been looking for. With his arrogant attitude, pretentious poems, and “effeminate” style, Genius quickly became the heel fans loved to hate.
Though The Genius failed to win gold in the WWF, Poffo helped elevate an astounding number of babyfaces, becoming an iconic, unforgettable character of the “Golden Era” along the way.
Upon leaving the WWF in late 1992 Poffo traversed the growing independent scene before signing a five-year guaranteed contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1995, where brother Randy Savage was now a top star.
Though Randy had designs on Lanny donning the “Gorgeous George” gimmick (which Savage owned) Lanny never wrestled a single televised match for WCW.
On March 28, 2015, Lanny posthumously inducted his brother Randy Savage into the WWE Hall of Fame. Lanny would continue to wrestle across the independent scene, including stints in ROH, before retiring in March 2020.
Lanny Poffo also published a volume of poetry, an anti-drug and -alcohol book for young adults, and a biographical comic book (The Genius Lanny Poffo). Lanny was also a motivational speaker and podcast host (The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo).
Lanny Poffo passed away in New York City on February 2, 2023, at the age of 68.
WWF World Heavyweight Championship (16:40)
The Genius vs. Hulk Hogan(c)
WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event XXIV – November 25, 1989
Lanny Poffo may not have reached the heights of his brother Randy Savage, but Lanny’s impact and influence on pro wrestling is undeniable.
Lanny Poffo helped redefine success in pro wrestling and what it meant to be a WWF/E Superstar and Sports Entertainer, paving the way for generations of stars to come.
No match better exemplifies Lanny Poffo’s unique brilliance as a wrestler and psychologist than this showdown with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan from Saturday Night’s Main Event XXIV. From building heat to selling the comeback, this match sees Lanny Poffo at the top of his game.
BUTCH MILLER
October 24, 1944 – April 3, 2023
Born Robert Miller in Auckland, New Zealand on October 21, 1944, Butch Miller made his pro debut in 1964 for NWA New Zealand.
The next year, 1965, Butch Miller and close friend Luke Williams came to North America to work Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling, finding near immediate success as “The Kiwis”. The pair would win Stampede’s International Tag Team titles on two different occasions.
After a brief hiatus the pair reuniting in 1978 as “The Kiwi Sheepherders”. The pair toured the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) circuit from Hawaii to Don Owen’s Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) to JCP to Carlos Colon’s World Wrestling Council (WWC) promotion in Puerto Rico (as “Los Pastores”) before Butch returned home to be closer to family in the autumn of 1981.
After Williams’ new tag partner Johnathan Boyd was injured in an automobile accident, though, Butch Miller returned to William’s side.
By the spring of 1986 the Sheepherders had landed in Bill Watt’s Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), igniting a wild program with the Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) that included the April 19, 1986, instant-classic quarter-finals showdown at the inaugural Jim Crockett, Sr., Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, and becoming the final UWF Tag Team Champions in promotion history.
Following JCP’s acquisition of UWF (April 1987) The Sheepherders enjoyed a successful, high-profile run with Crockett before signing with the WWF in the fall of 1988.
Fans of the savage Sheepherders were no doubt in for a rude awakening when Cousin Luke & Cousin Butch, “The Bushwhackers”, debuted on the January 21, 1989, edition of Superstars of Wrestling.
The team’s campy, comedic style quickly made them one of the most popular tag teams in WWF history.
The duo worked with a slew of top teams—the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, Rhythm & Blues, the Orient Express, the Beverly Brothers, the Natural Disasters—on some of the biggest cards of the era, including WrestleMania VI and Royal Rumble ’92, and even appeared in a 1994 episode of ABC’s popular Family Matters series.
Following the pair’s release from the WWF September 1996 (The Bushwhackers wrestled their final televised match with WWF on the August 31, 1996, edition of WWF Mania) Miller & Williams worked off and on until 2001, appearing at the infamous Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view and “Gimmick Battle Royal” at WrestleMania X7.
Following a serious neck injury Butch Miller retired from wrestling in September 2001. Though retired, Miller worked with the upstart New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling promotion (NZWPW), helping to cultivate new talent.
Finally, on March 28, 2015, the night before WrestleMania 31, Butch Miller & Luke Williams took their rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame (2:10:59).
Sadly, on April 2, 2023, while taking part in the annual “WrestleMania Week” festivities in Los Angeles, California, Butch Miller unexpectedly passed away at the age 78.
“Tag Team Grudge Match” (2:50)
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond) vs. The Bushwhackers (Cousin Luke & Cousin Butch)
WWF Royal Rumble 1990 – January 21, 1990
Though the Bushwhackers will never mentioned in the same breath as some of the all-time great WWF tag teams, Butch Miller & Luke Williams helped expand (like Lanny Poffo) the role and nature of a WWF/E Superstar.
Few matches illustrate the unique psychology, timing, and brilliance of The Bushwhackers than this match with the Rougeau Brothers from Royal Rumble ’90.
Goofy gimmick aside, the Bushwhackers gelled well with the Rougeau Brothers and helped kick off a classic Rumble PPV with a near-classic WWF tag team match of the era.
“SUPERSTAR” BILLY GRAHAM
June 7, 1943 – May 17, 2023
The future “Superstar” Billy Graham was born Eldridge Wayne Coleman, Jr., in Phoenix, Arizona on June 7, 1943. From an early age Wayne Coleman was fascinated with bodybuilding and athletic competition, excelling in track and field in high school.
Escaping an abusive childhood, Wayne tried his hand in the Canadian Football League (CFL) before devoting himself full-time to bodybuilding.
By the end of the 1960s Wayne was a staple of the West Coast bodybuilding scene, winning prestigious competitions and being featured in national bodybuilding publications with likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In 1969 Wayne Coleman began training with Stu Hart for a career in pro wrestling, debuting on January 16, 1970. A partnership with the famed Dr. Jerry Graham led Wayne Coleman to bleach his hair and adopt the name “Billy Graham” (after the famous American evangelist), making Wayne an “official” member of the Graham wrestling family overnight.
Graham’s massive, one-of-a-kind physique and brash promo skills made Graham a hit in nearly every territory he worked.
Following stints in Japan, Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association (AWA), and JCP, Graham made his way to the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1975. Graham worked with the top WWWF stars of the day, including Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino, and made an immediate impression on promoter Vincent J. McMahon and his son Vincent K. McMahon.
After another lap around the NWA loop, a failed attempt to start his own promotion with Ivan Koloff in South Carolina, and a successful stint in Eddie Graham’s Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) “Superstar” returned to the WWWF on the March 5, 1977, edition of Championship Wrestling.
One month later, on April 30, 1977, Billy Graham defeated Bruno Sammartino to win the WWWF Heavyweight Championship.
Over Graham’s 296-day reign (the longest such reign for a heel until Roman Reigns) the “Superstar” wrestled the very best the WWWF had to offer, including a unification broadway with then-NWA World Champion Harley Race on January 25, 1978 as part of the Super Bowl of Wrestling event at Miami’s Orange Bowl.
After losing the Heavyweight title to Bob Backlund on February 20, 1978, Graham reignited his legendary war with Dusty Rhodes in June ’78, culminating in a “Texas bullrope” match at MSG on August 28, 1978, a match Graham often cited as one of his favorites.
When Graham left New York in December 1978 he had sold out an incredible 19 of his 20 main event appearances at MSG.
Graham would return to the WWF in August 1982, sporting a much smaller physique and a martial arts themed gimmick, but failed to catch fire. Graham departed the WWF yet again in April ’83.
By 1985 Graham, donning his signature tie-dye duds larger-than-life physique once more, enjoyed a successful stint in JCP.
Unfortunately, years of steroid use had worn down Graham’s joints, cutting yet another WWF return short after just one match in September ’86.
Though Graham attempted a comeback it was not meant to be. “Superstar” was written off of WWF TV for good on the November 14, 1987, edition of Superstars of Wrestling following an attack by the One Man Gang.
Though Graham tried his hand as a manager for Don Muraco and at color commentary (where Graham’s gift for gab made him one of the most unique commentators in WWF/E history) an unhappy Graham left the WWF by the end of 1989.
Graham’s post-wrestling life was marked by intense controversy and continued health struggles, including a kidney transplant in 2002. On March 14, 2004, the night before WrestleMania XX, “Superstar” Billy Graham was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame (9:24).
As Graham’s health continued to deteriorate in the 2010s he stayed largely out of the public eye, releasing videos and messages on social media to stay connected to his legion of fans.
On May 17, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona, “Superstar” Billy Graham passed away at the age of 79.
WWWF Heavyweight Championship – “Texas Death Match” (49:09)
“American Dream” Dusty Rhodes vs. “Superstar” Bill Graham(c) w/The Grand Wizard of Wrestling
WWWF on MSG & HBO – October 24, 1977
There are few superstars who have had the kind of impact that “Superstar” Billy Graham has had. Graham ushered in an entirely new era of wrestler with his chiseled physique and over the top promos, paving the way for the likes of Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Scott Steiner, and Triple H.
This classic “Texas Death Match” with Dusty Rhodes from October 1977 is an old-school blood and guts affair that perfectly illustrates what made “Superstar” Bill Graham one of the all-time greats. Those who think Graham was just a body and a mouth should take a closer look at his timing and psychology here.
THE IRON SHEIK
March 15, 1942 – June 7, 2023
Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri was born into a poor, working class family in Damghan in the Imperial State of Iran on March 15, 1942. Growing up, Khosrow revered Iranian Olympic gold medalist Gholamreza Takhti, and looked to follow in Takhti’s footsteps.
Khosrow soon became a popular wrestler in Iran, nearly making the Iranian Greco-Roman wrestling team ahead of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
But when national hero Gholamreza Takhti, a vocal critic of the Iranian government, was found dead of a suspected suicide on January 7, 1968, many, including Khosrow, suspected it was assassination. Fearing for his life Khosrow fled Iran for the United States.
Khosrow continued his impressive amateur wrestling career in America, winning the 1971 national AAU Greco-Roman title as well as coaching on a number of Olympic squads.
In 1972 Khosrow, with a young Ric Flair, began training for pro wrestling with Verne Gagne and the legendary Billy Robinson.
Khosrow’s career took off in 1978 when, leaning into his Iranian heritage, Khosrow developed a heel Middle Eastern persona that played off of American’s geopolitical anxieties at the time.
This included growing his signature handlebar mustache, shaving his head, wearing his distinctive curl-toed boots, and changing his ring name to The Great Hossein Arab.
On the February 24, 1979, edition of All Star Wrestling Khosrow, as “Hussein Arab”, made his WWF debut. On June 4, 1979, Khosrow won the first-ever “battle royal” in the history of MSG, earning a Heavyweight title bout against Bob Backlund (an instant classic) later that same night.
In 1980, during a run in JCP, Khosrow (now going by the name “Iron Sheik”) won the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title and worked memorable feuds with Jim Brunzell, Blackjack Mulligan, and then-NWA World Champion Dusty Rhodes before leaving JCP in August ’81.
Following stints is Mid-South Wrestling, CWF, and Ole Anderson’s Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) (where Sheik won the National Television title), Iron Sheik returned to the WWF.
Returning on the September 17, 1983, edition of Championship Wrestling, Sheik quickly establishing himself as one of the most dangerous heels in the territory. Soon Sheik was using the Persian clubs to demonstrate his physical superiority.
On the December 24, 1983, edition of All Star Wrestling WWF World Champion Bob Backlund attempted the Persian clubs exercise but was attacked by Iron Sheik, injuring Backlund’s neck and arm. Thanks in large part to those injuries Iron Sheik defeated Backlund for the WWF World title on December 26, 1983.
Nearly a month later Hulk Hogan defeated Iron Sheik for the title at MSG on January 23, 1984, in one of the most iconic moments in the history of pro wrestling, igniting “Hulkamania”.
Iron Sheik moved on to a memorable program with Sgt. Slaughter that culminated in the famous, all-time classic “Bootcamp Match” (1:59:45) at MSG on June 16, 1984. In September ’84 Sheik began tagging with Nikolai Volkoff and the villainous pair won the World Tag Team titles at WrestleMania on March 31, 1985.
Sheik’s career went sideways, though, after he and TV rival “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan were arrested for drug possession on May 26, 1987. By October ’87 Sheik was gone from the WWF.
Away from the WWF Sheik worked a variety of promotions, including the Von Erich’s World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), the AWA, WWC, and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), before returning to the WWF on the March 11, 1991, edition of Wrestling Challenge as “Colonel Mustafa”, joining forces with the now-heel WWF Champion Sgt. Slaughter.
Though Sheik would make a number of appearances for the WWF/E after his 1992 release, including winning the infamous “Gimmick Battle Royal” at WrestleMania X7, he was best known for his antics outside the ring, namely shoot interviews, twitter posts, and appearances on The Howard Stern Show.
Following the murder of his eldest daughter, Marissa, in May of 2003 Sheik’s life spun wholly out of control. But in 2009, after a number of failed attempts, and with the love and support of his family, Iron Sheik finally found peace.
On April 2, 2005, the night before WrestleMania 21, the Iron Sheik entered the WWE Hall of Fame (25:14). In 2014 a documentary called The Sheik helped introduce Iron Sheik, and his incredible story, to a whole new generation of fans.
On June 7, 2023, in Fayetteville, Georgia, Iron Sheik passed away at the age of 81.
WWF World Heavyweight Championship – “Grudge Match” (1:12:22)
The Iron Sheik w/Freddie Blassie vs. Bob Backlund(c) w/Arnold Skaaland
WWF on MSG – December 26, 1983
The Iron Sheik was one of the sport’s finest heels. Using geopolitical tensions to his advantage, Sheik could cleverly rile crowds of all size into a frenzy. A fantastic grappler and cunning psychologist, Sheik was one of the best storytellers of the “Golden Era” of the WWF.
Though this match is far from a mat classic, nor is it the war the “Bootcamp” match was, it does perfectly illustrate the unique psychology and timing that made Iron Sheik on the of the most effective heels in history.
This title win became as defining a moment as Hogan slamming Andre in the national expansion and boom of the WWF and the history of pro wrestling.
DARREN DROZDOV
April 7, 1969 – June 30, 2023
Darren Adrian Drozdov was born in Mays Landing, New Jersey on April 7, 1969. Drozdov was a breakout talent in high school, making headlines in the 1985 season as he helped his Oakcrest Falcons finish with a perfect 10 – 0 record.
Drozdov still holds the team records for sacks in a season (11) and total career sacks (21) while amassing the second most tackles in team history (272).
Drozdov played college football for the University of Maryland and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. As an undrafted free agent Drozdov signed with the Denver Broncos in 1993, playing just six games before suffering a knee injury. Drozdov attempted a return to football with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes but was unable to make the team.
Drozdov was most famous, though, for an incident that occurred during a nationally televised preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.
During the game Drozdov, lined up across from the Dolphins center, vomited on the ball just prior to a play. Drozdov’s inability to control his vomiting led to his teammates nicknaming him “Puke”.
With football behind him Drozdov turned to professional wrestling. A tape of Drozdov’s workout earned Droz an interview with Vince McMahon, a meeting which was immortalized in Barry Blaustein’s seminal wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat.
As “Puke”, Drozdov first appeared on WWF TV on the May 25, 1998, edition of Monday Night RAW. At the time, as part of the drug addiction storyline involving Road Warrior Hawk, Drozdov was the unofficial third member of the Legion of Doom with Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal.
Soon enough Droz would turn heel and lean heavily into the counter culture of the 1990’s, building a stable with Prince Albert and Key (the future Vic Grimes) that relied heavily on the drug and tattoo/piercing culture that was just starting to take hold.
Unfortunately Droz’s career would be cut short when on October 5, 1999, during a SmackDown! taping at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Droz would be paralyzed when a D-Lo Brown powerbomb went awry. The accident left Droz a quadriplegic.
In spite of the injury Droz maintained a positive outlook on life. For a time Droz worked with WWE as a writer and guest for the popular Byte This! internet program.
With the help of friends, including Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, and the WWE, Droz maintained a fairly independent life.
Darren Drozdov passed away at the age of 54, of natural causes, on June 30, 2023, in Pomona, New Jersey.
—Tag Team Match (13:06)
Legion of Doom 2000 (Road Warrior Animal & Droz) vs. The Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher)
WWF Capital Carnage – December 6, 1998
Darren Drozdov’s pure athleticism and bright personality made him a perfect fit for the WWF’s “Attitude Era”. What we saw of Droz was only the tip of the iceberg, though. Sadly, we will never know what could have been in the career and life og Darren Drozdov.
This match from Capital Carnage, though short, captures Droz at a pivotal time in his career. The post-match fight with Road Warrior Animal was the beginning of a new phase for Droz, one that never would come to fruition.
ADRIAN STREET
December 5, 1940 – July 24, 2023
The groundbreaking Adrian Street was born in Brynmawr, Wales, on December 5, 1940.
Born into a coal mining family, work his father had done for over 50 years, Street aspired for more. A passion for bodybuilding and pro wrestling, and a burning desire to leave the coal mines behind, led Street to leave home at the age of 16.
Trained by Mike Demitre and Chic Osmond, Adrian Street (as “Kid Tarzan”) made his pro wrestling debut at the age of 16 on August 8, 1957, defeating Geoff Moran.
It wasn’t until Street developed his “Nature Boy” Adrian Street gimmick that he hit on the idea that would change his life.
Outlandish, effeminate, and dangerous, the new “Exotic” Adrian Street proved to be as controversial as any gimmick in the sport to that point.
Playing off of homophobic fears and masculine stereotypes, Street took what Buddy Rogers, Gorgeous George, and Ricky Starr had done and turned it up to eleven. Using sly psychology, brilliant timing, and physical offense Street was a master at riling and manipulating crowds of any size.
Street won titles in CWF, NWA Hollywood, NWA Southeastern Championship Wrestling, Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW), the UK, and Mid-South Wrestling, changing the rules and the definition of what a wrestler could be as Street went.
For a more detailed look at Adrian Street’s incredible career check out the Adrian Street: Imagine What I Could Do to You documentary on the WWE Network and Peacock.
On July 24, 2023, in Cwmbran, Wales, Adrian Street passed away at the age of 82.
Mid-South Television Championship (20:11)
“Exotic” Adrian Street w/Miss Linda vs. Terry Taylor(c)
Mid-South Wrestling – October 6, 1984
Adrian Street was one of the most ground-breaking competitors in the history of the sport. Future stars like Adrian Adonis, Goldust, Sonny Kiss, Velveteen Dream, and even the former Maximum Male Models are all descendants of Street’s work.
Street was as gifted a wrestler, though, as he was outlandish performer.
This match from Mid-South Wrestling is perhaps one of the most watched matches of Street’s career. A truly great nip-and-tuck battle, Street secures his sole Mid-South TV title with a finish 20 years ahead of its time.
If you haven’t seen this match, it’s must-see material for anyone calling themselves a die hard wrestling fan. Street was far more than a gimmick, as this match will undoubtedly prove.
TERRY FUNK
June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023
Terry Dee Funk was born on June 30, 1944, in Hammond, Indiana. The youngest son of Dorothy and wrestling star Dory Funk, Sr., Terry Funk grew up with wrestling in his blood.
Both Terry and brother Dory, Jr., excelled in high school football and amateur wrestling before both boys attended West Texas State University (West Texas A&M).
Terry joined the family business in 1965, two years after brother Dory, Jr., made his pro debut. By this time Dory Funk, Sr., co-owner of the Amarillo booking office with Doc Sarpolis, was by far the territory’s top star.
Terry and older brother Dory, Jr., alone or as a team, quickly became two of the biggest draws in the territory. A top star in every territory he worked, Terry Funk became one of the most dependable and most profitable stars in the NWA.
On December 10, 1975, Terry Funk defeated Jack Brisco to win the NWA World title. Over the next 424-days Terry Funk faced a murders’ row of hall of fame talent that included names like Dusty Rhodes, Wahoo McDaniel, Pat O’Connor, Jerry Lawler, Gene Kiniski, Peter Maivia, Mr. Wrestling II, Billy Robinson, and Shohei “Giant” Baba.
Harley Race, the same man who dethroned Dory, Jr., in May 1973, defeated Terry for the NWA World title on February 6, 1977. Terry and Dory, Jr., remain the only pair of brothers to ever hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
By this time Terry was a staple of the All Japan Pro Wrestling scene, becoming one of the biggest gaijin (foreigner) wrestlers in the country’s history.
In 1981 Terry debuted in Jerry Jarrett’s CWA, igniting a long-running war with Jerry “The King” Lawler that included the iconic “empty arena” brawl on the April 25, 1981, edition of Championship Wrestling.
On June 17, 1985, Terry Funk debuted for the WWF at a Championship Wrestling taping in Poughkeepsie, New York. With his branding iron and unpredictable attitude Terry Funk was a natural heel in the WWF and made the perfect foil for the popular Junkyard Dog.
The next year, in January ’86, Dory Funk, Jr., taking the name “Hoss”, joined his brother Terry in the WWF. The Funks had a decent tag team run that included a win over JYD & Tito Santana at WrestleMania 2 (2:15:34). Terry’s final match in the WWF occurred at Saturday Night’s Main Event VI on May 3, 1986, when he and brother Dory, Jr., lost to JYD & WWF Champion Hulk Hogan (2:48).
In April 1989 Terry Funk joined WCW as a commentator and ringside judge for Ric Flair’s matches with Ricky Steamboat. Following Flair and Steamboat’s instant classic at WrestleWar ’89 on May 7, 1989, Terry Funk turned on Ric Flair (1:17:10), igniting the most famous program of Funk’s career.
Terry Funk’s battles with Ric Flair were the stuff of legend, enduring as not only some of Terry Funk’s very best work but as some of the greatest pro wrestling matches of all-time.
The culminating “I Quit” match from Clash of the Champions IX on November 15, 1989, is often cited as the single greatest match of Funk’s career.
Funk found new life in NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) in January 1993, working a variety of positions for the fledgling hardcore promotion. By the time Terry Funk reemerged in WCW in the spring of ’94 Funk was a fixture of ECW TV, a former ECW Television and Heavyweight Champion.
Following a brief return to WCW in 1994, Terry Funk participated in the first-ever “King of the Deathmatch Tournament” at IWA Japan’s Kawasaki Dream (August 20, 1995), helped bring Eastern Championship Wrestling to the “Extreme”, and made a surprising return to the WWF as “Chainsaw Charlie”.
Working with his longtime friend Mick Foley, Funk & Cactus Jack defeating the New Age Outlaws (1:16:58) for the WWF World Tag Team titles at WrestleMania XIV, funk’s lone title win in the WWF.
Terry Funk returned to WCW in January 2000 as the new WCW Commissioner and revived old feuds with Ric Flair and Dustin Rhodes. Funk would become a three-time WCW Hardcore Champion and briefly hold the U.S. Heavyweight title before departing WCW for good in January 2001.
For the next few years Terry Funk toured the indie scene, working matches in ROH, Major League Wrestling (MLW), Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA), and the upstart NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA).
In 2005 Terry Funk made headlines when Funk opted to appear at Shane Douglas’ ECW reunion show Hardcore Homecoming over WWE’s ECW One Night Stand. The next year, however, Terry Funk took part in one of the most hardcore matches in WWE history when Funk, Tommy Dreamer, & Beulah McGillicutty went to war with Edge, Mick Foley, & Lita (1:13:55 ).
On April 4, 2009, the night before WrestleMania XXV, both Terry and Dory Funk, Jr., were finally enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame (3:38).
Terry Funk continued to work around the globe, including as part of Insane Clown Posse’s Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), NJPW, and ROH until 2017 when Funk, after many (many) false finishes officially “retired”.
On August 23, 2023, Terry Funk passed away in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 79.
“Non-Title ‘I Quit’ Match” (1:20:00)
Terry Funk w/Gary Hart vs. NWA World Heavyweight Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair
NWA Clash of the Champions IX: New York Knockout – November 15, 1989
For over 50 years Terry Funk evolved and adapted, adjusting to the changing times and public tastes to find success again and again. From brass knuckles technician to “middle-aged and crazy” to hardcore icon, Terry Funk was many things to many fans, but he was always real.
This bout, the iconic “I Quit” match from Clash of the Champions IX, is for many observers the pinnacle of Terry Funk’s work as a pro wrestler. Stiff and hard-hitting, believable and real, this match (perhaps more than any other) perfectly illustrates Terry Funk’s one of a kind timing, psychology, and brilliance.
BRAY WYATT
May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023
Windham Lawrence Rotunda was born in Zephyrhills, Florida, on May 23, 1987, into the famous Rotunda wrestling family.
Windham’s father (Mike “I.R.S.” Rotunda), grandfather (Blackjack Mulligan), two uncles (Barry Windham and Kendall Windham), and younger brother (Bo Dallas) were or would become involved in the wrestling business.
Windham was a standout amateur wrestler and football player at Hernando High School in Brooksville, Florida. In 2005 Windham won the state wrestling championship in the heavyweight division (275 pounds) by defeating Jacob Sheffield (Nathan B. Forrest High School, Jacksonville, Florida) 10 – 4.
Windham played offensive guard and defensive tackle for the Hernando Leopards, winning the Gulf Coast 8 (GC8) conference title in 2004. Windham won numerous awards and honors playing for the Leopards, finishing with 147 tackles and 12 sacks.
After four uneventful years of college football at the College of the Sequoias (Visalia, California) and Troy University (Troy, Alabama) Windham walked away to pursue his true passion, professional wrestling.
With the help of his father Mike Rotunda, an agent with the WWE at the time, Windham and younger brother Taylor (the future Bo Dallas) joined WWE’s developmental system in Tampa, Florida called Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).
Windham began his journey in FCW on February 5, 2009 as “Tank Mulligan” before debuting on TV as “Duke Rotundo” on the June 14, 2009, edition of FCW, teaming with Vic Adams to secure an upset win over Joe Cutler & Lance Hoyt.
On the August 23, 2009, edition of FCW Windham and brother Bo Rotundo won the FCW Florida Tag titles, defeating Justin Angel & Kris Logan.
In 2010, while continuing to work in FCW, Windham joined the cast of the new reality-based NXT program as “Husky Harris”.
At the 2010 Hell in a Cell event Windham joined the “Nexus” stable in their war with John Cena and the Monday Night RAW brand. By the end of January 2011, however, Windham was written out of the story and returned full-time to FCW.
During this time in FCW Windham had a memorable feud with Richie Steamboat, culminating a “Texas bull rope” match on the December 15, 2011 edition of FCW, and a second FCW Florida Tag Title win with his brother Bo on the February 19, 2012, edition of FCW.
In the spring of 2012 Windham began working on a new gimmick, a cross between Waylon Mercy, Charles Manson, and Max Cady, called “Bray Wyatt”.
Wyatt became an early centerpiece of the new NXT developmental brand, and when Bray was sidelined with pectoral surgery in July 2012 he used the new “Wyatt Family” stable (with Erick Rowan and the late Luke Harper) to stay relevant and present on NXT TV.
Wyatt’s innovative, cinematic promos and vignettes quickly caught the attention of Vince McMahon, and on July 8, 2013, the Wyatt Family made their RAW debut, targeting Kane, who would challenge Bray to a “Ring of Fire” match at SummerSlam ’13 (8:36), marking Wyatt’s debut bout on the main roster.
Wyatt and the Wyatt Family would go on to have memorable feuds with Daniel Bryan, the Shield, John Cena, and Chris Jericho before Wyatt reinvented himself as the “New Face of Fear” in the fall of 2014.
After a physical program with Dean Ambrose, Wyatt would challenge the Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania XXXI (2:56:54), Undertaker’s first match since losing “The Streak” to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX.
Over the next two tears Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family would go through a number of changes, including the addition of Braun Strowman, as they feuded with Roman Reigns and the Brothers of Destruction before embarking on a long saga with Randy Orton that eventually led to a WWE Championship showdown at WrestleMania XXXIII (3:15:03) and the cinematic “House of Horrors” (1:23:15) at Payback 2017.
In November 2018 Wyatt and Matt Hardy began one of the oddest stories in WWE history. The “Ultimate Deletion” match (2:04:20) from the March 19, 2018, edition of RAW led to Hardy & Wyatt teaming as the “Deleters of Worlds”, winning the vacant RAW Tag Team titles (46:59) at the Greatest Royal Rumble event.
In April 2019 Wyatt debuted the beloved “Firefly Fun House” and “Fiend” persona. By the end of summer 2019 Wyatt was embroiled in a feud with Seth Rollins that led to the controversial “Hell in a Cell” match (2:42:03) at Hell in a Cell before Wyatt defeated Rollins for the Universal title in a “falls count anywhere” match (2:55:19) at Crown Jewel.
After losing the title in controversial fashion to Goldberg at Super Showdown on February 27, 2020, Wyatt challenged John Cena to the iconic “Firefly Fun House” match at WrestleMania XXXVI.
A feud with Universal Champion Braun Strowman led to the “Wyatt Swamp Fight” (2:12:36) at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules before Wyatt would defeat Strowman for the Universal title (2:32:07) (his second) at SummerSlam, losing the strap to Roman Reigns later that month at Payback.
Later in 2020 Wyatt, drafted to RAW, reignited his war with Randy Orton, leading to the infamous “Firefly Inferno” match (2:27:35) at TLC. Orton won the WrestleMania XXXVII rematch (10:42) when Alexa Bliss turned on Wyatt.
The WrestleMania match with Orton marked Wyatt’s final WWE TV appearance before his release on July 31, 2021.
In the early fall of 2022 WWE began an innovative promotional campaign using Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”, subliminal messaging, and QR codes to create organic anticipation for Wyatt’s return. On October 8, 2022, at Extreme Rules, in one of the most iconic and viewed moments in WWE history, Bray Wyatt returned (3:01:52).
The creation of “Uncle Howdy” and the layered, nuanced character development was a departure from Wyatt’s prior WWE run. A program with L.A. Knight led to the first-ever “Mountain Dew Pitch Black” match (1:29:30) at the 2023 Royal Rumble.
But before Wyatt could move on to his next program with Bobby Lashley, Wyatt fell ill. Though Wyatt recovered from the illness the infection did long-term damage to Wyatt’s heart, exacerbating a pre-existing condition.
On August 24, 2023, in Clermont, Florida, Windham Rotunda passed away at the age of 36.
“Firefly Fun House Match” (2:42:55)
John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
WWE WrestleMania XXXVI: Night 2 – April 5, 2020
Bray Wyatt’s out-of-the-box thinking helped change the very definition of “Sports Entertainment” in WWE. Wyatt, more than almost any other talent before him, helped bridge the gap between wrestling and the macabre. Though short, Wyatt’s work leaves behind a legacy that will, in all likelihood, never be topped.
This match marked the lone WrestleMania victory of Wyatt’s career. Not a traditional match in any way, this bout became the talk of WrestleMania XXXVI and a key illustration of the creative force that was Bray Wyatt.
Final Thoughts
From ring legends and pioneers to stars taken far too soon, 2023 saw the exit of some of the biggest and brightest stars to ever grace the squared circle.
As long as we fans remember their names, watch their matches, and keep their memories alive theses giants of the ring will never truly be gone.
Already subscribed to the WWE Network on Peacock? Then you can help pay tribute to these lost legends right now by reliving some of these milestone moments or experience them for the very first time! As always, let us know what you think in the comments section below!
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